Many stigmas that people have about trucks are related to their speed and performance. When examining the average size of trucks, some just can't ponder driving something that eats up gasoline and moves slightly above the pace of a snail, and simply will not buy a vehicle with these characteristics. As such, a large portion of consumers will cross all trucks and SUVs off their shopping list; yet, they do not realize that there are many ways to make these bigger vehicles perform better than some cars, with only a few alterations.
Aftermarket products can speed up a truck or an SUV. A local auto parts store can give you great ideas to get an extra couple of pounds of torque and greater numbers in horsepower out of your truck's motor.
A cold air intake will give your truck increased torque and horsepower. Opening up the vehicle to allow more air in quicker while keeping the engine cool from the factory "boxed air" will allow the engine to perform much better and improve gas mileage.
Slightly more expensive, but equally as important and beneficial as the air intake, is a new exhaust system. Adding a bigger exhaust to your truck can allow for the air inside to flow just as easily out of the vehicle as it did into it. Your engine can breathe easier and be cooled down, as well, by this modification. Most of all, these two improvements will not break the bank.
If you have noticed that your truck is running slightly slower than when you first purchased it, a tune-up may be in order. If buying the car used, it would be a good idea to do the tune-up and insure that what you are buying is mechanically balanced and in good shape. This requires nothing more than a few cheap and inexpensive parts, such as a new air filter, an oil change and a new set of spark plugs. With these components in new and working order, the engine will be given a fresh life.
Slower trucks should be checked to see if they need a tune-up every couple thousand miles, with the mandatory oil change at 3,000 to 5,000 miles. This tip does not only help with performance, but also saves from costly repairs during the lifespan of your vehicle.
The last thing that you can do to make your truck run slightly better is change the gasoline you normally use to one with a higher octane; low octane gasoline means the gas is more saturated with other chemicals, which can cause your spark plugs to perform with the less of the "spark" needed to make the vehicle perform to its greatest ability. While you do not need to go to the high quality, high octane fuel (unless you have a turbo on the vehicle, in which case it is recommended), using the mid-grade gasoline will up the performance while keeping your truck's parts safer while driving.
