I think many of us with vehicles seriously overestimate or underestimate what we could tow with it. You might look at a boat, utility trailer, or travel trailer and ask yourself “I wonder if my car could handle that?”

Now where would you go for that kind of information? Most people would go straight to the owner’s manual of their car. The problem is, the information in that manual will be so watered down and generic that you can’t really trust it.

It’s going to say something like this: “towing capacities are calculated under the assumption of a standard equipped vehicle, normal driver, and trailers. Any other equipment or passengers will reduce the amount of weight your vehicle can handle.”

Huh? So how on earth can you evaluate your real towing capacity? The first thing you have to understand the vehicle manufacturer is using a completely stripped down version of the car or truck to beef up the towing rating. Makes sense right?

They’re trying to sell cars, and if you’re a family with a tent trailer, seeing a super high towing rating on that little station wagon could be the factor that gets you to buy. That’s why you need to bring a skeptical eye to that owner’s manual.

The last thing you want is to load up your trailer with a few quads or motorcycles, head up to the mountains, and then have your transmission go out because you trusted the manufacturer’s published towing capacity. That could be a very expensive getaway.

Here are some terms you want to be familiar with in evaluating your actual towing capacity:

Unloaded Vehicle Weight (UVW)
You know all those times you’re headed down the interstate near the border of the state you’re entering or leaving? One of the best ways to find out your unloaded vehicle weight is to stop at one of them, pay the $5 or $10 fee, and have them weigh your car or truck.

If you do stop at one of those weigh stations, try to have your gas tank as full as possible to make the measurement more accurate.

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
This is the maximum weight your tow vehicle can be without wrecking your car, truck, or suv. There are a few places you might find this number – it might be under the hood in the engine compartment, or on a sticker in a door frame, or maybe even in the owner’s manual. It’s important to know this number because the foundation for safe towing is not attempting to pull something that is just too heavy for your car.

The bottom line when towing is not to overdo it. When you buy a vehicle, if you know it’s going to be used for towing, be realistic about the capacity of the car or truck you’re buying.

The lightweight family sedan you’re buying is probably not intended to pull a 20 foot boat, or a large travel trailer. If you know you’re going to be doing lots of traveling, camping, RVing, and other recreation, be honest about what type of tow vehicle you’re going to need.

I would recommend buying a solid 8 cylinder engine with a transmission calibrated for heavy duty jobs. I would rather overkill on the vehicle than risk doing thousands of dollars in damage to my car or my trailer. Not to mention the people I’m sharing the road with.

Jeremy teaches people about installing a trailer hitch and also advises them on the right way to set up trailer hitch covers.

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Auto Gas mileage is the miles your car will run for each gallon of gas. Let’s find your car’s gas mileage. Gas Mileage Tracker can print out MPG reports sorted by car or by date on the fill ups. A blank report can be printed to be used as a form to fill out any MPG fuel data by hand while you are at the gas station. Gas mileage depends on engine of vehicle i.e.

Gas mileage has gone up. Surging and then coasting conflicts with several laws of physics. Auto Gas Mileage Tracker is a MPG program designed to help you understand and track your gas mileage and gasoline usage. You can track your total miles and gas mileage, your total highway miles and highway gas mileage, as well as your city miles and city gas mileage.

Car pool to work. Try not to drive during rush hour to reduce idling in traffic. Carmakers do what we tell them to do with our money . If consumers choose auto gas mileage over size, carmakers will make cars with better gas mileage. Cars must average 27.5 miles per gallon. The government’s measure overstates actual fuel economy by 18 percent, experts say.

Fuel efficiency is a sound national energy policy, economic policy and foreign policy all wrapped into one. Every increase of one mile per gallon in auto fuel efficiency yields more oil than is in two Arctic National Wildlife Refuges. Fuel economy, however, dropped across the board. In highway driving, auto gas mileage decreased from 21 to 15 mpg; in city driving, it dropped from 9 to 7 mpg. FuelEconomy.gov gives some numbers on the 2007 Hybrid SUVs, showing us that the average mpg on these cars is around 30 mpg. What this means in terms of your own pocket is that it’ll currently cost you about $40 to fill up one of these babies and you’ll be able to drive over 400 miles before filling up again.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is that the all wheel drive Subaru Forester ranks nearly as high in fuel mileage as the front wheel drive only competition. This makes it a best buy and we highly recommend it if you need the traction. Perhaps with using higher octane on these so-called “high-performance” engines we can get better mileage? Perhaps you left the car idling a long time. Maybe you did a lot of stop-and-go driving.

Hybrid owners haven’t been exempt from feeling this pinch either. In our testing, we fell way short of EPA estimates of 60 mpg city and 51 mpg highway. Hybrids combine gas engines with electric motors. You don’t need to plug your car in at night, and you get terrific mileage, averaging from 40 to 60 miles per gallon for passenger cars, such as the Toyota Prius or Honda Civic hybrid.

