The F-150 is a full-sized pickup truck designed and produced by the Ford Motor Company. It was first introduced in 1948 as the Ford F-1 and remains in production at the time of this writing (2010). There are various engine options across the years and model of the F-150 ranging from smaller inline 6 cylinder engines to the supercharged V-8 engine found in the Lightning trim line. All versions of the F-150 can be made more powerful via aftermarket modification.
Replace the Ford F-150 factory air intake with a performance aftermarket cold air intake.This will provide improved airflow into the engine as well as a lower overall engine temperature, which will in turn provide a moderate increase in horsepower and torque.
Replace the Ford F-150 exhaust system with a performance aftermarket exhaust system. Doing so will enhance the flow of hot air out of the engine, which reduces engine temperature and improves throttle response. This will increase horsepower and torque, as well as giving your truck a louder, more aggressive sound.
Install a performance computer chip to the onboard computer of the F-150. This option is only available on newer F-150 trucks which have an onboard computer. Performance computer chips reprogram the engine's computer, which manages and controls various performance functions, for maximum power and performance rather than for efficiency.
Install a nitrous oxide injection system. Nitrous oxide injection systems consist of a bottle of nitrous oxide gas and an injection system which is connected to the fuel line. When activated by the driver, the bottle releases a shot of nitrous oxide into the fuel system which provides a huge, but temporary, boost in power. The temporary nature of this power boost makes Nitrous Oxide injection systems ideal for drag racing uses.
Install a supercharger of turbocharger kit. Supercharger and turbocharger kits, also known as forced induction kits, funnel massive amounts of air into the engine, where the air then mixes with fuel. This in turn provides a huge boost in horsepower and torque which can drastically change the handling of the vehicle. Because the change in horsepower and torque produced by forced induction kits can be so dramatic, it is often necessary to upgrade other components of the truck such as the brakes and the tires in order to safely handle this power increase.
