In the age of social media, it's easy to get the idea that every street-driven Cummins, Duramax, or Powerstroke makes at least 1,000hp.
Your favorite content creators seem to post a different 4-digit truck every week—either blowing them up, giving them away, or both.
But there's more to a "rowdy" diesel street truck than you'll see on Instagram—a lot more.
Please Note: For the purposes of this article, we're referring to full-weight, daily driven diesel trucks. Dedicated competition trucks are in a class of their own!
Surprise: Fast trucks can suck to own.
In reality, making 1,000hp or more with a modern Cummins, Duramax, or Powerstroke, is pretty straightforward (we didn't say cheap).
No matter which generation of Super Duty, Ram, or Silverado/Sierra you own, there are dozens if not hundreds of similar trucks to yours making BIG power. Safe to say, the power recipes are easy to find.
But even if you know which parts to buy, and can afford them, having deep pockets doesn't eliminate all the headaches of a high-horsepower street truck. As you creep towards and past that magical, mythical, 1,000hp mark, things often start to go sideways.
Somewhere around the 800-1,200hp mark, even the most stout of "street truck" builds can become a real PITA. Headaches include but are not limited to:
- Factory piston/crank/rod failures (did someone say built engine?)
- Repeat transmission failures (avoidable but common)
- Tuning bottlenecks (due to the legal status of modified 2007+ diesels)
- Repeat head gasket failures
- Cooling issues
- And much more
And it's not an exact science. Some trucks seem to fall apart with a simple tune and drop-in turbo, while others go tens of thousands of miles making 1,000+hp every day.
But, as a general rule, expect a higher level of maintenance somewhere around the 4-digit power mark. Parts break more often, issues pop up with regularity, and for many, the "daily driverness" of their truck starts to fade away.
More burnouts, fewer headaches.
Make no mistake, we're not trying to talk you out of your power goal—quite the opposite.
If anything, we love seeing the growth of diesel performance. And if you're new to the game, we can help you avoid some common pitfalls—which is really the point of this article.
If you've got plans to transform your daily-driven diesel into a tire-melting monster, allow us to make some recommendations:
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Overkill is underrated: Whenever possible, buy the best version of a given part or upgrade. For example, if you melted the 68RFE transmission in your 6.7 Cummins, and it's time for a replacement—buy the one that is overbuilt for your goals.
If the truck makes 700hp, buy a transmission that's built to handle 900.
Easier said than done—we know. But all too often, we see owners replace the same part over and over again because they didn't spend the $$$ on the version they really needed.
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Over-save for upgrades: Anytime you modify your truck, there will be other pieces and components you didn't think you'd need. Using the example from above, if you're installing a 2nd Gen Swap Kit on that 6.7 Cummins, you may also need head studs, tuning revisions, and more.
Buying the upgrade itself (a 2nd Gen Swap in this case), is just part of what you need to budget for.
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Don't pick a random power goal: If you've never driven a 600hp diesel truck, we'd strongly suggest doing so before throwing your life savings at a 1,000hp build.
Most diesel performance enthusiasts, we'd argue, are going to be pretty entertained by any truck making 600-700hp.
That said, horsepower is a wonderful drug—and there's no such thing as too much. However, there's something to be said for a reasonably reliable, somewhat affordable street truck—which is easy enough to achieve in the 500-750hp range.
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Do your homework: Learning is free—truck parts aren't. Before you start swiping your Visa for an S400 turbo, big 'ol injectors, and a bomb-proof transmission, do some research.
What brands, parts, and shops have others used to build trucks similar to the one you're dreaming of? Combing through diesel performance Facebook groups and forums can teach you a lot.
Go fast, look cool.
Here at FASS Motorsports, we specialize in lift and leveling kits, wheel/tire packages, lighting, custom bumpers/body armor, and so much more.
From world-class brands like FASS Fabrication & Design to BDS Suspension and many more, our massive catalog of truck upgrades has what you need to make your truck drive, ride, and look better than ever.
If you have questions about parts for your Cummins, Duramax, or Powerstroke-powered truck, contact us today! Or, if you're local to Franklin County, Missouri, stop by our show room—located at:
FASS Motorsports
25 Town and Country Drive
Washington, MO 63090