You can get lot of informations about improving your auto gas mileage by visiting Auto Gas Mileage

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No matter what make of pickup truck you own, chances are you want to change it from the way the factory supplied it. Whether you use your vehicle for work, off-road play or some of both, you can find performance parts, accessories and customization products to make your pickup truck unique. When you want your pickup truck to look and perform better, accessories will help you customize it.

While it's possible to get some accessories from the Chevy, GMC, Dodge, Ford, Jeep, Mazda, Nissan or Toyota dealer where you bought your truck, you will find a much bigger selection of items online. You may also get better bargains shopping this way. Some popular makers of pickup truck accessories include Lund, Westin, Dee Zee, Outland, Auto Ventshade, Warn, Saddleman, Thule, PIAA, Vector, Wolo, Deflecta Shield, Pilot, Hoppy, Grizzly and Protecta.

Exterior accessories

There are many types of exterior pickup truck accessories to enhance the appearance of the outside of your truck. They include air dams, bras and masks, bug shields, bumpers, fender flares, graphics and emblems, grille guards, hood ornaments, hoods and scoops, mirrors, racks and cargo accessories, roll pans, running boards, splash guards, tool boxes, truck steps, tire covers, visors, wings and spoilers and wiper cowls. Select items that will complement your truck's basic lines and that will work well together instead of looking cluttered.

Interior accessories

Installing interior accessories is all about improving the comfort level when riding in your truck. Some examples are 12 volt accessories, cargo trays and liners, consoles and racks, dash covers and trim, door accessories, floor mats, horns, instrument panel covers, pet accessories, seat covers, seats and steering wheel covers.

How about adding some electronics to enhance your ride? Choices include CBs and scanners, cruise controls, GMRS radio, GPS and navigation systems, power inverters, radar and laser detectors, remote starters, security systems and antennas. You might also want to upgrade the standard radio that came with your truck to a stereo CD or satellite radio system.

Accessories cushion the load and improve the ride

Trucks are all about hauling things, so why not do it in style? Pickup truck accessories for your truck bed include cargo control, bed mats, bed liners, bed protection, bed rails, tailgate accessories and tonneau covers. You might also want towing accessories like hitch balls, hitch mounts, hitch covers, hitch steps, hitch wiring, hitches, tow hooks and straps, towing mirrors, winch accessories, winches and winch mounting systems.

By improving your pickup's suspension and brakes you make the ride both smoother and safer. To do this, you might need anti-sway bars, bars and arms, bushings and shackles, hubs, lift kits, lowering kits, shocks and struts, skit plates and trusses and springs. Adding more lighting not only improves the truck's appearance, it also improves safety. Some typical lighting pickup truck accessories are accent lighting, auxiliary lighting, back-up lights, bulbs and lamps, driving and fog lights, headlights, interior lights, light bars, light covers, light guards, marker lights, neon lighting, spotlights, taillights, tow lighting and wiring, turn signal lights and warning lights.

Electrical and exhaust systems are essential

If your pickup won't start, it doesn't matter how good it looks. If you've got this problem or fear it might happen, try buying alternator accessories, battery accessories, battery chargers, chassis wiring or jump start systems. If the problem is on the exhaust end, you might need catalytic converters, exhaust systems, exhaust tips and extensions, headers or mufflers.

To do all this work yourself, you'll need some tools and equipment. Useful items include tire pressure gauges, car care products, computer software, creepers and seats, diagnostic equipment, engine hoists and stands, garage and parking accessories, jacks, stands, ramps, paint, sanding materials and abrasives.

And once your truck is tricked out to your heart's desire, get out your camera. You're going to want to showoff your new, improved truck to all of your friends.

» Read More...

I think many of us with vehicles seriously overestimate or underestimate what we could tow with it. You might look at a boat, utility trailer, or travel trailer and ask yourself “I wonder if my car could handle that?”

Now where would you go for that kind of information? Most people would go straight to the owner’s manual of their car. The problem is, the information in that manual will be so watered down and generic that you can’t really trust it.

It’s going to say something like this: “towing capacities are calculated under the assumption of a standard equipped vehicle, normal driver, and trailers. Any other equipment or passengers will reduce the amount of weight your vehicle can handle.”

Huh? So how on earth can you evaluate your real towing capacity? The first thing you have to understand the vehicle manufacturer is using a completely stripped down version of the car or truck to beef up the towing rating. Makes sense right?

They’re trying to sell cars, and if you’re a family with a tent trailer, seeing a super high towing rating on that little station wagon could be the factor that gets you to buy. That’s why you need to bring a skeptical eye to that owner’s manual.

The last thing you want is to load up your trailer with a few quads or motorcycles, head up to the mountains, and then have your transmission go out because you trusted the manufacturer’s published towing capacity. That could be a very expensive getaway.

Here are some terms you want to be familiar with in evaluating your actual towing capacity:

Unloaded Vehicle Weight (UVW)
You know all those times you’re headed down the interstate near the border of the state you’re entering or leaving? One of the best ways to find out your unloaded vehicle weight is to stop at one of them, pay the $5 or $10 fee, and have them weigh your car or truck.

