Mods for every full-sized pickup in Canada
All truck owners feel the itch to customize at some point, so here are a few doable suggestions
A hallmark of truck ownership is the propensity to customize the thing once you’ve got it home in the driveway. After all, with millions of pickups produced every year, the temptation is great for owners to put their own personal spin on their new pride and joy.
I’ve fallen prey to these enticements on several occasions, with varying degrees of post-install satisfaction.
Bolting a set of running boards onto an aged Ram 1500 required lying on a cold garage floor while effecting a balancing act not known to the figure-skating duo of Virtue and Moir. This resulted in a steel mounting bracket rocketing off the truck and belting me in the skull.
These shenanigans have dampened my enthusiasm for modifying trucks not one whit. With this in mind, the Driving.ca team has assembled what we feel would be our first alterations to each of the new full-sized trucks on sale in Canada today.
RAM 1500: INSTALL A SUPERCHARGER
The roar of an uncorked V8 is one thing; combining that bellow with the whine of a supercharger simply takes it to a completely different level. If you’re tired of waiting for Ram to bring the long-awaited TRX to market — and who isn’t? — installing a power-adding supercharger on its 390-horsepower Hemi V-8 can make for a good elixir.
Most bolt-on systems of this type advertise a solid 160hp bump. While such a beast can be installed on any trim powered by a non-eTorque Hemi, slapping it on an offroad focused Rebel is particularly appealing. Fitting it to a base model Tradesman would make for an alluring sleeper. Be sure to get the truck’s computer properly recalibrated by someone who knows what they’re doing.
SILVERADO 1500: ADD THE TRAIL BOSS PACKAGE
This one’s easy. While sampling the then-new Silverado in the balmy environs of Inuvik, a GM engineer told us it is indeed possible to request that suspenders from a Trail Boss be installed on just about any trim of the half-ton Chevy. Shoppers will not find this option on any order sheet. Rather, they will have to request it via a special process that perhaps involves two secret handshakes and the ritual sacrificing of an old tailgate.
The Trail Boss kit adds a nifty two-inch suspension lift and the Z71 Off Road package. This endows Silverado with a locking rear differential, skid plates, Rancho shocks, 18-inch wheels and Goodyear Duratrac rubber. Combining these with the exterior appearance and interior trappings of a High Country trim would make for a tasty and unique pickup truck.
NISSAN TITAN: DRESS IT WITH ACCESSORIES
This built-in-America pickup truck received some improvements for 2020, including a snazzy new front end and powertrain upgrades. While the company has steadfastly refused to bring the macho Titan Warrior concept truck to market, it does offer some of its styling cues as add-ons through its in-house catalogue of accessories.
Amber marker lights that peep out through the grille can be installed for a pittance, amping up the Titan’s menace. If your extroversion knows no bounds, feel free to pair it with an illuminated Nissan emblem.
An aluminum sport bar, powder-coated black and peppered with bed lights, looks great and can be slickly installed into the truck bed stake pockets. This means you won’t have to take a drill to the very expensive pickup on which you just signed a multi-year note. Pop for the Truxedo (best name ever) elevated storage unit as well.
GMC SIERRA 1500: WRAP ITS DUBS IN ALL-TERRAINS
Having extolled the virtues of trucks with a gnarly off-road personality, it’s time to consider the deep end of the pool where luxury pickups like to swim. It can be argued that GMC paved the way for these types of Cowboy Cadillacs with the Denali sub-brand.
When popping for the snazzy Denali, one will find themselves in possession of a truck equipped with 22-inch all-season rubber. This type of tire on this type of truck is akin to wearing Crocs with a pinstripe suit, explaining our suggestion to bring your new Denali directly to a tire retailer after driving it off the dealer’s lot. Firestone builds a Destination A/T2 all-terrain tire in 22-inch diameter, making it one of the few light-truck tires available in this size.
And, if money is no object, pay someone at GM to redevelop the C3’s vaunted Quadrasteer system.
FORD F-150: FIT IT WITH AFTERMARKET EXHAUST
Dearborn’s best-seller wants for little, as it’s in near-constant receipt of research and development dollars. As such, the workhorse is endowed with some of the best and most innovative equipment in the half-ton pickup truck segment. Still, it takes work to remain in the No. 1 spot.
One of the upgrades we would toss at the F-150, particularly one equipped with either of the available turbocharged EcoBoost V-6 engines, is an aftermarket exhaust system. A common complaint levelled at these engines is that they sound like Marilyn Manson screaming into a vacuum cleaner at open throttle.
It isn’t an overly pleasant sound, and certainly leagues away from the traditional rumble of a naturally aspirated octopot. Picking up a cat-back exhaust manufactured by a well-known aftermarket house is the surefire ticket to improving the sound of an F-150.
TOYOTA TUNDRA: BUILD UP ITS BED UTILITY
Our chosen mod for the old-as-Methuselah pickup from Toyota? Trade it for any of the trucks listed above.
If that seems harsh, consider that despite an ardent fan base and the addition of an off-road centric TRD Pro trim, its interior and engine technology remain a relic from another age.
A sorely-needed rethink, both in terms of styling and powertrain, is expected within the next couple of model years.
The Tundra does offer a host of storage cubbies in its expansive cab but comes up a bit short on feature count in its cargo bed. Check out the Toyota catalogue for handy Deck Rail tie-down systems and cargo nets to keep gear from sliding about the bed.