At Sound Sensations, We Make You Feel Like a Pro With Our Truck Upgrades
There’s nothing more challenging than wanting to upgrade your truck, but being unsure about where to start. If you’re the type of person who wants to look like they know what they’re doing, even when they don’t, we totally get it. Being able to learn in private, and look like a pro in public is definitely our style.
In a way, this matches how we do business: our technicians work tirelessly to train on the latest products, features, install techniques, so we can provide our customers with outstanding service and a seamless upgrade experience, no matter what they’re looking for.
We admit we’re not always the first people to ask questions when we’re in unfamiliar territory. No one wants to look like the new kid, right? So, if you’re looking for truck upgrades, and you want to keep your newbie status on the down-low, we have you covered. Here’s everything you need to know about every essential truck install - and, don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone you learned it here.
A Crash-Course in Truck Lighting, Including All the Need-to-Know Terms
First, let’s go over some key terms that will make you feel like you’ve been following the truck lighting scene your whole adult life.
LED: LED lights are energy-efficient and long-lasting, and clearly surpass the incandescent light bulbs that vehicles formerly used. All of our truck lighting upgrades use LED lighting, which is now considered best-in-class for all of your aftermarket needs.
Rock Lights: Rock lights are placed around the underbody of your vehicle, especially in the wheel wells, so that you can bring a flash of color to this part of the car to add style. The name itself, however, implies their additional utility: with rock lights you get more visibility around the sides of your car, which is especially important if you’re off-roading.
Light Bar: A bar of lights (usually two rows) that is affixed to the top of your truck to provide more lighting. Think about an iconic bonfire scene from any TV show or movie where trucks are tailgating. You’ll often see these light bars there, as well as for safety when you’re out at night in the country, where there’s less light pollution, and a whole lot more dark.
Lighting features: Color-shift lights are popular as truck lighting upgrades, and - like the name suggests - are lights that can shift colors in a seamless pattern to turn heads and bring your personal style to your vehicle. You will also hear experts in aftermarket truck upgrades talking about “smart” color-shift lights, which work in sync with your smartphone. This upgrade lets your lights mirror the music bumping from your car stereo system.
Now that you’ve got these down, here are two of the best lighting manufacturers in the aftermarket truck lighting upgrade world:
Heise LED Lighting from Metra Electronics
Heise is great if you’re looking to bring newfound power to your truck’s lighting system, including 22” dual-row bar lighting for rugged terrains. Getting one of these installed turns your truck into a serious off-road vehicle for night time adventures, parties, and getting lost on purpose out in the country. Heise also features accent lights as well as super-bright headlights to completely outdo your factory bulbs. Plus, these truck lighting upgrades are stress-tested under severe conditions to make sure they’re as strong as your truck’s engine.
RaceSport Lighting
If you’re looking for something a bit more sleek and flashy, look no further than RaceSport Lighting. Featuring rock lights, ColorADAPT, and ColorSMART lighting that will turn heads on the road, these will turn your truck into something more like a futuristic machine, not just another truck with the typical aftermarket lights.
So, if you’re feeling a little unsure about how you fit in on the truck lighting scene, make sure to throw around some of these terms and manufacturers, and you’ll seem like a pro. You can even bookmark this page and practice in front of the mirror if you need to!
We’re kidding - but we’re also very serious about hooking you up with the best truck lighting gear on the market at our shop, Sound Sensations, in Marietta, Georgia.
Custom Wheels and Tires: A Key Truck Upgrade You Need to Know to Look Like a Pro
No truck upgrade is complete without custom wheels and tires. Let’s start with some terms that will get you primed and ready to make this key truck upgrade.
Rims: You may have heard truck owners talking about the rims on their car, and you’re not quite sure if they’re talking about the wheels. Sometimes, folks in the aftermarket upgrade industry refer to wheels and rims interchangeably. However, the rim is the outer part of the wheel, and because of their outward-facing role in getting your truck moving, rims support the stylish designs you choose for your custom wheels.
Wheels: This may seem silly, but folks seem to use rims and wheels interchangeably. Your wheels are the actual cast aluminum alloy (the metal part) that your tires are mounted on, and this is where you can show off unique designs, choosing whatever trend you like best.
Max Traction Tires: These tires are great for all terrains, but especially for off-roading. They’re manufactured to grip the road in any condition, and also have a desirable rugged look.
Mud Truck Tires: Tires like these are designed specifically for muddy conditions where you’re purposefully going off-road to get your truck dirty or to make an off-the-beaten path haul work for you. The wide channels push rocks and chunks of mud out of the way, so you can get the traction you need when the going gets tough.
When you’re ready for aftermarket custom wheels and tires, keep these terms in mind, as they’ll come up often if you’re a truck lover looking to enhance your vehicle’s performance and style on the road.
Audio Upgrades for Your Truck: All the Info You Need to Buy the Very Best
Not only do you want to “look” like you know what you’re doing when you’re in the market for truck upgrades, but you also want to be informed enough that you can pick the very best. At Sound Sensations, we only offer the most affordably-priced and highest-quality gear, so feel free to use this guide to help you make some decisions before you pop down to our shop in Marietta, Georgia for all of your car stereo needs.
Again, here are the most important terms, followed by a list of some of our favorite manufacturers whose products can be installed easily by our technicians.
Head (or Deck): While the car stereo system refers to all of the components, the main console of your car stereo is often called a head or a deck. This piece of equipment receives power from the vehicle, and allows you to control the sound that’s headed to the other audio components, like speakers.
Speakers: You know what these are. If you’re really looking for an upgrade, some trucks can even accommodate ten or more speakers for an immersive audio experience.
Subwoofer: A subwoofer receives and amplifies the lower frequencies sent from the truck or car stereo console, so you get that booming bass sound you want for your truck’s audio upgrade.
Amplifiers: Amps give your speakers more power and enhance the sound quality without putting extra strain on your speakers.
Sound Sensations can take care of all your truck and car stereo needs. These installations are our specialty, so it’s no surprise that we would partner with the very best manufacturers in the car stereo industry.
Here are some of our favorites, which can be installed as truck upgrades:
Stereo Systems
Kenwood
Pioneer
Jensen
Scosche
Metra
Speakers, Subs, and Amplifiers
Hertz
Rockford Fosgate
Focal
JL Audio
Pioneer
Kenwood
Now You’re a Truck Upgrade Expert. How Does It Feel?
There. At this point, you know as much as the next guy about truck upgrades. Feels good, doesn’t it? Now here’s your final challenge. Head down to Sound Sensations, and start using some of these words and product names. You’ll notice we’re speaking your language, so now you can tell us exactly what you’re looking for, and we can talk shop and make sure you get the best deal available.
Give us a call in at (770) 429-1600, or send us a quick message here. Better yet, stop by the shop, and let us know how we can help!