If you do stop at one of those weigh stations, try to have your gas tank as full as possible to make the measurement more accurate.

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
This is the maximum weight your tow vehicle can be without wrecking your car, truck, or suv. There are a few places you might find this number – it might be under the hood in the engine compartment, or on a sticker in a door frame, or maybe even in the owner’s manual. It’s important to know this number because the foundation for safe towing is not attempting to pull something that is just too heavy for your car.

The bottom line when towing is not to overdo it. When you buy a vehicle, if you know it’s going to be used for towing, be realistic about the capacity of the car or truck you’re buying.

The lightweight family sedan you’re buying is probably not intended to pull a 20 foot boat, or a large travel trailer. If you know you’re going to be doing lots of traveling, camping, RVing, and other recreation, be honest about what type of tow vehicle you’re going to need.

I would recommend buying a solid 8 cylinder engine with a transmission calibrated for heavy duty jobs. I would rather overkill on the vehicle than risk doing thousands of dollars in damage to my car or my trailer. Not to mention the people I’m sharing the road with.

» Read More...

Truck modification has been increasingly popular nowadays. Heavy modification is not limited on cars you see on the streets everyday; it is very much applicable to rigs as well. However, why do people modify their cars? It does not take a genius to find out why people put accessories or change the original look of their trucks. It is very clear that modifying trucks or SUVs mainly fall on two reasons: beautification and improvement of performance.

There are many ways to improve your automobiles. There are parts and accessories that can really help you increase the functionality of your vehicles. However, not everything may be available to the kind of vehicle that you have. There will always be an appropriate part or accessory for every kind of SUV. All of these items allow you to change the interiors to make it more comfortable while you are traveling. You can also add parts on the exterior to make your vehicle heavy duty. However, in changing the way your vehicle looks, you will still have to question whether if it is solely for looks, performance or both.

Some people really want to make their car to be loud that it can turn the heads of many people as it passes by through the streets. The loudness does not only come from the sound system that you have installed. Your SUVs can be a real head turner right from the colors of the paint you choose right down to the Tuff Country lift kits you have installed. Whatever you do with you them, just as long as you have monster trucks, it will really be attractive for many people. Therefore, most of the modifications for looks always end up making the truck look bigger than usual.

While others are concerned on how their trucks or SUVs can look like, some people are concerned with performance. It is undeniable that if you use your trucks or SUVs for work or traveling, you will definitely opt for accessories that will make them withstand the different factors that could affect the speed that they have. Modifications made on engines, break linings, tires and the chassis can be done to enhance the performance of the vehicle. Honestly speaking, this may be more expensive compared to adapting a change for the looks alone. However, if it is a necessity, it is worth the investment. You can do anything with it just to be more efficient and comfortable as you travel for work or pleasure. You know that your vehicles will stand tall no matter how uneven the surface of the road that you will be traveling.

Everyone can have their trucks or SUVs modified as early as the first time that they purchased it. You will have an option to change their color, make it more comfortable, or even make it bigger through installation of Tuff Country lift kits. To have the best modification for your vehicle, ask yourself, why you want that change. What you put in them can really improve the way it looks or improve their performance.

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Are you thinking about buying a used truck at a Phoenix truck auction? This article is designed to provide you with the details on how auto auctions work and how they can get you the best deal on a great used truck. Specifics may vary from auction to auction; however, the following information includes helpful and important guidelines from which everyone can benefit.


Phoenix truck auctions are one of the best places to pick up a used truck, especially high end luxury trucks at a fraction of its original retail price. Have you ever pulled up next to a fully loaded Escalade at a stop light, glanced over and noticed that the driver is barely out of high school? How could they possibly afford the truck payment on that kind of ride? Well, they probably purchased the vehicle at a Phoenix truck auction and got a great deal.

If you have ever dreamed about owning a high-end luxury truck or a customized vehicle loaded with aftermarket parts and accessories, you’ve probably done just that – dreamed about it. Paying retail price for a truck like that can put a huge dent in your wallet or your savings account. However, you can get a truck like that for much less.

There are many different kinds of Phoenix truck auctions, but two of the most popular happen to be police confiscated auto auctions and government surplus auto auctions.

Police confiscated auto auctions feature trucks that have been seized due to asset forfeiture in addition to surplus vehicles that have been used by the local police department. Police truck auctions are one of the best places to pick up a used truck. Many people think that the only vehicles available at police truck auctions are actual police trucks. Well, they’re right – but only partially!

Government auto auctions get their supply from criminals. When someone is convicted of a crime, like drug trafficking, the government can seize their assets, including their vehicle. Bad for the criminals but good for you! Government seized automobiles are usually luxury vehicles – BMW, Cadillac, Mercedes, Infiniti, Lexus – and sometimes you may even come across and exotic import! Not many people can afford a truck like this, but it’s possible if you attend a Phoenix truck auction.

