What next?
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Junior User
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Virginia Beach, VA
What next?
Well, I've added a Poweraid Throttle Body Spacer and an Airaid Cold Air Intake to the 5.4L and now I'm looking for more (not impressed so far). I'll be installing duel exhaust over the summer but I'm also interested in electric fans etc. Is there anything else that someone has added just short of chips (those will be coming just don't know when)?
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2000
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From: Kansas
Electric fans will not set your world on fire. They do work well for warming the truck up to temp but I would not expect a big increase in horsepower. You will want a chip for noticable difference in horsepower and torque. You will get more from the chip than the fans.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2001
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From: Maple Grove, PA
keep in mind that when you change things around you need to keep changing other things to make everything that you changed work well together.....i know thats a mouth full but......it's the way it is.....i'd say to go for the exhaust but you won't be to impressed there.....then i'd say....electic fan is't a bad idea....Preditor tuner is a good choice.....gears would liven it up a lot.....injectors, cams, maf to match it......or just get the lightening SC and computer, injectors maf, sensors and do it right.....but then your stock trans won't hold up so you'll have to up grade that.....and of course the rear won't hold the power so you'll be replacing that also.....see where i'm going.....it's endless with what you can do but you have to find what "level" you want to go to.....mild or wild......mild will get you a nice truck that will last a while......wild will be fun for a while but very costly and it won't last for a while........so, my best advise is to figure out what you want to use the truck for then make an assesment on where you want to go......"mild" or "WILD"........if you want mild i'd say gears, and the preditor with exhaust should be sufficient....but if you want WILD then the sky's the limit
good luck
good luck
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Junior User
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Virginia Beach, VA
I think I'm going to stick with mild since I'm not a recent lottery winner. I was thinking of just going with the exhaust and eventually the chip any way. It's a good truck but it's not my last so dumping a ton of money into it won't really be worth it. I just want something to do under the shade tree.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2001
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From: Maple Grove, PA
cool, thats a good plan.....i'd really say that a set of gears will put a smile on your face.....with a Preditor tuner....and exhaust....would really liven it up.....the Preditor tuner is better than getting a "chip" because it's tunable.....i beleve their is a sticky on the 97-03 main page...take a look....i beleve their around 350.00
good luck buddy
good luck buddy
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Junior User
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From: Virginia Beach, VA
Tuner, that's what I meant. I like the fact that you can plug the Diablo up to your computer and download new programs. That will be it then, tuner and exhaust, for power that is. I'm only going to level the truck and go up to 275's (maybe 285's). I had a Toyota that I put 33's on and once I did that she topped out at 75. So with that I don't want to have to change gears, I've heard it's expensive.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2001
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From: Maple Grove, PA
well, to be honest if you go up on tire size at all you'll want gears....i have 305/70/16s whitch are no taller than a 285/75/16 just a little wider.....and i could use a set of 4.10's to gain my stock gear back.....for every inch you go up on tire size figure on adding a tenth to your gear to gain the stock gear back.......
example:
30 inch tires to 33 inch tires with a stock 3.55 gear in the rear.......you'll need to go to aprox. 3.85 to gain back the stock gearing......can be expensive though but by far the bigest bang for your buck
example:
30 inch tires to 33 inch tires with a stock 3.55 gear in the rear.......you'll need to go to aprox. 3.85 to gain back the stock gearing......can be expensive though but by far the bigest bang for your buck
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Junior User
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From: Virginia Beach, VA
That's why I'm probably only going to 275's, it should'nt bother me too much with the new spacer, intake, exhaust and programer. I'm not really trying to be a speed demon I just don't want to get bogged down in the mountains when I go hunting and or fishing out in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I do want the truck to look good though, so many options and my money tree doesn't have a lot of leaves (that my wife will let me prune).
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Junior User
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Virginia Beach, VA
I'm not sure yet because I'll be buying new rims at the same time. I'm just looking for a little beefier look without lifting the truck other than the leveling. I would love to be able to afford new gears but it doesn't fit into the financial balance so to speak (i.e. new floors, deck etc. are coming soon).
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2001
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From: Maple Grove, PA
i'd say to go to 285/75/16s on the stock set-up.....they look pretty good....expecially if your looking for something beefy......then just do one thing at a time.....get the wheels and tires and do the gears down the road in a year or somethign......but, i understand......floors, deck etc....come first expecially when the other half thinks so
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Junior User
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Virginia Beach, VA
Well, I wouldn't mind a super charger but once you bolt one of those on you have to change all kinds of other stuff. I was just looking at gears on ebay and they are only about $130.00. Is that right or am I looking at the wrong thing? On top of that they don't look that hard to install.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2001
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From: Maple Grove, PA
well, 130 for the gears isn't that bad.....i wouldn't recommend putting them in by yourself.....special tools, need to set backlash just right, need to thighten down pinon gear just right exc.....i'd say to buy the gears for the truck then find a local shop to put'em in......don't forget if your truck is a 4x4 you need gears for the rear and the front.....they both have ID tags on them to tell you what size gear exc....
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Junior User
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Virginia Beach, VA
I'll probably go with 4.10's or 3.73's. I can get the 3.73's for under $10.00, used of course. I have 3.55 LS gears in there now and I'm sure that 285's will slow me down quite a bit. The truck is a 4x4 so I'll have to get two sets.