High-Altitude Dependability

“Up here, I’m regularly below freezing for half the winter,” starts 2024 F-250 owner Dallas Penn. “It takes legitimately 35-40 minutes for my truck to come up to full operating temperature. At my house, it’s around 8,400 ft above sea level. The automobile companies do all the high-altitude testing right up where I’m at on Highway 70. There’s an EPA testing facility up here, too. I always see Range Rover, BMW, Ford, and Chevy; they always have their test vehicles up here. Even when it’s -20° and below up here, they have a locker where they put the cars in and freeze them further down and test them. It’s crazy how much instrumentation there is on these cars!”

“The winter is one thing, but when you’re at high altitude in the 90° hot summer months, it’s a double whammy,” says Dallas with a hint of exasperation. “On our vehicle performance, the density altitude mimics an even higher altitude! So, it’s like 12,000-13,000 ft to the engine when it’s 95°! I run a heavy equipment yard and drive 18-wheelers… and all of the vehicles here, including my Power Stroke, gasp for air. Power is totally cut to the bone, things over-heat, there are more regen cycles, and everything basically falls on its face. Now that I’ve painted a picture of what I’m up against here, let me tell you how the Banks parts helped my truck.”

“I’ve put just about everything that Banks makes on my truck: the Ram-Air cold air intake, the Monster Exhaust, the MAP Sensor Relocation Kit, the Ram-Air Differential Cover, Pedalmonster, and an iDash with a Stealth Pod. I now can keep an eye on all of my temps and the air density readings with the iDash. I put the PedalMonster on TRACK first thing after installing it, and it was too responsive, so I’ve set it to mid-level CITY, where I’m more than comfortable. Going to a truck meet or having fun around here, I’ll set it to SPORT, but at just CITY, it made a big difference. Let me tell you, the consistency of my performance now is what does it for me.”

“I go through a lot of switchbacks here, and there are varying speed levels and altitudes. The top one is at 11,500 ft above sea level, so not only is the truck losing power as I’m going up the mountain, but the shifts get lazier, and the response is just gone! Now I don’t tow with my truck, but I can imagine how bad it would be to try to predict where you need to apply power and where the tranny is going to be. With the PedalMonster setting that I’m in and the better breathing, the truck is consistent and very predictable. It’s more than smooth; it’s a good delivery of power, and I drive with more confidence. It’s not lazy, and its shifting and gear selection is so much better than before. I know I’m not making more power per se, but it definitely gives me the sense of having more control over the power that is available to me, no matter the temperature or altitude. That’s hands down the best thing about it all!”