Government auto auctions may also feature their own surplus vehicles, or those no longer needed. These can be passenger vehicles, decoy trucks, heavy equipment or even motorcycles, bicycles and ATVs. Other trucks featured at government auctions are retired fleet vehicles. These kinds of automobiles are replaced regularly by their respective agencies and are usually domestic trucks with high mileage that have been meticulously maintained. You are much more likely to receive vehicle history with a government-owned and operated vehicle than you are a seized vehicle. Keep this in mind if vehicle history is important to you. However most vehicles can have a carfax report run to check on any potential ownership problems or maintenance issues.

Please remember: Inspecting trucks being sold at a police seized truck auction is a must! Trucks sold at police seized auctions are sold “As-Is” with no warranty or guarantee unless still under manufacturers warranty. In an “As-Is” auction, there is no warranty on the merchandise and the bidder is responsible for removal from the auction location. This means that the bidder must rely on their own inspection and knowledge to make bidding decisions. Some auction houses, however, allow bidder to bring their own mechanic for vehicle inspections.

Regardless of the frequency of a Phoenix truck auction, you can usually find the event in the local newspaper or published on an online auction site that works with the police departments in your area. The advertisement or listing will give the date, time and place of the auction as well as a synopses of the trucks that will be auctioned off. They may also give a date in which interested parties are invited to inspect the trucks so that they can make decisions about what to buy and how much to spend.

If you're in the market for a good deal on a used truck, it's definitely worth your time to see what's available at your next Phoenix truck auction.

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The characteristic loud, continued accent of a locomotive's admonishing arresting is amid the best calmly apparent sounds around. Play a band with a agglomeration of two-second complete snippets and best bodies will be able to calmly analyze which is the blare of a locomotive. For abounding bodies it is additionally a activate for addicted memories, abnormally if they grew up abreast a base or the railroad tracks. Imagine that aforementioned conspicuously loud complete advancing from your auto or SUV and there isn't a abuse alley in sight. All you charge to do to accomplish that dream a absoluteness is booty a attending at the abounding alternation horns for trucks that are accessible as an aftermarket accessory.

The loud bawl of an abutting adaptable was developed to active pedestrians and motorists that they bare to break off the advance so the alternation could canyon after hitting anyone or anything. It was additionally acclimated as a advice apparatus amid the architect and railway and base workers. The aboriginal whistles were powered by the beef engine's exhaust. However, as agent engines began to alter beef the activating air horn became the accessory of choice. Train horns for trucks are the aforementioned as those acclimated on locomotives, except they accept been scaled bottomward in size. The 25-gallon air catchbasin frequently acclimated on the railway is aloof too big, and bluntly overkill, for use on commuter vehicles. Those accessories about accept tanks that ambit in admeasurement from one to bristles gallons. The added apparatus accommodate an air compressor that's appropriately powered to ample the tank, air hoses, valves, trumpet-shaped horns, and all the accouterments appropriate to put it all together.

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LIVONIA, Mich. - ROUSH Performance, a leader in Ford F-150 performance and styling upgrades, announced two new ways to add a distinctive flair to your truck with the addition of a Billet Fuel Door and aluminum Sill Plates to their extensive line of styling accessories.

The Billet Fuel Door is tastefully adorned with the ROUSH logo and fits all 2005-2007 F-150 models. Installation couldn't be easier as the unit simply snaps into place with no drilling, cutting or gluing necessary. Constructed from a solid piece of aluminum, the Billet Fuel Door is manufactured on a state-of-the-art, computer-controlled cutting machine to exacting tolerances. With a suggested retail price of $89.50, the ROUSH Billet Fuel Door (part number 401983) is a quick and inexpensive addition to any Ford F-150.

To help spruce up the interior on the 2005-2007 Ford F-150, ROUSH Performance also unveiled the new aluminum Sill Plate set. These gunmetal gray plates have a unique triangular texture and the famous ROUSH logo is laser-etched into the center. Installation is as simple as removing the adhesive strip on the back and pressing into place. The pair of ROUSH Sill Plates (part number 401982) carries a suggested retail price of $56.81.

"The Ford F-150 truck is the best-selling vehicle in history so there are a lot of them on the road that look virtually identical," said Ryan Bunn, ROUSH Performance parts marketing manager. "In our product development meetings we are always searching for simple ideas at reasonable price points for people to add a bit of style to their vehicle. The Billet Fuel Door and Sill Plates are two excellent examples of this as they are an inexpensive way to start customizing your truck and help it stand out from all the others on the road today."

ROUSH Performance now has more than 68 aftermarket upgrades specifically designed for the Ford F-150 pickup by the winningest Ford racers in history, including the ROUSHcharger* which adds 145 horsepower to the base engine. All the performance, handling, and styling enhancements ROUSH has available can be seen online at www.RoushPerformance.com.

