Performance Chips

Performance chips adjust key engine settings to deliver specific performance improvements. These key settings include the air/fuel ratio, spark timing, shift timing, and rev limiter. Out of the factory, these settings are usually designed for the masses — car owners who use low quality fuel and drive their vehicles into the ground.

Performance-minded enthusiasts often don't need that level of safety, because they take better care of their engines. They invest in higher-octane fuel and keep their truck serviced and running smoothly. These vehicle owners can safely tweak those ultra conservative settings to get more power and efficiency.

For many, this is an appealing proposition. Enthusiasts who buy JET performance chips, for example, want better fuel economy and throttle response, along with higher torque and horsepower. These improvements enhance a truck's ability to tow and to explore off-road terrain.

Performance chips are part of the larger performance electronics segment, which also includes modules and programmers. Five popular brands of performance products are Banks Power, BD Diesel, Bully Dog, JET, and Superchips.

Banks Power

Banks Power, also known as Gale Banks Engineering, specializes in tuning products for diesel trucks. Since its inception in 1958, the Banks brand name has become known for excellence in design, engineering, and manufacturing. When automakers need to collaborate with a performance expert for research and development, they often look to Banks for help.

Banks performance products include the Six-Gun Diesel Tuner, EconoMind PowerPack, and Big Hoss Module.

BD Diesel Performance

BD Diesel manufactures a huge range of products designed to enhance performance of diesel-powered vehicles. In 1989, the brand made a splash with an industry-first exhaust brake for diesel trucks. Today, BD Diesel offers high-quality products in the intake, exhaust, transmission, suspension, fuel supply segments, and performance electronics segments.

The brand's electronics products include the Ultra X-Tuner, X-Power Plus Module, and Top Speed Eliminator.

Bully Dog

Bully Dog initially served diesel-powered vehicles, but expanded into gas-powered trucks in 2005. The brand has a shorter history than some of its competitors, but that history has included several significant innovations. Bully Dog was the first to give enthusiasts the power to adjust tuning settings on the fly. The company also introduced the first combination tuner, monitor, gauge, and diagnostic device.

Performance electronics products by Bully Dog include Triple Dog GT, 6 Position 4 Bank Chip, and WatchDog.

JET performance chips

The engineers at JET Performance Products have been involved in tuning competition vehicles for years. They have experience squeezing every bit of power out of an NHRA drag race car or Sprint Cup car. JET performance chips deliver that know-how to the consumer market.

JET performance chips achieve power and efficiency gains primarily by managing the throttle. A consistent and precise throttle provides power and performance on command, while enhancing the engine's overall efficiency. JET also makes Computer Upgrade Kits, which install JET performance software in vehicles that don't have an easy-to-replace chip.

Superchips

Superchips also had its start in tuning race cars. It was the early-1980s when Superchips engineers first began tinkering with performance settings on computer-controlled, fuel-injected engines. Today, Superchips products are powering competitors at NASCAR events, NHRA drag racing events, and LORRS off-road races.

Superchips performance products include the Cortex Programmer, Flashpaq Programmer, and Mileage XS Programmer.

4 Wheel Parts carries a full line-up of performance chips, including these popular brand names, at great prices.