Sign In
Get Help
Cart
Dallas Penn's 2024 Ford F-250 Super Duty parked in high-altitude Colorado mountains
Banks Insider, Banks Ram Air, Diff Cover, Exhaust, Ford, Ford Focus, iDash Pro, MAP Sensor Spacer, PedalMonster, Power Stroke, Stealth Pod

High-Altitude F-250 Power: Banks Performance

Conquering Thin Air: Dallas Penn’s High-Altitude F-250

Living at 8,400 feet above sea level presents brutal challenges for modern diesel engines. Colorado resident Dallas Penn experiences freezing mountain temperatures for half the year in his 2024 Ford F-250. His heavy-duty truck often requires 40 minutes simply to reach normal operating temperature.

Major automotive manufacturers conduct extreme high-altitude testing right along his local Highway 70 corridor. OEM test teams regularly subject prototype vehicles to deep-freeze lockers and steep mountain grades. When summer arrives, thin mountain air combined with 90-degree heat creates simulated density altitudes exceeding 12,000 feet. Under these severe conditions, factory diesel trucks struggle to breathe, trigger frequent emissions regens, and suffer severe throttle lag.

High-Altitude F-250 Power: Banks Airflow and Throttle Upgrades

“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.”

Banks PedalMonster throttle response controller module with OBD-II connectivity

“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!”