Based in Livonia, Mich., "The Art of Performance Engineering" takes place at Roush Performance. In addition to the Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3 Ford Mustang and F-150 styling, handling and performance upgrades, a complete line of performance parts and crate engines are offered. For more information see your local ROUSH dealer, visit www.RoushPerformance.com or telephone toll-free (800) 59-ROUSH.

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Truck bed covers are often referred to Tonneau covers. "Tonneau" is a French for "cover" and since the 1970s has been used to describe the cover that goes over the pickup truck's bed. This cover is used to protect the contents of the bed from wind and rain, and to secure it away from thieves. But the benefits not only stop there. They can improve the look of your truck and improve the drag on your vehicle, saving you gas.

When the truck bed is uncovered it pulls the air downwards which is poor aerodynamics and means when you are traveling at high speed there will a lot of drag on your truck. The noise associated with this drag can be very loud. By covering your bed, a truck bed cover can reduce the drag and associated noise meaning that your truck will consume less gas when you are on a long trip consisting of high speeds like on a highway or freeway.

Truck bed covers come in three different types.

Hard truck bed covers are made from fiberglass, hard plastic or aluminum. These types of covers are typically smooth and are colored the same as the truck itself. Most are hinged so that you just need to lift up one end to get access to whatever is in the tray. These are the most expensive types of covers.

Soft truck covers are made from toughened fabric like material and have bows to keep their shape under snow and water. They attach to the truck tray with snaps, Velcro or a groove and tongue system. Some can be rolled up or others are hinged lid models.

Retractable bed covers are a popular choice. When you need access to the tray they roll up inside a canister that sits at the back of truck.

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At minimum you will require the following items:
a) 77-79 power steering box and mounting bolts/nuts
b) 77-79 pitman arm
c) 77-79 power steering lines- one each of fluid pressure and fluid return
d) 77-79 draglink or 2 tie rod ends and an adjuster (max 16" in length should be enough)
e) 1 piece of 1/4" steel plate approx 5 1/4" x 8"
f) 2 pieces of 1/4" wall 2 1/2" square steel tubing approx 7 1/2" long each
g) 1 litre of ATF fluid type Dexron III/ Mercon, as suggested by the local Ford Dealer
h) a welder capable of handling 1/4" steel
i) ball joint removeal fork
j) assorted wrenches, a right angle grinder and/or cutting torch, wire brush, drill, etc etc etc
k) a machine shop to shorten your old steering shaft

Extra stuff
a) 77-79 power steering pump, the old power assist pump should work if you want to reuse it.
b) new power steering belt
c) grease gun for ball joints
d) cotter pins for ball joint nuts
e) rust paint to cover welds
f) at least a dozen beer per day
g) a few days of "free time" and a place to work on your truck
h) a friend to help and/or heckle you as mine did :)

This is the procedure as I remember it. It might not be the best way but it is the way I did it. Feel free to adjust the "instructions" as you see fit. Oh yeah I am not liable for any damages to anything or anyone caused by this conversion. Mine works hope yours does also :) :) :)

1. Find a donor vehicle, it must be an F250 with the same axle as your truck, mine has a straight front axle with leaf springs so if yours isnt this swap might not work. Remove the required parts and take a good look at the system as it is setup on the donor truck, this is how yours will look when you are done, hopefully :) The donor draglink can be used, but I find it to be a little short. I plan on getting 2 tie rod ends and an adjuster to make a new adjustable draglink in the near future. The only problem I found was that I can turn harder to the left than the right with the temporary draglink.

2. Place your truck on jack stands of course, and remove the drivers wheel. Then remove the rubber/plastic inner fender, if you have one. Next remove all the power assist stuff. The steering shaft, steering box,pitman arm, draglink, power cylinder, power steering pump, bracket and all associated hoses etc. Place all this stuff carefully in a box, except the pump and bracket if you intend on reusing them, and seal the box. Then find a dumpster or better yet a cliff to throw it over :) You will need a balljoint removeal tool to split the draglink at the drivers wheel, of course you also needed one to get the stuff off the donor truck too.

3. Separate the new steering box from everything, I left the pitman arm installed to check clearances during installation. Empty all the fluid out of the steering box, invert it over a container and cycle the pitman arm back and forth. This will result in less mess when you install the box. I found out the hard way :^ (

4. On top of the frame where the new steering box will sit, on my truck anyway, the frame isnt flat it kind of bent upwards. Cut that part off so the frame is flat on top, I used a cutting wheel. Then clean the inside of the frame up remove all the dirt/grease. Cut two pieces of 2.5" square 1/4" steel tubing to fit inside the frame between the crossmember and the rad support, I used pieces 7.5" long. You will have to "adjust them with a few cuts and grinds to fit, they go one on top of the other to make a flat surface to mount the new box to.

5. Tac-weld the square tubing in place temporarily then fit the steering box in. This is where you might have to notch the crossmember and rad support and the metal inner fender a little to get the box to fit flat and straight against the frame. You will also have to remove your rad fan shroud, if you have one I didnt. You want to get the box installed in relatively the same position as it was installed in the donor truck.

