It’s easy to get a pickup truck customized with the large number of aftermarket products available. Manufacturers produce a range of products that can not only enhance trucks visually but also add a great amount of performance over stock. Performance bolt-on kits are readily available from a few different companies. For example, the AEM Brute Force air intake system adds extra horsepower by forcing more air into the engine. Computer chip upgrades can also create extra horsepower and better fuel mileage.
Lifted trucks have their bodies raised with the use of a larger suspension and bigger diameter wheels. A majority of these trucks have 4-wheel drive with large powerful engines. Typically a full-sized truck is used in this application. The shocks are much taller and have a longer distance of travel. Often more shocks are used instead of the standard single shock; groupings of two or four are placed at each wheel. Larger diameter tires are used as well to help give the truck a much larger stance. These wheels have a deep tread to aid in traction for off-road driving. Often the modification is for better off-road performance. The raised body of the truck allows for greater ground clearance over obstacles on a trail.
If you don’t want an unusually large truck, another customization option is to go unusually small. Mini trucks such as the Mazda B2200 are narrower, have a smaller bed and a smaller engine. Customized mini trucks are popular with younger owners because of the availability of parts and ease of putting in larger engines. Often these trucks are lowered using lowering springs and a c-channel cut into the truck frame, to get the truck as low to the ground as possible. An airbag suspension can be installed instead of the standard spring suspension. This allows for a smoother ride when the truck is lowered.
Mini trucks can be customized so heavily that they are rendered useless for transporting anything other than the passengers. The beds of these custom trucks are often used to house the compressor or hydraulic pump for the suspension and possibly a sound system that would not otherwise fit in the cab of the truck. Just as with custom motorcycles, custom pickup trucks are often more an artistic expression of the owner’s personality than a practical mode of transportation.