FREE SUBSCRIPTION: This is becoming one of our favorite sections. Real trucks, purpose-built on a paycheck budget. If you'd like to submit your truck for Reality Trucks, send your name, hometown and state and description of your truck, along with high-resolution photos, to dteditor@dieseltechmag.com. Remember, if your truck is published, you get a free one-year subscription to Diesel Tech.
Bryan Woitas
Ardrossan, Alberta
Bryan's 2002 2500HD Duramax has a long list of mods and accessories. We'll hit the big ones, like the S&B cold air intake, PPE boost increase valve, BD driver's side exhaust manifold, Magnaflow stainless dual exhaust and Stanadyne secondary fuel filter. With EFI Live tuning and a 5-position DSP switch, Bryan's truck builds around 500 horsepower. The truck rolls on 20x9 Helo wheels and BFG A/Ts, with Maxxcam leveling keys and 2-inch Cognito leveling control arms. The truck also runs Cognito's pitman and idler arm braces. The back end has 2.5-inch blocks and helper air bags, with Pro Comp ES9000 shocks all around. Added looks come from a custom Oasis differential cover, the '07-style towing mirrors and more than enough lighting front and rear. The interior sports a PPE overhead 2-pod gauge mount with LED switches and three more gauges in a triple pod pillar. The truck's sound system consists of JL Audio subs, Boston Acoustic speakers, Pioneer DVD head unit and plenty of wattage. Bryan plans to add MPI compounds, head studs, tie rods and a built trans. Oh, and train horns.
Steven Schmitzer
Fountain Hills, Arizona
Steven's 2005 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Duramax is running EFI Live with an S&B LBZ intake, 6-inch Grand Rock stack, AirDog 150 lift pump and PPE fuel rail race valve. The built trans has a Sun Coast Stage 4 kit in it and an ATS 5-Star torque converter. Inglewood Transmission built the trans, and added a Mag-Hytec deep transmission pan and differential cover. The truck rides on a Cognito 7-9 kit that Steven got through Norcal Truck. It sits on Bilstein 5100 shocks with 5.5-inch blocks in the rear, Fabtech HD tie rods and pitman/idler arm braces in the front, and KMC XD Series Hoss 20x9 wheels wrapped in 37x13.50R20 Pro Comp Xtreme A/T tires. Inside the truck are 10-inch Kicker subs, an Alpine head unit and 1200-watt amp. Engine workings are monitored through Isspro gauges in a 3-pod pillar. There's a custom prerunner bumper and HID lights to round the truck out.
Tyler Johnson
Grand Rivers, Kentuky
Tyler's 2002 crew cab short box gets its speed through DiabloSport, Cobalt boost and pyro gauges and a 4-inch straight exhaust system with a 6-inch tip. Tyler's also done the high idle mod, Avic N-2, a CB, Moto Metal wheels and Air Lift rear airbags. A SuperGlide 5th wheel handles the loads while TTT mirrors cover his view. The Duramax also has Line-X in the bed, an Amsoil bypass system, Espar heater and tinted glass. And our favorite part Tyler listed: back-up lights from Wal-Mart.
Brian Bauman
Chandler, Arizona
Brian's 06 LBZ Duramax includes EFILive tuning from Mike at mmdieselperformance.com, Suncoast stage III transmission, HD tie rods, Caltracs, and a TTS fuel system. An S&B intake filters the air before being sucked through the OEM garrett turbo, and out through the 5-inch magnaflow exhaust. His truck is lowered 3 inches in the back and 1-3 inches in the front via drop torsion keys. 17x9 Black KMC Hoss rims are wrapped with 265/75/17 Toyo H/T's. A Labonte water methanol system helps keep EGT's cool while towing. It gets driven every day, and hasn't had any issues with reliability. The fastest this truck has gone is a 12.64 at 107.52 mph.