6. After the box is fitting nicely in place, this took me a few hours of cutting and adjusting as I didnt want to cut off too much :), Clamp the box in place, I used a big "C' clamp, and mark the mounting holes on to the square tubing, you may have to adjust the tubing up and down a little to get the holes to hit on the tubing only and not on the joint between them. I got lucky and it worked the first time. Cycle the pitman arm back and forth to ensure there is adequate clearance between it and the frame and the leaf spring. It should also travel in a fairly straight line or (as I remember from High School the same geometric plane).

7. Remove the box and then the square tubing, of course remembering which one is the top and which one is the bottom. You can leave them installed to drill the mount holes but I used a drill press to get the holes straight. Drill the mount holes for the bolts, mine were 9/16", in the square tubing.Then place the tubing back in the place and mark the frame where the bolts will pass through. It is real important to get the tubing back in the exact place where it was tac-welded before or the pitman arm might hit on the frame or the leaf spring. Remove the tubing and drill the holes through the frame. These frame holes dont have to be neat or a real tight fit as you will be welding a support plate over them.

8. Manufacture a flat backing plate out of 1/4" steel to go on the outside of the frame. This will cover the old box's mounting holes, give the frame some added strength and serve as an anchor point for the steering box bolts. You will have to measure carefully to get the holes through the plate in the correct position. Oh yeah the plate is approx 5 1/4" x 8" , but use what fits of course.

9. Re-install the tubing, and bolt it through the frame to the backing plate, make sure it is straight and tight as possible against the frame, the plate will probably bend to the contour of the frame this is good. Again ensure that the tubing is in the original position.

10. Weld the tubing in place every where they touch the frame or each other. Then weld the backing plate securly to the frame. Remove the bolts and grind the weld smooth so it wont interfere with the steering box sitting flat, unless you are a better welder than I am and you dont have to grind :) Install the steering box and mounting bolts and nuts for the last time.

11. Measure the distance from the steering box to the steering shaft out of the firewall. Cut your old steering shaft to fit ( I had to cut off 4 1/4" inches). You will have to disassemble the joint on the steering box end. Then press out the "guide pin". Drill a new hole for it the proper distance and press it back in.. Install the shortened shaft in place. Good time to make sure your steering wheel is centred, looks better that way :) Also be sure and measure the hole right. Measure from centre of old hole to the desired centre of the new hole.

12. Install the "new" draglink. As I said before I used this one temporarily it wasnt quite the right length, a little short, but it works fine. I just cant make as tight right turns as I can left. You could always get the 2 tie rods and an adjuster when you are gathering parts, that way you wouldnt have to buy the 77-79 draglink at the scrapper.

13. Install your power steering pump, bracket and lines. I used the new pump but the old one should work also. Install the power steering belt and tighten it. Fill the pump with fluid.

14. With the front wheels still off the ground, as truck is still on jackstands, turn the steering wheel from stop to stop to bleed all the air out of the system check the fluid level often and top up as required. It helps to have the truck running :)

15. Replace the inner fender, if you had one to take off :), and replace the drivers wheel. Once again turn the wheel from stop to stop to ensure nothing is rubbing. Reinstall your rad fan shroud if you had one to remove.

16. Lower the truck to the ground and enjoy the "new steering feeling".

I hope these "insructions "are fairly clear. I am sure you will understand as you are doing the conversion what I mean. You will probably even see a better way to complete it

» Read More...

OGDEN, UT" One of Edge Products' first diesel tuners was called the Evolution, a hand-held programmer that would reprogram your diesel's ECU through the OBDII port in less than five minutes. It featured three power levels and amazing power increases. As Edge evolved, so did its programmers.

Now Edge has improved its Evolution stand-alone programmer and has integrated it into an Attitude-style display for a compact, powerful programmer with advanced monitoring features. The Evolution has three distinct power levels that deliver up to 100hp and 200 ft. lbs. of torque, and even has a power setting designed to consistently improve fuel economy. Additionally, these new Evolutions are the first-ever programmers to monitor EGTs (along with boost pressure and other safety features), negating the need for standard A-pillar gauges.

The Evolution comes standard with a custom pod that looks factory installed and is packed with features like: full engine data display with a backlight color-adjustable screen; checks and clears trouble codes; records 0-60 and ¼-mile performance tests; displays alerts and records max RPM and vital fluid temps; adjusts for tire size and raises the speed limiter; plus it datalogs vital engine information and can be updated through the Internet.

The new Edge Evolution programmers are available for '03-'07 Ford Powerstroke 6.0L, the '06-'07 GM Duramax LLY/LBZ 6.6L, and will soon be available for other truck applications. For more information, please contact Edge Products, 1080 S. Depot Dr., Ogden, UT 84404, 888-360-3343, 801-476-3343, fax 801-476-3348.

