c/truck-mods-and-builds

Remember when we used to wire up auxiliary lights with basic toggle switches?

Back around 2011 I was running a single relay and a Radio Shack toggle for my bumper lights on a 92 F-150. Now I just bought a switch panel with built in fuses and a CAN bus controller for my 2020 Silverado, which costs $150 more but took 20 minutes instead of 4 hours. The old way felt more like real work where you could trace every wire by hand and actually understand the whole loop. Anyone else miss the simplicity of just cutting and crimping without a computer in the mix?

Just realized my alternator was choking my winch performance for months

I kept having my winch slow way down under load, especially when pulling my buddy's F-250 out of a ditch last fall. Tried upgrading the battery and even swapped cables but nothing fixed it. Finally a guy at the auto parts store told me to check my alternator output at idle, turns out I was only getting 12.4 volts. Bolted in a high output 200 amp alternator from a junkyard Ford van for $40 and now my winch pulls like a monster. Anyone else run into voltage drop issues with their electrical mods?

Power steps are a game changer I wish I'd tried sooner

I was dead set against motorized side steps for my F-250. Thought they'd break and cost a fortune to fix. Then I slipped off a wet rocker panel at a jobsite near Spokane last December. Spent $1200 on Amp Research steps and they've been flawless for 8 months. Anyone else have a mod they were totally wrong about?

Had a guy at the diesel shop tell me my air intake was choking my engine

He said my stock box was pulling in hot air from the turbo and I was losing 20 horsepower, so I swapped to a cold air setup last weekend. Has anyone else seen a real mpg or power gain from changing intakes on a 7.3?

Put a lift kit on my 2005 F-150 and the difference in handling after 6 months is wild

I finally pulled the trigger on a 4-inch lift for my old Ford back in March. The first week felt like driving a boat, lots of body roll and wandering on the highway. But after about 2 months and getting the alignment dialed in at a shop in Chattanooga, it settled down big time. I swapped out the stock shocks for some Bilstein 5100s and that made a huge difference in how it tracks on curves now. The biggest change I noticed was how much better it handles gravel roads compared to before, no more bottoming out on those washboard sections. The downside is my fuel mileage dropped from 16 to about 13 mpg, which stings a little. Has anyone else noticed their lifted truck rides way better after the suspension parts break in, or is that just me?

Wasted $200 on a bedliner spray that peeled off after 3 months in the Texas heat

I went to this place in San Antonio that claimed their spray-on liner was 'industrial grade.' Buddy of mine had his done there and it held up fine, but mine started peeling near the tailgate after like 6 weeks. By month 3 I could pull big strips off with my bare hands. Took it back and the guy blamed it on 'improper surface prep' but wouldn't refund me. Shoulda just stuck with a drop-in liner from the start. Anyone else had bad luck with a particular brand of spray-on liner?

That welding shop in Sparks had me rethinking my whole bed setup

I drove out to that custom fabrication place off Interstate 80 in Sparks last Friday to pick up a bracket for my tool box. While I was waiting, I saw this 2019 Dodge Ram 3500 they were working on. The owner had them cut out the entire inner bed wall and replace it with diamond plate that had embedded tie-down tracks running the full length. It looked clean, not like the bolted-on crap you see at auto parts stores. The welds were smooth and they even integrated a recessed LED strip into the top edge. I got to talking to the guy and he said he spent around 800 bucks on the whole mod, including the lights. It got me thinking about just cutting into my own bed instead of buying those expensive drop-in liners. Has anyone here done a custom bed wall replacement on a newer truck?

Learned the hard way about airbag vs leaf spring helper bags on my F250

I had to choose between a $400 set of Timbren bumps and a $650 Firestone airbag kit for my 2017 F250 to handle the weight of my slide-in camper. Went with the Timbrens because I didn't want to mess with air lines and a compressor every trip down a gravel road. First weekend out near Moab, Utah I realized the Timbrens ride like a brick when the camper's off but they're bulletproof when loaded. Wish someone had warned me about that trade-off before I bolted them on, has anyone else dealt with that harsh unloaded ride?

I finally went with a leveling kit over a full lift

Was torn between a 2.5 inch leveling kit and a 6 inch lift for my 2015 F-150 after blowing a strut on a dirt road near Flagstaff. Went with the leveling kit cause it was $450 vs $2,200 for the lift and I don't do heavy off-roading, just haul camping gear. Now I'm worried the front end angles are gonna eat my CV joints sooner, has anyone else had that issue with a level kit on a daily driver?

That aftermarket lift kit I put on last month... total failure on I-40

I installed a budget 3 inch leveling kit on my 2015 F-150 about 6 weeks ago. Last Thursday coming back from Tulsa on I-40, the driver side strut spacer just sheared clean off at 70 mph. The tire rubbed right into the fender liner and shredded it. Had to limp to a shop in Weatherford and pay 400 bucks for a towing and a proper set of Bilstein coilovers. Anybody else had cheap lift brackets let go on them like that?

Finally got my 2000 F-250 tailgate to sit flush after 3 years of sagging

Picked up a used 1998 F-150 4x4 with 220k miles, 6 months later it looks and drives like a different truck

Got it from a guy outside Reno who had it parked for 2 years. Started with a deep clean and fluid changes, then got into rust repair on the cab corners and rockers. Threw on some takeoff AT tires from a buddy, swapped the old leaf springs for some add-a-leafs, and replaced the worn steering box. Night and day difference - it rides smooth now and the 5.4 actually pulls strong. Whole build cost me $1,200 in parts and a lot of weekends. Still need to do the front wheel bearings though. Anyone else taken a beater and turned it around without spending crazy money?

That time a long haul driver told me my air bag setup was garbage

I was at a Love's in Amarillo last month and this old driver named Hank watched me air up my helper bags. He said my compressor was undersized and I'd burn it out pulling a heavy trailer through the mountains. Six weeks later and sure enough, the compressor died on I-40 near Flagstaff. Should have listened to him. Anyone else had a random stranger give you solid advice that you ignored?

My uncle laughed when I put a leveling kit on my work truck, 6 months later he stopped joking

So I got this old F-250 from my uncle, 2003 model, and it had that factory rake where the front sits lower than the rear. He kept telling me to just leave it alone, said leveling kits wreck the ride quality and make the truck look like a toy. I went ahead and threw a 2 inch leveling kit from Rough Country on it anyway, cost me about 90 bucks and a Saturday afternoon. Honest truth, the ride did get a tiny bit stiffer over bumps but nothing crazy. Fast forward 6 months and I've been hauling gravel and hay bales for my side gig, no squat at all, and the truck looks way more balanced parked next to other work trucks. He finally rode with me last week and admitted it drives fine, just said I got lucky with the brand. Has anyone else had an older relative swear their way is the only way until they see the results?

Need recommendations for wheel and tire packages (flexible financing)

Hey everyone, I'm finally looking to put some new wheels and 35s on my Silverado. Only problem is my credit took a bit of a hit last year after some unexpected medical bills, so I'm trying to find a place that offers decent payment plans or financing without a hard credit check. Does anyone know of a good shop (online or otherwise) that specializes in truck setups and offers flexible financing?