Essential Performance Truck Accessories
Australia is a diverse country with an abundance of and beautiful sights, even in its remotest parts. That being said, there are many types of roads and ways to get where you need to go. As a result, the most popular vehicles here are 4WDs, as they boast the necessary power and durability to get you everywhere you need to go. Furthermore, they have the space and driveability for all your needs here. Whether it’s off-road camping, exploring, or in-city driving, these vehicles are ready for anything.
However, if you want your vehicle to reach its peak performance, you don’t have to settle for its factory settings. There are many advantageous accessories that you can easily install to improve performance and durability. For instance, if you want to improve the durability of your 4WD for off-road drives, you have plenty of choices. Or, you might want to make your drive more comfortable and your car more practical. Whatever it is, there’s a multitude of products on the market. With that in mind, I decided to focus on performance accessories. These powerful add-ons can make your vehicle more responsive and efficient.
Throttle Control
The throttle controls the flow of fuel and power to the engine. It does this every time you step on the accelerator pedal. Applying pressure on the accelerator pedal opens the throttle, allowing air to flow to the car’s engine. There, the air is mixed with gasoline and burns, producing force to propel your vehicle forward. In layman’s terms, the throttle is the device that controls the acceleration and speed of your vehicle. The harder you press the pedal, the faster you’ll go. However, the throttle isn’t automatically optimised for all driving conditions. It’s set to smoothen acceleration. If you want it to be more responsive and give you a more powerful start, then the throttle control is one of the ideal truck accessories for you.
Installation and Use
While this accessory might sound strenuous to use or install, it’s exceptionally simple in both aspects. Preliminarily, you have to make sure that the control you get fits your car model. Otherwise, it won’t work. To install it, you have to find the factory pedal plug first. Once you do, you unplug it and plug in the throttle control. Finally, you reset the factory settings. Once you do this, you have to position the controller at an accessible place.
Throttle controllers feature an intuitive LED display that’s easy to use. It has control buttons that control the mode and the settings. It doesn’t do anything magical. It just sets a new throttle mapping based on what you have available. As such, it eliminates throttle lag and introduces a far sharper throttle curve.
In terms of mode and settings, you have four modes and twenty adjustable settings. The first mode is the factory, which replicates your factory settings. The second one is the ultimate mode, which allows for an enhanced response. If you want to speed up more and feel the adrenaline, this is for you. On the other hand, if you want to save money and spend less gas, there’s the economy mode. The previous two have a range from zero to nine. The last one, which is the automatic control, adjusts your settings depending on how hard you press the pedal. Therefore, it’s the most intuitive as it reacts to your pressure.
Exhaust System
Unlike the throttle control, every car comes with a built-in exhaust system. Without a decent exhaust system, the exhaust gases will have nowhere to go. However, that doesn’t mean that you should settle for the one that’s the standard factory option. There are many great aftermarket exhaust systems, and that is why they’re next as one of the most popular aftermarket 4WD accessories. Nonetheless, the exhaust system is a lot more complicated than it looks. So I’ll explain it briefly.
Step by Step
The first part is the header which connects to the engine’s cylinders. It has as many pipes as the number of cylinders. It collects all of the exhaust gases and passes them through the piping. Afterwards, it passes an oxygen sensor. This sensor inspects the air to fuel ratio and tells you if the ratio is off.
Once it passes the oxygen sensor, it goes through a catalytic converter where harmful emissions are removed. Finally, it has another oxygen sensor to check the efficiency of the converter. If you’re wondering what reduces the noise, it’s the muffler and the resonator. The second one isn’t always present, but when it’s there, it helps reduce the noises coming out of your system. The muffler does the same, and it does it by absorbing the noise. Once the exhaust gases pass the muffler, they leave through the exhaust pipe.
Benefits
The benefits of a new aftermarket exhaust system are performance, altered sound, and cost-efficiency. The first one is a result of the fumes leaving the car faster, and more air coming in, leading to better performance. The sound you get from an aftermarket exhaust depends on what type of pipes and muffler you pick. The sound can be almost non-existent, or it could be deeper and more aggressive. Cost-wise, you save money as you spend less fuel and you won’t have to worry about any damage or complications to your car.
Gauges
The last truck accessories I’ll cover aren’t necessarily performance ones. But they can be, depending on how you use them. Gauges are the indicators positioned on your dashboard. Their use is to display information about various systems of your car. If you use them wisely, they can be an enormous benefit.
Tachometer
The tachometer is the gauge that monitors your engine’s revolutions per minute (RPM). It’s an indication of how fast your engine is turning, and it displays this in singular numbers, which you multiply by a thousand. You also have multiple choices of aesthetics. You can have the gauge change colour as you progress.
Speed
The speed gauge is closely related to the tachometer, as the RPM has an impact on your speed. Some are built with an adjustable speed alert so that you know if you’re pushing it. If you follow it closely, you can always make sure you’re driving at the perfect speed for your needs. If you want to make it even easier to do this, some aftermarket speed gauges come with lights for different situations.