What To Do: Tune Or Supercharge?

lacv75 · August 2, 2010

Hey y'all, just looking for advice as to which way to go...

Problem is that my truck is ridiculously slow from the get-go...I don't know how to describe it other than saying that when I floor it, I don't feel the pull that a V8 should give...

I want faster acceleration and maybe more power for future hauling applications. Right now it's just a city truck but I may get a boat in a year or so.

Will a tune (i.e. blackbear) help with this? or should I just go with a blower and get this over with?

I understand the price difference is steep...I just don't know what to expect from the tune and if it will solve my issue...

Thanks y'all

[email protected] · August 2, 2010

Hey y'all, just looking for advice as to which way to go...

Problem is that my truck is ridiculously slow from the get-go...I don't know how to describe it other than saying that when I floor it, I don't feel the pull that a V8 should give...

I want faster acceleration and maybe more power for future hauling applications. Right now it's just a city truck but I may get a boat in a year or so.

Will a tune (i.e. blackbear) help with this? or should I just go with a blower and get this over with?

I understand the price difference is steep...I just don't know what to expect from the tune and if it will solve my issue...

Thanks y'all

Put a set of gears in it for more off the line torque. I wouldn't put a blower on a 4.8l, that's just stupid, IMO. A tune might also help a little bit, but the 4.8l is not really meant to have all out pulling power for that matter, either.

txab · August 2, 2010

Gears and tune

Jennabear · August 2, 2010

We have quite a few customers with Maggies on their 4.8Ls and they are beasts.

lacv75 · August 4, 2010

We have quite a few customers with Maggies on their 4.8Ls and they are beasts.

Jenna, could I get a source for more info on a tune so I can look into it?

Any known - expected - hp gains from tuning the 4.8l motor?

Thanks a bunch

Stevens03 · August 4, 2010

If you go with a tune. Your biggest defeat is torque management. When you pull out from a stop, the tq management is crushing that V8 Feeling. What gears does your truck have? I'd suggest 4.10's hands down. After a tune and gears I think you'd be ALOT happier.

And who says it's stupid to SC a 4.8L. Joe Gibbs silverados are 4.8 supercharged producing I believe 420hp. But the cost is between 4-5 grand to add a charger.

Jennabear · August 4, 2010

We have quite a few customers with Maggies on their 4.8Ls and they are beasts.

Jenna, could I get a source for more info on a tune so I can look into it?

Any known - expected - hp gains from tuning the 4.8l motor?

Thanks a bunch

The easiest way to get info on our tunes is www.blackbearperformance.com. If you didn't get all the info that you wanted, shoot me an email [email protected].

I do know that one customer we had on the DynoDynamics (load bearing) was making 350ft-lbs TQ with a very flat TQ converter. Depending on the pulley you run, you can expect 100+HP and 100+TQ.

lsuguy · August 4, 2010

Def gears and a tune. hell throw on the supercharger too and do all 3. You can't just add a supercharger to your truck and call it a day anyway. You have to get your truck tuned for it

herkdriver007 · August 4, 2010

I'd start with just the tune, see how you like it then go from there...esp if its a BlackBear tune, you can always add the 'charger later.

Just my 2cents!

AThomas7782 · August 7, 2010

I'll echo what everyone else said and look into gears and tune. A lot of crew cabs, especially 2WD, come with factory 3.23 gears, which have no low end. Even a tune with 3.23s would liven it up a bit.

lbkthree · August 10, 2010

I'd say if you were going to fork out the kind of coin to supercharge it, you could probably find a nice 6.2L to put behind it for around the same price. I'm not sure what else you would have to do to the truck but it might be something to consider. BTW I just noticed that Whipple has recently released there supercharger kit for the 07+ trucks.

sic lsx · August 10, 2010

I'd say if you were going to fork out the kind of coin to supercharge it, you could probably find a nice 6.2L to put behind it for around the same price. I'm not sure what else you would have to do to the truck but it might be something to consider. BTW I just noticed that Whipple has recently released there supercharger kit for the 07+ trucks.

i was about to say the same! or a 6.0 with extra some mods. hell you could do 6.0, full exhaust, gears, tune, stall and maybe even a cam for the price of a SC