The majority of our readers are very familiar with aftermarket parts. Basically, aftermarket products serve to improve or customize your truck. This may take the form of exterior dress-up products, such as billet pieces, custom taillights and headlights, special paint, larger and flashier wheels, upgraded tires, stylized hoods, and much more. On the inside, you might be considering custom leather seating, aftermarket gauges, carbon-fiber dash pieces, upgraded mobile electronics, a billet steering wheel, and additional interior goodies. Performance-wise, you can consider after-cat exhaust systems, chips, bigger and better brake components, performance intakes, and a number of other engine enhancers. For better ride and handling ability, take a look at a number of suspension upgrades, including upgraded springs and shocks, antisway bars, lowering and lifted kits, and more.
Many of the above mentioned components are relatively inexpensive, and often easy to install. Here, we present a special simple upgrade focus, with numerous insights into improving your truck's appeal. There's a bit of everything, from upgraded exhaust systems to gauge upgrades to exterior billet enhancements. The next few pages will serve to give you a number of ideas to refine your ride, and most are easy on the wallet and do-it-yourselfer-friendly.
Read along, and decide what upgrades are right for your own truck. Once you start adding a few aftermarket products, it's hard to stop, and you'll be well on your way to creating a customized truck that will definitely stand out from the rest.
Caddy Gauge Cluster
This install is definitely easy, from start to finish. The hardest aspect of the install is ordering the part, which if you know all of the information, will only take a couple of days. Trader's is no newcomer to the world of performance truck accessories, and when we found out the company had a new gauge cluster for Silverados, Tahoes, Yukons, and Denalis, we grabbed our camera and headed over to see what all the hype was about. The only tricky part of this install is finding out which gauge cluster is currently in your truck. What the crew at Trader's needs is your vehicle's VIN number, how many miles are on it, and which style of Caddy cluster you desire. For less than $400, you can have Cadillac styling and as a bonus, the transmission temperature gauge will now work in your truck. For more information, contact Trader's.
1.Before we installed the...
1.Before we installed the new Caddy cluster, this is how the stock cluster looked in our '02 Yukon.
2.To start the install, the...
2.To start the install, the plastic trim bezel was removed from the dash. By simply removing the clips, the bezel requires no tools to remove.
3.Using a 7mm nut driver,...
3.Using a 7mm nut driver, the factory cluster retaining bolts (four total) were removed.
4.Lifting from the bottom...
4.Lifting from the bottom and tilting outward, the cluster was pulled out.
5.Next up, the factory wiring...
5.Next up, the factory wiring harness was unplugged and the factory cluster set aside.
6.You decide which you prefer,...
6.You decide which you prefer, but we would always rather ride in style than roll with the stock setup.
7.With the new cluster programmed...
7.With the new cluster programmed for the VIN and mileage, the wiring harness was plugged in.
8.Gently setting the new cluster...
8.Gently setting the new cluster into place, the holes were aligned for installation.
9.The factory hardware was...
9.The factory hardware was reused and the cluster was ready to go.
10.With everything ready,...
10.With everything ready, the plastic trim bezel was reinstalled.
11.Now all we need is to get...
11.Now all we need is to get some gas and enjoy the drive.