I know the majority of people on here are going to tell me to save the money and buy a custom tune, but i dont want a custom i want a handheld so which one is the best? Predator, Hypertech, Superchip? one of my buddies had a handheld and a few bolt ons nothing major and could chirp 2nd, i have a tune on my (came with the truck, but the guy didnt give me the handheld, what it good it did him idk?) and i can chirp 2nd, and i have a few bolt ons, but i want it tuned diffrent.

 

Chirping gears only indicates trans line pressure is up, not really an indication of power. Why wouldn't you want a real tune? Just curious to what advantage you think a handheld will offer over a custom tune with free updates?

 

If it already has a tune in there it is doubtful that you will be able to upload different software. That leaves you with 2 options, mail order custom tune (your best bet) or you could find another ECM to swap out and then put a handheld on that one! Im sure someone will correct me if im wrong about being able to put a tune onto a ecm that is already been tuned

 

im not tryin to be a smartass, but its just when i pay alot of money for something i like to have something to show for it, and a custom tune i dont have nothing to show, and if i was to ever sell my truck i could take the handheld off and put it on my dads, not sure if thats the same way on the custom tune without having the guy come out and do it...

 

thanks for bringing that up, i also meant to ask could i put a tune over the one thats currently on the truck since i cant take it off because the dick head kept it.

 

just so you know, it's been dyno proven that some handheld's actually lose power over a stock tune.

 

You're going to have $400 bucks in it anyway, buy hptuners, or efilive if you have a laptop. Then you can tune your dads truck, your buddys truck....

 

IMO hand helds are a waste of money.. I don't see the point of having to spend more on one of them then a custom tune, when infact a custom tune is better by alot hands down If you want something to show, show your friend that you can bust his *** with a 300 $ tune, over his 4xx hand held. It speaks for itself, there is a reason that 99% of us all have a pcm tune vs a hand held. So many more things can be done, having a pcm tuned.. As far as stackinh tunes, I don't think that can be done, vs diesels... Don't take this post as a argument, just trying to save you money, make more power

 

how does a custom tune work.

 

Basically a tuner, such as wheatley, black bear, nelson. Using tuning software to get inside of the stock pcm, goes and changes many many setting, paramiters in the pcm. Much much more then the hand held can ever do..