You’ve just got the keys to your new truck, and you can already imagine everything you’ll do to make it exactly how you want it to be. You hear the growl of the next exhaust, and you see it slammed low and sleek, or maybe you want a rugged lift.

The vision is there, and it’s time to start buying parts.

And then the dream dissipates. You install a massive suspension lift, and now, it’s like you’re driving a shopping cart with a bad wheel. You’ve tuned the engine for more power, and all of a sudden, the ‘Check Engine’ light is on. What’s up with that?

The fact is, mods can trigger a domino effect, and not many drivers think about that before they slap them on.

One single change can throw five others out of whack. Unless you want to learn this the hard way, take a moment to go through the most common mistakes.

What Not to Do When Modifying Your Truck

You have your dream on one side and your desire to avoid the money pit on the other. How do you get your dream truck without turning it into a hole that sucks your money in?

Let’s see.

Messing With the Suspension Without a Plan

A lifted or lowered truck looks tough, no question about it.

But you have to realize that changes in suspension affect more than just appearance. They change how your truck handles corners, how it stops, and how it feels when you go over bumps. If you put on a big lift kit without thinking about geometry, your truck will wander all over the road. Go too low without making reinforcements, and every little bump will feel like the world’s biggest pothole.

Before you touch the suspension, think about how you’ll use your truck. Then talk to people who know how suspension works and ask for advice.

Forgetting About Weight Balance

Trucks are designed with careful weight distribution front to rear; they wouldn’t be safe. If you don’t think about it and add a heavy winch and a steel bumper, you’ll throw that balance off.

Not only is this going to annoy you, but it’ll also mess with steering and braking.

Here’s a quick example to emphasize the point:

You’re in a big city. Chicago, for instance. The traffic is chaotic, and you need to slam the brakes in order to avoid a crash. But because of all the mods, you can’t control your truck properly, plus, the truck is on the heavier side, meaning the stopping distance is quite long. And what ends up happening is you end up in an accident. A Chicago truck accident lawyer will be able to help to some extent, but those mods won’t do you any favors with the insurance company.

The same could be said if you were in another metropolitan city, such as NYC, where again you’ve got chaotic traffic, but instead of Chicago’s (somewhat wider roads), the roads in New York City are narrow and tightly packed.

Moral of the story? After you add anything heavy to your truck, see if you can notice anything sagging unevenly.

If you do, that needs to change.

Pushing the Engine Too Far Without Testing

If you throw in a tuner or an exhaust, it’s an easy win for horsepower, right? No.

Engines are complicated, and if you change even one thing, everything else has to adjust. Without tuning and testing, those new parts can make the engine work harder than it’s supposed to. You can even destroy internal parts.

Your work isn’t done after you’ve added performance parts. You have to keep an eye on the engine, so watch temperatures and listen for any knocking sounds.

Ignoring Local Laws and Regulations

You’re having fun customizing your truck, why spoil the fun with researching laws and regulations? Well, unless you want a ticket or for your truck to get impounded, you’ll give up some of the fun and do your homework.

Different places have different rules about how much noise the exhaust can make, lift height, tire coverage, window tint, and so on. What’s fine here might be downright illegal in the next town.

Before you buy parts, look up local regulations and see what’s allowed.

You can also ask at a local shop if you’re not sure you know the rules exactly.

Not Thinking About Fuel Efficiency

Trucks aren’t exactly famous for having great gas mileage, but there’s no need to make matters worse than they are. Bigger tires, for instance, add rolling resistance. Lift kits hurt aerodynamics. Every single heavy part you add on will make the engine work harder, and it will show at the pump.

If you drive a lot, you’ll be at the gas station all the time, so maybe think about how much you drive every week before you commit to mods?

Conclusion

If you like trucks and you like mods, it’s safe to assume you’re not exactly trying to fit in.

You want something that feels like yours, and that’s great. But you also need to be realistic and realize that you can’t pile up mod after mod and expect your truck to work like nothing’s happened.

Lift if you want, tune it, make it louder, tougher, whatever makes you happy.

But do your research before you buy the parts.

2 Interlinking Opportunities:

From https://www.streettrucksmag.com/truck-suspension-buyers-guide-what-to-buy-when-lifting-or-lowering-your-ride/ with anchor customize the suspension system

From https://www.streettrucksmag.com/air-vs-static-battle-of-the-springs-aftermarket-suspension-systems-explained/ with anchor how you want your truck to perform