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I've replaced plugs on quite a few 5.4Ls now (the 4.6L with plug wires is similar) and once you've done a set they really are not as bad as they look. Contrary to what some people will say, you don't have to remove the fuel rails. The Coil On Plug (COP) assemblies will come out past the fuel rail. I take an old piece of seat foam and put it on top of the radiator support to the engine to allow me to lay on it without hurting my tummy. It makes the job way less painful.

Start by removing the cover over the throttle body (the black plastic cover that says "5.4" on it). There are three 10mm head bolts that hold it on. Next remove the air intake tube from the throttle body to the air filter housing. You loosen the hose clamps at either end of it, disconnect the connector on the AT (about half way up the air intake hose), the pull out the small hoses that go into the air intake tube near the throttle body. Next remove the brace from the power steering reservoir to thermostat housing. There are three 8mm or 5/16" head screws that hold it on. Now you should be able to see the COPs.

To remove the COPs you can use a 7mm or 9/32" wrench or nut driver or socket, extension and ratchet or all of the above. If you turn the fuel injectors to the side it will give you more room to work with the COPs. Unplug the connector on each COP by pressing the tab in and pulling on the connector. After you're done that just twist and pull the COPs out. A couple of the COPs on the driver's side and #4 on the passenger's side are a bit hard to get at but with some patience they will come out.

After you've removed the COPs take a blow gun and blow out the spark plug holes. Don't be surprised if there is rust and junk in them. Next you can actually remove the plugs. Use a combination of extensions, swivels (universal joints), sockets and ratchets to get at them. Whatever works best for you is good.

On the harder ones to get at I usually use a socket with a 4" extension, then a swivel, then a long extension, then the ratchet. The plugs are way down in the holes which is why I use the extension then the swivel. The swivel makes it easier to clear the firewall.

Set the gap on the new plugs to whatever it says on your emissions decal on the radiator support....usually .052-.056". Apply a small amount of anti-seize to the threads only on the spark plug. You can use a piece of vacuum hose or fuel hose over the end of the plug to get it started in the hole. Carefully start the plugs in their holes. If you can't get them most of the way in by hand with the hose take a look and see why not. Cross threaded plug threads are no fun! The plugs are to be tightened to 13 lb-ft. which is just hand tight with a short ratchet. Don't over tighten them! The threads in the aluminum heads have enough problems as it is. After that just put everything back together in reverse order. Apply some dielectric grease to the plug boots as well to help seal them.

I've done enough of these that I can replace the plugs in approximately 45 minutes but don't be surprised if the first time you do it takes a few hours.

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The previous article in our Roush F-150 project truck series covered the Roushcharger intercooled supercharger installation article. Before and after power gains were left out and I'm sure many of you are dying to know the bottom line results. We did a series of dyno pulls before and after the supercharger installation in order to get a picture of the power gains. Graphs alone don't tell all the data unless I present some additional information with each graph.

You'll notice the graphs do not start at idle speeds. When you go from idle to full throttle on these trucks there is a sudden shock of power through the torque converter. With manual trannies you'll generally see numbers generated lower in the RPM range. The more power from the start, the higher the RPMs before the dyno's drum sampling settles enough to get good numbers. This power surge is even more apparent with the supercharger.

In the above graph you see stock horsepower and torque. There are a couple of things to note here, or the Roushcharger graphs persented later won't make sense. First, you'll see that this chart plots the truck's power all the way to 5800 rpm. This will not happen in real life driving. The 5.4L 3-valve V8 has shift points around 4800-4900 RPM so the graph in real-world usage would suddenly drop around 4900 rpm. Second, the abrupt drop-off at 5800 RPM is due to the factory RPM rev limiter.

In this chart you see the Roushcharger horsepower and torque. Again, there are a few things of interest here that help make sense of the plot lines. First, you'll see horsepower and torque drop off quickly at about 5400 RPM but it doesn't on the stop graph. This doesn't mean there is a power loss here. What is happening is the computer is kicking in the boost-dump to prevent over-boosting the engine. This happens at (according to the raw data from the dyno) exactly 5316 RPM. This does not impact the truck at all in real-world conditions with the standard Roush tune because the shift occurs at 4900 RPM, well before the boost-dump kicks in.
Here you see the graphs overlayed. The total power increase was 121.26 HP and 118.22 ft/lbs. torque. Based on the graph trends it looks like peak torque with the Roushcharger is actually much higher in the lower RPM ranges than this chart reveals (this truck will launch hard from a standstill). These numbers, for "at the wheel numbers" are impressive and well within Roush specs when you consider drive-line loses on a 4x4 truck with 20 inch wheels. The torque peaks very early meaning the truck starts up quick, and stay nearly flat across the entire rpm range, with horse-power increasing throughout the chart. What does this all mean? Basically, not only does the truck come off the line fast but it keeps gain speed very quickly without falling off in power like you'll typically see in natually aspirated engines. Unlike a Mustang GT, which takes time to get into its peak torque area, a Roushcharger equipped F150 is almost at peak torque right off the line. With proper launching for traction, most Mustangs don't stand a chance even against the much heavier F150.

