5 Quality-of-Life Ford F-150 Upgrades

Do you need a reason to justify spending some coin on an upgrade for your beloved Ford F-150? Here’s one: The right F-150 upgrades can improve your pickup in ways that seriously enhance life behind the wheel. Whether you’re looking to spice up your truck’s performance, add some personality to its appearance or supercharge its utility, upgrades can help you reach your desired endpoint.

So, which F-150 upgrades should you pick? Here are some top choices:

1. Cat-Back Exhaust

If you want to add some extra zing to your F-150, a cat-back exhaust system is a good place to start. This system modifies the truck’s exhaust pipe to enhance airflow in ways that optimize your truck’s horsepower, torque and fuel economy. It also changes the sound your truck makes when you hit the gas. This sound differs from one cat-back exhaust system to the next, so shop around until you find one where the sound matches your style.

2. Cold Air Intake

A cold air intake system transports cool air into your truck’s engine and combustion chamber. By doing this, it increases the engine’s horsepower, and this can ultimately improve acceleration, too. As with a cat-back exhaust system, a cold air intake can optimize gas mileage and help your truck’s engine produce a richer, more resonant sound.

3. Lift Kit

A lift kit gives your truck added height and improved ground clearance if you fit bigger tires at the same time. Simple kits typically achieve this by placing a spacer between the truck’s body and its frame. A body lift kit can give your Ford truck a more assertive look and improved clearance for off-roading, all while maintaining the factory settings of its suspension and alignment. Simple suspension lift kits typically use springs spacers and lift blocks to space the chassis away from the wheels. Any suspension lift should be followed up with an alignment.

4. Intercooler Upgrade

An intercooler uses a reduction in the engine’s intake air temperature to boost horsepower. If you have an EcoBoost powered truck then you already have an intercooler from the factory. But it’s an appealing upgrade if you want to make your F-150’s engine as potent as possible. Plus if you tow, an upgraded intercooler can give your engine more stamina for those long uphill pulls.

5. Power Programmer

A power programmer boosts horsepower and torque, and it also helps your engine run more efficiently. It does this by adjusting settings controlled by your truck’s onboard computer; these settings govern things like turbo boost, air-to-fuel ratio and knock sensitivity. A power programmer can give your truck’s performance the extra oomph needed to put a smile on your face.

Every relationship between a truck and its driver can become stale after a while. Fortunately, well-chosen upgrades can help reignite the flame.

Check out all the truck-related products available on NAPAOnline, or trust one of our 17,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on F-150 upgrades, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA Auto Parts store.

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