YOUR OWN MONSTER TRUCK

Three things make any truck a monster: tall er suspension, bigger tyres, and a meaner motor.

Lift it up

For beginners looking for a quick lift, install a levelling kit. Some trucks come with a higher rear end (a factory setting to accommodate heavy loads), so a levelling kit raises the front end by adding spacers to the suspension. Kane used a kit from READYLIFT to add 7,5 centimetres to his 2012 Silverado. For more, you'll need a complete suspension upgrade. That typically means replacing the front coils and adding a pair of rear leaf springs.

Fit new tyres

Tyre size depends on both lift and your fender shape. Lift kits specific to your truck should tell you how big you can go. Larger tyres also gear down your truck, giving it better fuel economy, but slowing acceleration (the engine does more work for every wheel rotation). For a big jump in wheel size, install a rear axle with a higher ratio. Kane swapped his vehicle's 1:3.75 axle for a 1:4.88 to accommodate 37-inch tyres.

Upgrade your engine

Kane is overhauling a Chevrolet 5,3-litre LS he pulled out of a donor for his own vehicle, a Suburban, and recommends the engines for anyone working on a GM. “The LS family is cheap and bulletproof,” he says. He's targeting roughly 520 horsepower with his build, but for novices, 300 is a reasonable goal. A new cam, fuel-injection kit and turbo all boost your engine power. Just be sure to upgrade the head gasket and head studs to contain it.

MORGAN K A NE, driver, mechanic, Grave Digger