Should You Put A Supercharger In Your Truck For Towing?
Why not? It will add some sauce to the truck, like better performance when climbing hills, accelerating from the start. Will such a mod increase the towing capacity though? Nope.
While a supercharger does increase the pickup truck’s horsepower and torque, this is not just what let’s a truck pull more weight.
Trucks that can pull a bigger payload are built big from the start – they have better drivetrains, engines, brakes, just to name a few.
So while it may be logical to think that you can indeed strap a bigger trailer with just a supercharger upgrade, it is simply not safe to do so with the truck you already got, let alone if it’s all stock to begin with.
If a little towing performance is all you need and supercharging your steed sounds just like the thing you’re looking for, read on why you may consider twice before going for it.
Can worsen fuel economy
Because a supercharger introduces more air into the engine which in turn allows you to drive faster, this will end up reducing fuel economy when stepping on the gas pedal.
Under normal driving conditions you should be fine, though during those longer hill climbs when you demand extra from the rig (which is why you are probably thinking of installing a supercharger to begin with), expect the MPG to be worse.
I guess that’s a little price to pay for a smoother ride.
May not be too smart for an older truck
When you put such a upgrade on a pickup that already has hundreds of thousands of miles, especially when you have towing in mind… that can lead to some premature issues.
It all boils down to the parts of the vehicle being worn. Introducing a new upgrade like that into an older system may make all else fail quicker.
You really have to consult a mechanic to figure out whether it’s a go or not.
In conclusion
I don’t think you can turn a gas engine into a diesel with such an upgrade, even if can cost close to 10 grand.
A diesel is always going to be a diesel, and there is no way around it when you want to tow big loads.