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Roush the name means performance. Supercharger. means power. Combine them and you have the Roushcharger. Roush's intercooled supercharger kit turns a mild mannered 2004-2007 Ford F-150 into a fire breathing torque monster. Two questions come to mind how much power and can it be improved upon?

The answers. lots and yes.

During the installation and tuning of Roush's intercooler supercharger on our Roush F-150 project truck we conducted dyno pulls on a Dynojet dynometer in order to get accurate numbers of the gains available over stock and how much more power is still available from the 5.4L 3V modular V8.


Here you see the dyno plot for the stock 5.4L. The graph shows power all the up to 5800 rpm. In real driving the vehicle will shift at 4900 rpm so keep that in mind. This Roush F-150 is equiped with Roush's 20-inch wheels so this number is slightly lower than it would be on F-150's with OEM tires and wheels. Stock power is 207.54 RWHP and 254.64 ft/lbs RW torque.


This is the same engine with the intercooled Roushcharger installed. Power is 329.23 RWHP and 371.51 ft/lbs RW torque. Very impressive. Notice the sudden drop-off at around 5300 rpm? The tune which Roush supplies dumps boost at exactly 5312 rpm. In normal driving conditions this isn't an issue because the truck shifts at 4900 rpm, well before the boost is dumped.

Next, Mike Troyer of Troyer Performance put his considerable F-150 tuning experience to work on this truck and the results were stunning. A slightly larger boost pulley was installed (only about 1/2lb extra boost). The primary reason for installing this pulley is rotational mass. The pulley supplied by Roush weighs in at over 10lbs while the after market pulley is just under 2.5 lbs.

Royal Purple 5w/20 synthetic oil was used to give this truck the added benefits of a good synthetic oil. When you're dealing with the power levels it will put out it pays in the long run not to put in cheap oil. We've since run oil analysis on the oil and the results are really good. These will be presented in a follow-up article.

Next, Mike worked on the PCM's tune. Torque management during shifts was vastly improved. This won't show up on the dyno but my experience shows that it makes a huge difference in both driveability on the street and ETs. Mike then worked on other aspects of the tune (I can't give specifics because it's proprietary) and we did another dyno run.


Here you see the results of Troyer Performance tuning. The truck gained a huge 44.33 RWHP and 45.31 ft/lbs RW torque for a total of 373.56 RWHP and 416.82 ft/lbs RW torque. Numbers like this, with a good set of tires, puts the truck in Ford Lightning performance range. Not bad for a 4 door Supercrew. Again you'll notice the boost dumping at 5312 rpm. Unfortunately, with these power levels the 4900 rpm shift point isn't optimal. A 5400 rpm wide-open-throttle shift point provides the quickest ETs and max power. Move the shift point to this rpm and you bump up against the boost dump and ultimately end up with lower ETs as a result....


Here is the final dyno run. Mike has worked some tuning magic to circumvent the 5312 rpm boost dump. The truck now makes power all the way up to the 5800 rpm rev limiter. Peak power is 376.48 RWHP and 415.55 ft/lbs RW torque. Even more important that these numbers is the WOT shift point can now be moved up from 4900 rpm to 5400 rpm. The most incredible thing about the custom tuning is we gained roughly 155 RWHP and 200 ft/lbs RW torque over the what the Roush tune provided at the rpm ranges beyond the boost dump! This shows you what can be accomplished with proper custom tuning.


Here are all three graphs overlayed, with RWHP on the top and RWTQ on the bottom. It illustrates the gains achieved better. The top/right of this article page has a text file attachment you can download to see the raw data dumps. Note the date/times are from when the file was exported by the software (January), not from the days of the pulls (November). Unfortunately we ran out of time (I had to be back in Atlanta for a business trip the following day) and could not go further but this gives a very good idea of how much can be gained with a competent tuner like Mike Troyer. Mike's tuned more F-150s than probably anyone else in the USA and knows a lot about squeezing out every ounce of safe performance from them (and not so safe if you're willing to do that). Mike is confident that with a little more time on my truck he can get it to the 400 RWHP mark without additional hardware. I hope to take him up on that offer soon.

On the street the Troyer Performance tuning is a sheer pleasure to drive. 1-2 shifting is much better, power comes on with less throttle and it'll light the tires across an entire intersection if you're so inclined to burn up your hard earned cash on tires. How fast will the truck go? I buried the needle around 130 mpg and my courage ran out long before the truck ran out of power. I'm planning some track time this spring to see what it will do. If you have an F-150 without a Roushcharger look up Troyer Performance and get one installed. You won't regret it. If you already have a Roushcharger... get a tune from Mike and you won't be able to wipe the grin off.

Roush F-150 Project Truck Source:
Troyer Performance
(540) 965-7123
www.troyerperformance.com

(Copyright 2007 Ken Payne, All Rights Reserved. This article is used by Internet Brands, Inc. with permission - no license is given beyond this permission and may be revoked by Ken Payne.)

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