Cold air intake? Yea or nay?

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iamdub

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Your truck has a FUNCTIONAL cold air intake from the factory, complete with an engineer-tested filter design. The only improvement that can be done is to smooth out the path of air flow by getting rid of the accordion tube and resonator chambers. +1 for an Airaid Jr. (Airaid MIT). That eBay intake is pretty and shiny and all. But, the filter is nowhere near as sealed from the engine bay heat as the stock setup. Also, there's no way the filter in that kit has any filtration quality, either. So, your motor will be sucking in hotter and dirtier air, but at least it'll be through a pretty and shiny tube, right?! You're paying for a "cool-looking" intake and not an actual "cool air" intake. I think the Airaid MIT looks pretty damned cool because it blends in better under the hood instead of sticking out in a not-so-good way like park bench wings and chrome fake fender vents on ricemobiles.

Oh, make sure the seal from the filter box to the fender is in place.
 
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HiHoeSilver

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If money is the issue, there are guys who have bought the ebay one and just used the tube with the stock airbox and a nice drop in filter.
 

massivespl

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Your truck has a FUNCTIONAL cold air intake from the factory, complete with an engineer-tested filter design. The only improvement that can be done is to smooth out the path of air flow by getting rid of the accordion tube and resonator chambers. +1 for an Airaid Jr. (Airaid MIT). That eBay intake is pretty and shiny and all. But, the filter is nowhere near as sealed from the engine bay heat as the stock setup. Also, there's no way the filter in that kit has any filtration quality, either. So, your motor will be sucking in hotter and dirtier air, but at least it'll be through a pretty and shiny tube, right?! You're paying for a "cool-looking" intake and not an actual "cool air" intake. I think the Airaid MIT looks pretty damned cool because it blends in better under the hood instead of sticking out in a not-so-good way like park bench wings and chrome fake fender vents on ricemobiles.

Oh, make sure the seal from the filter box to the fender is in place.


Stock intakes are horrible.
 

AppocAlexx

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airaid jr is my opinion as well or just a strait drop in cotton filter for real cheap I usually go with the spectra drop ins or K&N if they are on sale somewhere. The stock set up is not that bad. The only "bad" thing about the stock set up is the connection between throttle body and box. All the extra baffling that the stock tubes have that help quiet the air sucking noise is the only thing that some people don't like. Other than that it is what it is. Unless you're running some serious HP air intakes are not that big of a deal, just look cool and sound cool and may give you an extra 2-3 MPG.


I like how Volant kit looks and will eventually go with that but for now just have a drop in spectra filter.
 

08HoeCD

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Your truck has a FUNCTIONAL cold air intake from the factory, complete with an engineer-tested filter design. The only improvement that can be done is to smooth out the path of air flow by getting rid of the accordion tube and resonator chambers. +1 for an Airaid Jr. (Airaid MIT). That eBay intake is pretty and shiny and all. But, the filter is nowhere near as sealed from the engine bay heat as the stock setup. Also, there's no way the filter in that kit has any filtration quality, either. So, your motor will be sucking in hotter and dirtier air, but at least it'll be through a pretty and shiny tube, right?! You're paying for a "cool-looking" intake and not an actual "cool air" intake. I think the Airaid MIT looks pretty damned cool because it blends in better under the hood instead of sticking out in a not-so-good way like park bench wings and chrome fake fender vents on ricemobiles.

Oh, make sure the seal from the filter box to the fender is in place.


THIS.

I totally understand the interest in a CAI, as it can make a performance difference in lots of vehicles. But it simply does not make that much performance difference for our trucks.
End of story.
 

HiHoeSilver

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What kinda test? I took your advice and got one

I don't think the link to the data for the NBS trucks is live anymore, but it basically showed on the dyno that the Airaid tube and filter showed comparable gains to all the high end CAI kits.
 

jesse53

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Airaid MIT. plus that eliminates the ugly stock tube + better look.
 
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