Truck Performance 101 – A Beginner’s Guide

Today’s aftermarket gives truck owners more performance options than ever before. However, all the new truck performance products and gizmos can be a bit difficult to sort through. What you need for your specific truck’s performance will depend on the type of truck you have and what you use it for.

What is performance? Basically, it’s the word used to describe speed, fuel consumption rate, and towing capacity. Performance is measured primarily in terms of horsepower (HP) and torque.

Horsepower, or HP, is by definition the power of an engine compared to horsepower. For example, a truck with 100 horsepower is as fast as 100 horsepower all rolled into one. Horsepower is often indicative of a truck’s top speed. Horsepower does not necessarily mean that a truck is fast from a standing start (see torque), rather it is often indicative of the speed achievable by a particular truck. That said, other factors such as weight and grade will influence the final speed achieved. In more scientific terms, HP is the common measurement when evaluating the power of an engine. One horsepower equals 500 foot-pounds. per second, which is basically the power needed to lift 550 pounds one foot off the ground in exactly one second or the power needed to lift 33,000 pounds one foot off the ground in exactly one minute.

Torque refers to a truck’s ability to generate pickup. Torque is one of the most important factors at the start of any no-roll start. It is the truck’s ability to send power to the wheels and turn them, moving the entire truck forward. The dictionary defines it as: “The moment of a force; the measure of the tendency of a force to produce twist and rotation about an axis…”. The most important thing to remember is that torque is what makes the truck roll and is very important for towing.

The basics of performance, of course, center around your engine. Think of your engine as basically a big air pump. It draws air in through the air intake and exhales it through the exhaust. The easier your engine can breathe, the more performance it will deliver. The original engine you received from the factory comes with OEM air induction and exhaust. Modifying these two areas is relatively easy and can result in significant increases in both HP and torque. Another major factor affecting its performance is the engine computer. The original OEM computer your truck came with is set to a “safe mode” to protect the truck from virtually any driver error…for example, red lines. Although these settings are intended to protect the truck, they can significantly impede performance. Tuning your truck’s computer can significantly increase horsepower and torque while providing engine safety. We’ll look at each of these three performance improvements below.

Air intake

The air intake consists primarily of your vehicle’s air filter. Standard air filters are made of pleated paper. The problem with pleated paper is that it often tends to get clogged, greatly reducing airflow. The intake system ingests or sucks in bits of paper that create a hole for gritty contaminants to enter the engine. Additionally, these filters must be replaced frequently to maintain a basic level of performance. Aftermarket filters are made from cotton gauze or engineering foam. These filters, made by companies like K&N, Airaid, Green Filter, and True Flow, significantly increase airflow through the filter. Plus, these filters protect against dirt twice as fast or more than their paper counterparts and most come with a lifetime warranty…that’s one filter for the life of your vehicle. Installation of these filters is very easy…just replace your existing factory air filter.

The second factor that affects air intake is the temperature of the air entering the engine. You’ve probably noticed that your truck runs better on cold days. This is because air is denser, and denser air allows for more combustion when mixed with fuel and ignited. Stronger combustion means more power to move the piston in the cylinder. Aftermarket companies…many of the same ones mentioned above…have developed systems called “Cold Air Intakes”, which move the air intake point from the top of your normally very hot engine , to a point outside the engine. . The result is that the air being drawn in by the engine is much cooler than it would be using the normal air filter location. Cold air intakes require a bit more manual skills than simply replacing a filter. However, anyone with the basic tools can easily install them.

exhaust systems

The exhaust is the “exhalation” from the lungs of the engine. The more twists and turns the exhaust has, the less easily your vehicle can breathe. Exhaust systems come with three main elements… the muffler, the tailpipes, and the muffler tips. The first two are the main ingredients that affect HP and torque. OEM factory exhausts are well made, but they are not designed for maximum performance. Aftermarket systems from companies like Magnaflow, Banks, and Gibson are designed specifically for each truck and are designed to get the most out of your vehicle. In addition to more power, these systems also provide an enviable “roar” that will let others know you’ve perfected your truck. I don’t recommend installing an exhaust system unless it’s a true reducer and you’re prepared to cut and weld. Although most muffler shops do not carry these products, they will be happy to install them for you.

Computer chips and programmers

Gearheads technically refer to your truck’s computer as the Engine Control Unit (ECU). The ECU that controls the engine is very complicated. They are programmed by OEMs to meet emission requirements, meet EPA fuel economy requirements, and protect the engine from abuse. The computer does this by controlling many aspects of the vehicle’s performance, but primarily it controls ignition, fuel injection, and ignition timing. As mentioned above, the OEMs have set the ECU to default to an “ultra-safe” mode to ensure compliance with government guidelines and protect the engine from abusive driving. Aftermarket companies like Hypertech, Edge, Unichip, and Superchips make chips and programmers that will plug into your ECU or programmers that will alter factory settings. Chip manufacturers set products for each specific vehicle to a predetermined performance setting. Programmer manufacturers allow more versatility as they allow custom modifications to offset other performance add-ons such as cold air kits and exhaust systems. These systems are relatively easy to install by anyone with a little mechanical knowledge.

In conclusion, you can significantly increase your HP and speed just by making these basic changes to your truck. Some all-in-one kits can offer up to a 40% increase in overall performance. Finally, contrary to rumor, none of these products will void your truck’s warranty. There is a federal law called the “Magnuson Moss Warranty Act” that prevents automakers from voiding warranties for the addition of aftermarket products. These are just a few of the many performance products available on the aftermarket. I’ll cover more advanced performance products, like superchargers, in a later article.