Most people get trucks to transport heavy equipment and perform other physical tasks. Alas, they quickly become disappointed when they realize their newly-acquired vehicle doesn’t perform as well as they’d hoped for. Specifically, you need extra accessories to turn your basic vehicle into a powerful beast.

Regular maintenance is perhaps the best way to go about things. Changing tires and wheels, for example, will boost the performance of your rundown vehicle and instill a new life into it. Alternatively, you should consider performing regular maintenance to see if all your parts are working as intended.

In this article, we’ll discuss the best methods for improving your truck’s performance. Hopefully, you’ll implement some of these tips in the forthcoming months.

1.   Control Your EGR Valve

The temperature of combustion is vital for the truck’s power. The higher the temperature, the more power your engine will generate. This is why savvy truck owners put extra emphasis on EGR. This particular system reuses exhaust fumes as a way of controlling nitrogen oxide. When this part works as intended, your truck doesn’t lose that much power.

Unfortunately, valve leaks are more than common with this system. When the EGR malfunctions, the exhaust fumes penetrate the combustion chamber, subsequently affecting the temperature. Luckily, regular maintenance can put a stop to that.

2.   Change Your Fuel Filters

Speaking of engines, fuel filters are another vital part that has a major impact on a truck’s performance. Each time you change the oil in your engine, you should also replace the filters. We understand this can be quite a hassle, but it will make a difference in how your vehicle behaves.

As the name implies, filters are meant to eliminate all these excess particles that negatively affect your truck. So, by replacing them regularly, you ensure that the truck keeps performing at an optimal level. Clogged filters are especially troublesome, as they affect how much combustible fuel a truck’s engine will receive.

3.   Protect Your Truck Bed

When we talk about durability, people generally don’t think of truck beds. Owners often neglect the truck bed as a non-essential part of the vehicle. Nevertheless, hardworking people understand that this area is vital for transporting tools and equipment.

Given that you’ll transport sharp and other potentially damaging objects in the back, there’s a chance they’ll ruin your color. This is why smart owners use spray-on bedliners for trucks. With special coating, you’ll protect the vehicle against potential scratches, water, and corrosion.

4.   Inflate Your Tires

Many owners completely disregard their tires until it’s too late. However, checking the tire pressure now and then is vital for boosting the vehicle’s fuel efficiency and performance when towing heavy equipment.

Overinflated tires reduce traction, while underinflated tires cause extra drag. It’s also worth mentioning that sharp changes to external temperature affect tire pressure, which is why people in continental climate belts need to pay extra attention to tire inflation.

5.   Reduce Idling Time

Idling has a major negative impact on your engine. It puts a lot of pressure on this part, as its temperature is suboptimal during idling. The best way to circumvent this potential issue is to turn off the engine whenever you’re in a parking lot or otherwise waiting for another person.

Planning your routes has also been shown to be a great help in reducing idling. If you avoid street lights and continuous stops, your engine will work at its optimal level thus boosting its efficiency.

6.   Enhance Suspension

Like wheels and tires, suspension is one of the vital parts of a truck’s performance. It allows your vehicle to traverse various terrains and adapt to the road conditions. With proper suspension, you’re also reducing the pressure on other parts which, in turn, prolongs their expectancy. If your truck is often sagging or squatting, this is a good indication you need to change suspension.

7.   Get Proper Wheel and Tire Setup

We’ve already mentioned that wheels and tires are vital for performance and are especially great for people who drive off-road. However, getting the best tires or wheels in the shop is usually insufficient; you must also pay attention to their setup.

The most obvious one is getting a setup according to your preferred road. For example, you might consider getting all-terrain tires if you commonly drive in bumpy, rural areas. While general-purpose tires might sound like a safe bet, they usually perform much worse in specific situations.

Conclusion

Heavy-duty trucks are the backbone of working people. They allow us to easily perform so many on-site activities while also transporting equipment and tools.

So, a simple change of tires, wheels, and suspension can make all the difference in how your vehicle behaves. These modifications might be expensive, but they reduce the expenses in the long run, while also increasing the truck’s life expectancy.