I have an 02 silver ext cab w/ 4.8L & 3.42's 90k miles. I went from 235/70/r16's to 265/70/r16's and now I have a noticable decrease in acceleration. I plan to go to 4.10's soon. Is there anything else I could do to complement this install well? It's my daily driver but I would like to get some pep back. Gas milage is important but if I lose a point or 2 I won't care. The trans has 90K on it and I would like to keep it alive as long as possible. Would a tune help this truck? Its completely stock right now. I've thought about a muffler, but mainly for sound, not power. Also, how much of a change to the old "butt dyno" would the gear swap give? Thanks for you help

-- TA69man

 

Also, Would the gear swap be the single best power adder to this setup? Or is there something else I could do (besides major motor mods, nitrous, and boost) to liven this thing up? Thanks

 

torque converter would help. a custom tune (nelson) would give you some good results. as far as mufflers go, i've got a dynomax ultraflow, it sounds good and I didn't lose any pwr from it, but if you just want sound and no performance, you should look at flowmaster 40 series, btw, welcome to the site.

 

What is your budget? can you do your own work? I would say a 5.7 longblock would be your best bang and still get mileage.

 

I may have a different opinion on the 40 series. Maybe it's because when I put mine on it was given 12'' long side exit pipe, but I noticed that the truck accelerates much smoother than that crappy stock stuff. Mines not even loud, and I still have a cat converter on it.

Some thing an airaid cold air intake, and cat back exhaust system should give you back what you had and maybe more. Also, have someone remove the filter screen from the mass air sensor without breaking the wires.

*edit*

Another thing, look into something like hypertech plug and play tuning. There good for up to 30hp. I think the airaid, catback, and hypertech would be your best bang for the buck.

 

Thanks for the input, I can do my own work (I've done several T/As, this is my first newer truck) and have definatly though of tossing in a 5.7. My thoughs with this truck though are to make it peppey (sp?) but still retain good enough gas mileage. I just took a 1200 mile trip this past weekend and see more of them in my future, so drivability and mileage are a key I'm afraid. I have Trans Ams for speed.

Has Anyone put a tune in their truck with very little modification to the truck itself? How did that do? I would like to reduce the torque management system some, and if I change the gears I'll have to set the speedo back. Those two are why I was thinking LS1EDIT. I recently graduated college with electrical engineering and my senior project was a standalone fuel injection system for a 5 hp briggs. so I think I could figure out ls1edit, but I didn't know if there were any good gains to be had from a stock setup.

Also, on the flowmaster 40 series, I really like their sound, but I'm in the truck all the time and they are just a little loud (a friend has one). I'm looking for a deep tone, but fairily subtle. I was thinking Aerochambers, they almost out flow a flowmaster 2 to 1, but I dont know anyone with one on their truck, so I'm hesitate.

Thanks

 

Oh, and the budget is less than 1000 for all mods. Again, this is my daily driver, I'm just looking for some pep!!

 

I still say you could do a 5.7 longbock for under $1k and there is a guy doing a mail order tune for $75.I bet your mileage will pick up.You mentioned gears,you would loose mileage then.Stock 5.7 ls1 longblock and a cheap tune and your done.

 

if I were you I'd look at the magnaflow mufflers, I had a flowmaster 50 series and i switched to the biggest magnaflow they had and it sounds really nice, mellow and i can see straight through the muffler. Its really quiet at cruising, I don't even hear it on the highway. I'd do 4.10 gears, a mail order tune or hptuners, rig up a home made intake and weld in a magnaflow and I think you'd be pretty happy with that. Might want to look at a set of electric fans too, they would free up some hp and give you a little mpg i've heard. with all that you'd be out about a grand and you'd feel a huge difference power wise.