More than most other types of vehicles, trucks come with the option of upgrades and customization. Upgrading your truck allows you to fine-tune its individual features and parts to your liking, improving on an already well-versed and powerful vehicle. Whether you want an eye-catching vehicle to drive around town or you’ve always dreamed of taking your truck off-roading, here are the best upgrades to make to your truck.

Lift Kit

A lift kit is one of the most popular, accessible upgrades to give your truck. Lift kits raise the body of your truck higher from your tires, putting more distance between the body of your truck and the road. That additional clearance allows for the installation of larger tires on your truck. The extra height is also particularly helpful if you want to use your car for off-roading on rough terrain, or if you regularly drive in snowy or muddy conditions. If you want to raise your truck, you can choose a full lift kit that will raise both the front and rear, or you can choose to level out your truck with just a front or rear lift kit. If you don’t want to commit to a huge lift, a suspension lift kit is the way to go, giving you 1” to 3” of lift.

New Tires

Switching out your truck’s old tires for a new set is one of the easiest ways to upgrade your truck. You may want a larger set of tires to pair with your truck’s new lift kit, or a set that is more durable and versatile than the stock tires your truck came with. Bigger tires will make your vehicle look tougher and sportier, as well as giving it better traction on uneven terrain. All-terrain tires are a reliable option that will be right at home on any truck. If you want to further enhance the appearance of your truck, you can also switch out the wheels of your truck for a sturdier, shinier option, or one with a cool design.

New Shocks

On any vehicle, it’s important to have good shocks. Shocks absorb the bouncing movement of your truck, making for a smooth ride even when you’re driving on an uneven surface. If you’ve driven your truck hard already, the truck’s original shocks may be beginning to wear out, or maybe they were never terribly effective in the first place. Fortunately, you can easily purchase shocks and struts for lifted trucks to keep your ride smooth and safe.

Cold-Air Intake

To operate properly, the engine of your truck needs oxygen. This oxygen mixes with the truck’s fuel and is ignited, causing a combustion that powers the vehicle. If you’re looking to increase the efficiency of your truck, one way to do so is by adding a cold-air intake. The cold-air intake pulls colder, condensed air with more oxygen into the truck’s combustion chamber, giving the fuel more oxygen with which to react than would be in the already hot air. This will give your truck increased fuel efficiency, as well as more horsepower.

A Hitch

A powerful truck is a great way to tow outdoorsy equipment like ATVs and UTVs, boats, bikes, popup campers, or small trailers. But in order to tow any of this equipment, your truck will need to be equipped with a heavy-duty hitch. Some trucks come with a hitch already installed, but if yours didn’t and you want one, having one installed is a pretty easy upgrade. Be sure to check how much weight your hitch can handle and be careful not to overtax your truck with a load.

Armor

Another useful upgrade you can make to your truck to not only change up the look and feel but also add a layer of protection is the addition of armor components like front bumpers. Aftermarket steel bumpers can take a harder impact and are stronger than the factory bumper. Depending on the style, they also offer additional mounts for hitches and lightbars to allow for further customization. Adding additional armor components is a great way to add durability to your vehicle and upgrade its appearance.

Step Bar

If you’ve installed a lift kit on your truck, a step bar might naturally become a necessity. The raised body of your car will make it more difficult to get in and out of the truck, especially if it was tall in the first place. A step bar is attached to the side of your truck beneath its body, providing a convenient platform that will help you step in and out of your truck without incident. Even if you can enter and exit the truck without one, having a step bar is safer and more efficient than hoisting yourself up to your seat every time you need to get in.

Tonneau Cover

Pickup trucks are great for hauling items in their beds, but if left uncovered, those beds can become wet, dirty, rusty, and otherwise worn due to bad weather. Then, if you’re hauling cargo around in that bed, it too can become wet, dirty, or damaged due to the state of the bed. There’s an easy solution to this problem: upgrade your truck by adding a tonneau cover. A tonneau cover will protect your truck bed and the goods inside while adding a little extra style to your truck overall. Tonneau covers come in a variety of materials and designs, including hard, soft, rolling, and folding options.

LED Light Bar

Add an LED light bar to your truck for a little extra flair. These light bars can be added to the top, back, or front of a truck for added style and increased visibility. Having a light bar on your truck can make driving at night both safer and more fun. Your upgraded LED lights can either be put in the place of your truck’s original headlights or used in addition to them.

Recovery Kit

If you plan to do lots of off-roading in your newly upgraded truck, you may also wish to purchase a recovery kit. A fully-equipped recovery kit will be your saving grace if your truck gets stuck in snow, mud, or any other rough terrain while you are out driving. Recovery kits allow you to pull your truck out of that sticky situation. Recovery kits are not specific to the type of vehicle you have, so you should be able to use one no matter the make or model of your truck.

Are you ready to try out any of these best upgrades to make to your truck? Any one of these upgrades will enhance your standard or recreational truck driving experience—don’t be afraid to give them a shot.