5 Pickup Body Parts Every Truck Enthusiast Should Know

With boxy profiles, high rooflines and designs optimised for maximum payloads, vans and pickup trucks aren’t exactly the last word in aerodynamics or efficiency. The vehicles, however, play an outsized role in overall economic activity, used by construction workers, farmers, couriers, emergency services, public utilities and anyone in the trades. Here, form follows function, but things are taking a turn for the better. 

Over 4 million registered vans and half a million pickup trucks are now being customised for more than just basic utility and functionality. Storage flexibility and payload protection still top priorities for most owners of light commercial vehicles. But subtle exterior additions, including splitters, spoilers and other durable pickup body parts, add character to unassuming and bland designs, improve handling at highway speeds, and importantly, help cut fuel costs with improved aerodynamics. 

The Role of Van and Pickup Exterior Body Kits 

Common additions, ranging from splitters, side skirts and spoilers, are combined into packaged body kits that tame oncoming air at highway speeds and boost driving dynamics and handling. By pushing air over, under and around the boxy van and pickup shapes, body parts deliver a long list of real-world benefits: 

• Improved downforce: Strategically positioned pickup truck and van body parts make the most of increased downforce, pushing the heavy and tall vehicles down to the ground to increase the grip through the tyres. This improves stability at highway speeds, in sharp turns and in hard braking, improving overall control and safety. 
• Reduced drag: High drag coefficients impact overall fuel use, drastically cut range, reduce stability in crosswinds and increase wind noise. To counter drag and reduce turbulence, body parts streamline airflow above and around the vehicle. This means engines require less power at speed, vehicles with heavy loads are more stable and cabins are considerably more comfortable. 
• Reduced lift: Another handling consideration is air pooling under vehicles to create lift. This is more noticeable in higher-sprung pickups. Parts such as roof deflectors and side skirts, as well as matching running boards fitted between the front and rear wheel arches, equalise air pressure between both axles to prevent under and oversteer, ensuring more control and cornering stability. 
• Improved brake and engine cooling: Air dams and splitters aren’t added just for show. The parts actively reduce excessive temperatures in engines under load (by redirecting more air onto radiators) and improve braking performance by cooling rotors and pads and preventing heat damage or brake fade during hard braking with vehicles fully loaded. 
• Durability: Parts actively protect the bumpers, the factory paint and bodywork. Front splitters prevent scratches and dents from kerbs, road debris and sharp inclines; side skirts keep gravel and spraying debris away from the tyres, brakes and underbody and spoilers reduce engine stress with optimised aerodynamics. 
• Aesthetics: An obvious reason to go with exterior body parts in both vehicles is aesthetics. Subtle additions move vans and pickup trucks away from dull, utilitarian styling by adding visual appeal with varied finishes (such as carbon fibre or gloss and matte black) for a sportier and more aggressive look. Parts are also carefully crafted using advanced technologies such as 3D scanning, laser cutting and CNC-machining to ensure a seamless fit with the rest of the vehicle. 

Key Van and Pickup Truck Parts to Consider 

Front Splitters

Installed on the front bumpers, lip splitters ‘split’ or disperse oncoming air into low-pressure fast-moving air under the car, and high-pressure air lingering above the roofline to increase downforce and keep the car glued to the road. This boosts stability, provides surefooted steering and improves braking. The parts also deal with wind noise by reducing turbulence at the front of the vehicle and preventing damage to the bumpers, bonnets and grilles. 

Rear Spoilers 

Subtle rear roof and barn door spoilers redirect remnant air at the rear of vans, minimising drag and resistance and creating significant downforce on the rear axle. This keeps vehicles stable at highway speeds by preventing over and understeer. Decently-proportioned spoilers are also responsible for better visibility by limiting dust and debris buildup on rear windows. 

Side Skirts and Side Skirt Splitters 

Side skirts and attached side skirt splitters fit under the door sills between the wheel arches. Side skirts seal the underbody, essentially drawing the car downwards while preventing high-pressure gusts responsible for lift. Remnant air and turbulence are dealt with by side skirt splitters. Additional roles are preventing the accumulation of debris and water. In pickups, the parts are paired with higher-sitting running boards. 

Wheel Arches and Canards 

Wider wheel arches increase the vehicle’s track for more cornering stability and reduced risk of rolling over. In tuned pickups and vans, the parts provide the space for brake, tyre and suspension upgrades, including big-brake kits, coilovers and low-profile rubber. These ensure better stopping power, more compliance on uneven road surfaces, and with lowered suspension, the chance for a sportier, slammed look. The parts are often paired with canards to pull turbulent air away from the arches and balance downforce across both axles in vehicles fitted with roof racks and luggage boxes. 

Materials, Installation and Vehicle Compatibility 

Exterior van and pickup body parts can be sourced in different materials, meaning differences in strength, weight, cost and fit and finish. If money is no issue, and you want the best aerodynamic and handling improvements, consider parts in pre-pregnated carbon fibre. The material is ultra-light, extremely strong, and comes in an eye-catching layered design. Common uses are in parts directly subjected to high air pressure, including front splitters and rear spoilers. 

Balancing cost, durability and weight is done with mid-tier options like polyurethane (PU) and ABS plastics. Polyurethane parts benefit from high flexibility and good chemical and impact resistance, making them viable additions in vehicles used in high-traffic urban settings and on poorly-maintained B-roads.  

PU parts also need more attention during installation, including shaping due to the material’s flexibility and spraying specialised primers and flex agents before proceeding with top coats. ABS offers a cleaner look, is more workable due to higher rigidity, easier to machine into complex shapes and comparable to PU with relatively low weight. However, it is more susceptible to cracking on impact and can degrade in prolonged exposure to strong chemicals or higher temperatures. 

A good budget option that comes close to the aesthetics of more upscale materials is fibreglass. This too is lightweight, easy to repair if scratched or damaged, has decent strength for everyday use, but can warp or crack in direct contact with potholes, kerbs and other road obstacles. Installation also requires more prep work, including sanding or resizing for a clean fit with the vehicle. 

Lastly, consider vehicle models, trims and manufacturing years for tighter tolerances, parts that don’t look out of place and deliver on their promise of improved van and pickup performance. Parts builders have taken the guesswork out of buying, offering compatible parts that are also straightforward to install, with minimal additional work. The only remaining consideration for van and pickup owners is whether to buy parts separately or save money with packaged body kits. 

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Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.