Looking good! I need some stance

 

New running boards.

https://www.americantrucks.com/barri...rcab-crew.html

 

I assume they feel more usable than the old ones due to being a little lower?

 

They feel way better than the old ones. By feel they are much more tacky, wider, flat topped, and perhaps a little lower. They also have no flex, no movement, and no creaking, unlike the plastic "chrome" factory boards.

Very happy with this change.

Except for the nuts that it came with, instructions listed the wrong socket size for them (by a lot), but even using the appropriate size quality 6 point socket, many of them rounded off before achieving the specified torque of just 40 ft lbs. It still feels extremely secure though.

They also won't get all water spotted, scratched, etc, like the plastic "chrome" OEM

 

Yeah i hear you on the cleaning and feel, i really do. Did the instructions that came with the boards say 40ftlbs? i think factory is only like 16 or 18ftlbs, it's really low, but i'm assuming it's due to the angles you attach them at - AMP board instructions really threw me when i read that.

 

Instructions said 40. Did seem high when I kept cranking after snug, which is why I didn't sweat that I think out of 18 nuts (3 per bracket x 3 brackets per side) I got to 40 lbs on like 4 or 5 of them. The others got "tight" and the things feel rock solid as I hop and push on them with my bodyweight (200 lbs)...much more than the creeky OEM.

 

What is the benefit of removing insulation from the engine cover?

 

Hopefully slightly lower air intake temperatures. It's not something I'd worry about doing but if removing it as part of another thing (like a catch can install) I see no reasons to put it back on. Seems to only be there for NVH

 

Any other performance mods besides the tune?

 

Negative. After that nothing else has an ROI worth considering