When is too late for these vehicle modifications?

Apr 23, 2024

Roof racks, final gearing, infotainment, and seat upgrades can be may be more involved than you'd think

Once upon a time, the average driver could pull up to their local dealership or specialty shop and have a factory-supplied upgrade kit applied without a moment’s trouble. Whether you drove a regular family hauler or a muscle car, manufacturer lists of authorized performance kits was long, and you could drop a few dollars at the dealer’s service department and drive away with four-barrelled carbs, racing rear axle gears, heavier suspension — the list went on.

Today, however, accessories are typically limited to all-weather floor mats and door-window rain-shades, with the glaring exception of the extremely long menu of features available for pick-up and SUV off-roaders. There are plenty of reasons for this, but even at a basic level, carmakers have gotten pretty good at packaging personal transportation to the masses with trim levels that meet the sweet spot for the majority of their customers.

Where most customer problems begin is when they want a specific feature that’s often only available from the factory in a trim level that comes at a much higher price, and which might include options certain customers don’t want, or can’t live with, or simply don’t need to spend on. Many of these customers leave dealership parts-service counters disappointed when they’re informed their shortcuts to build it their way won’t work, or that they’ll cost more than they’d ever imagined. Aftermarket and specialty firms can help bridge the gap, but often only for extremely popular mods on mass-produced vehicles.

Some light-truck owners have tried to improve fuel economy by switching out their factory axle gears for others with a different ratio. The logic is that a lower ratio will reduce their engine’s speed on the highway, resulting in lower fuel usage. Unfortunately, the result is typically such a minor change (if measurable at all) that their ‘lower’ fuel bills won’t come close to covering the costs of the gearing changes, no matter how long they own and operate the truck. On a four-wheel drive (as most pick-ups are equipped), both the front and rear axle gears have to be changed, with parts prices alone starting at roughly $2,500 and up. Some automakers such as Ram have even issued bulletins to try to dissuade customers from attempting this.

Why would these be on a hard-to-do list? The problem with installing roof-racks after the fact is the placement of upper side airbags. Drilling into the roof panel to mount the racks is impossible with those airbags in place, as they’re mounted up against the inner surface of the sheet metal. The only safe way of installing is thus to remove the headliner and both airbags, which can take hours. Most automakers will recommend clamp-on roof racks instead, but many owners shy away from these for fear of paint scratches from the clamps.

Power windows are a classic example of something the aftermarket might offer but factory accessory catalogs don’t. Companies have offered this popular feature as an after-sale add-on for years; some kits are custom made for specific vehicles and others are universal (averaging below $200 for the parts). These kits may be limited by whether or not the door and window controls have the room for the power motors and lift mechanisms, and if a 12-volt power supply is available without routing through various computers that probably weren’t equipped with software to recognize and operate power windows. A knowledgeable accessory consultant should be able to tell you if your particular make and model will work with their kits. Power and remote door locks fall into the same category.

Carmakers have made it very difficult to upgrade today’s integrated sound systems. First is the physical difficulty of fitting a square peg in a round hole, as there are no universal dimensions to radios anymore, and most customers are looking for larger screens with more features when considering an upgrade. Second, the existing wire harness powering the radio and speakers won’t necessarily match an upgraded unit. Third is the cost: new infotainment units are often priced north of $2,000, not including dash modifications or wiring harness replacements. Your better bet is to visit a qualified and capable auto sound specialist who can walk you through changes that will meet your needs without breaking the bank.

Let’s face it; driving a vehicle you can’t get comfortable in is more than just a pain, and can even be a reason to trade in. Modern, multi-adjustable vehicle seating is typically better than ever, but for some drivers who don’t fit the off-the-rack seating of mass produced rides, keeping the original seats as-is isn’t enough.

There are options. First you might consider visiting a proper vehicle upholstery facility to see if the current perch can be modified with the addition of foam under the existing covers. Second, companies like Recaro manufacture seats that will bolt in with minimal fuss, even with power adjustments. You can easily spend over $2,000 per seat, but if you spend a lot of time behind the wheel, your back might convince you it’s worth the money.

Your factory retailer might not be able to help with your modification requests, so you may have to dig around for a specialty shop. Remember that it’s always best to deal with someone who has experience performing the alternations you’re after: this can eliminate surprise price increases when a tech finds out more components are needed to make the change than they’d anticipated.

One of our longest contributors (over 30 years) Brian Turner is a veteran of the automotive repair world with over 4 decades of service. His career has taken him from independent shop management to a stint at AMC Jeep Renault’s Canadian head office to a variety of OEM dealerships in parts and service management. He still has a busy day job at a dealership counter today.

He began his writing for the Ottawa Citizen where he penned the ‘Ask the Expert’ column, answering motoring questions for thousands of readers. He took his pen on the road, so to speak, and offered similar consumer advice through several smaller news publishers over the years.

As of late he’s taken to the airwaves as a news broadcaster for Lake 88 FM radio where he also hosts his own weekly call-in show on, what else, consumer advice. You can also catch him every other Monday on Calgary 770 AM talk radio when he delivers Motoring Mondays to an eager audience during the afternoon drive time.

His mission is to break down the mysteries of modern automotive technology to help steer vehicle owners down the right road to smooth motoring.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-turner-b5bb0815/

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