The unique sense of masculinity attached to pickup trucks can not be achieved by owning any other type of car. But what makes pickup trucks a vehicle many gearheads wish to have is their evolution over the years. Trucks have transformed from no-frills workhorses to vehicles capable of offering up to six adults luxury on the road while carrying thousands of pounds of cargo. As a result, the pickup truck culture keeps getting stronger by the day.
As expected, the pickup truck aftermarket has also evolved as fast as pickups, but many modifications are unnecessary. There are many reasons to make your truck decidedly yours, but some accessorizing trends take away the true essence of trucks by affecting performance, utility, and appearance. Here are 10 things you should never ever do to your truck.
10 Rolling Coal? Truck, Not Smoker
Admittedly, most people thought belching smoke was cool about a century ago, but there are hundreds of reasons you should not put on the smoke show. First, nobody else finds it amusing except, of course, the driver. Also, trucks guzzle enough gas; so why go for a modification that reduces fuel economy? Mucking with the air-fuel mixture to roll coal delivers soot into the engine oil, meaning it's not good for your truck or the environment.
Spin the tires if you must put on a little smoke show to impress bystanders and other drivers. This way, you'll at least be keeping the engine clean.
9 Bed Caps: Get The Enclosed Cargo Space Elsewhere
A major part of what makes pickup trucks the favorites of many people is their cargo-carrying capabilities. Anything that limits their hauling capacity is counter-productive. With bed caps, the truck may not have enough space to carry snowmobiles, dirt bikes, or anything of moderate size, plus it looks a bit ridiculous, too.
Bed caps indeed protect loads in stormy weather, but some vehicles offer you enclosed cargo space, and not at the expense of beauty. Go for a van if you want an enclosed cargo space. Or go for SUVs; they give you additional seats.
8 Tailgate Nets: What's The Point?
Many people replace the rear gate with a net as soon as they purchase a truck, but what's the point? The rear gate is built to conveniently open for access to the bed. When it is closed, the solid piece secures the content in the bed. Replacing it with a cheap cargo net that things can easily slide through is a ridiculous idea.
There is a misconception that fuel economy and performance increase when air flows through the cargo net, but no aerodynamic studies support that. As a matter of fact, using tailgate nets increases drag and turbulence, which reduces performance.
7 Lift Kits: It Doesn't Make It Unstoppable
It is absolutely fine to desire more ride height from your truck, but lifting it to a point where you need a ladder is too much. The pickup truck might look monstrous and unstoppable until its axles and frames get hung up on snow.
Huge lifts raise the truck's center of gravity so much that they're neither good for off- nor on-road driving. The increase in weight does not only rob the truck of its performance, but it also inflicts all kinds of stress on driveline components.
6 Truck Nuts: That's Just Rude
This is more than just a pickup truck mod fail; it is also rude. We thought it was a dead trend, but truck nuts are back. Affixing a dangling plastic scrotum to your truck is the worst way to customize a vehicle. The idea is as lazy as having a bumper sticker on your car, except that bumper stickers can occasionally be funny.
Yes, pickup trucks are about ego and masculinity, but how does positioning plastic nuts so close to the ground where they hit stones and pebbles display masculinity? If you cannot withstand it, neither can your truck.
5 Huge Wheels
Car owners go for huge wheels as much as truck owners. However, the foremost group can be forgiven as they can go for a low-profile tire to keep the off-road performance (although it ruins the ride quality). Truck owners do not have that option. Usually, they have to go for prominent tires to support the truck's mass, which affects the truck in many ways.
With big wheels on trucks, the tires are too high-profile for on-road driving and too low-profile for off-roading. What's more? Mad Max wheels rob the truck of any kind of performance.
4 Vertical Pipes: Not Good For Your Truck
Admittedly, exhaust stacks can be tastefully done, especially for off-roaders who do river crossings with their trucks. However, most attempts, especially on modern trucks, look ridiculous. Most modern pickup trucks need a bit of back pressure, which straight pipes don't offer.
Such modification does not only reduce fuel economy and rob the truck of horsepower, but they also alter the unique V8 sound. Why ruin the beauty of a truck, reduce its performance, and give it a horrible sound? To have exhaust stacks? Not worth it.
3 Aggressive Off-Road Tires
Truck owners who drive on trails and dirt roads can opt for good off-road tires for better traction. But opting for aggressive off-road tires for an on-road daily driver is a no-no. Some disadvantages of monstrous off-road tires are a high center of gravity and the ridiculous noise from the tires on pavement. Regardless of when and where, tire whine does not sound good.
Aggressive off-road tires are poor in the wet and unsuitable for dry pavement. Even on plowed hard-pack roads, they're not the best option. Generally, big tires can change wheel horsepower.
2 Lambo Doors: Not Cool
Scissor doors or "Lambo doors" are a classic mod for different cars, but they are not the most functional of all doors. Many gearheads think that Tesla Model X sucks, and the rising doors are one of the reasons. Scissor doors look incredible, especially when the vehicle is built by Ferrari. But they need a lot of overhead space to open.
Trucks are already high, and opting for scissor doors requires even more space. You may assume there's always enough space up there until you find yourself in a situation where there isn't.
1 Pink Trucks Or Pink Racing Stripes: Not The Best Color
There is a reason most pickup makers do not have pink color options. Pink trucks look weird, and driving one looks like a cry for attention.
That the maker etched "Sport" somewhere on your pickup does not mean it was designed to race or have pink racing stripes. Generally, racing stripes should not be on trucks. Trucks are supposed to be rugged workhorses. Spicing them up with pink racing stripes kills the sense of masculinity it gives the driver and everyone seeing it.