Hey all, I'm new to the forum but have probably read every Gen 3 post. I recently purchased a 2011 Citadel (white, RWD, 5.7 & towing package) and I'm really loving this truck! I have no complaints about it, but I do want to make some improvements.

Having come from a Hyundai Genesis 4.6 that produced 375 horsepower in such a small car, I'm kind of struggling with the pick-up that I get with the Durango, even with the Hemi engine. I'm used to being pinned in my seat and this truck seems to be too heavy to do that.

I've read some things about the Diablosport Tuner that will be coming out with a tune for the 2011 Durangos soon, but a gearhead at work advised me that it might mess up my engine and said that I should seek the advice from forums to determine if its a good idea. So here are my questions (numbered for easy responses):

1. Is using an engine tuner advisable?
2. What have you experienced with using a tuner?
3. Can the engine be reset to the factor specs if you tune it?
4. ASIDE than a tuner, what are some other of the cheapest mods that will bring the most bang for the buck INSTALLED?
5. What would you advise staying away from?
6. Are there any mods that can provide better on-demand power, but also increase gas mileage when your foot isn't all the way to the carpet?

I care more about performance than sound.

To expand on my knowledge level a little, I'm not a gearhead, and I can barely turn a wrench. I came out of Korean car, if that tells you anything. I'm looking for those with EXPERIENCE to reply to this post and tell me from their experience what they know.

I really appreciate any time you can take to respond to me on this. I definitely need some guidance.

 

Michael, myself like many others, have used the SuperChips tuners on our 5.9Ls. 1) No issues, 2) fair results, 3) yes you can set it back to stock at any time.

Diablo is known for their diesel tuners. If/When Superchips, Diablo and or Hypertech come out with a tuner for your 5.7L, you shouldn't have any fear using it.

Tremendous help? No. Incremental improvement? Should be.

IndyDurango

 

Great to see some other enthusiasts lurking here. I came from a G8 GXP with just under 500 hp, so I am used to considerably more oomph as well. I should mention the GXP had an intake, headers, high flow cats and exhaust that, with a custom dyno tune, netted an additional 75 hp and much improved drivability. This included much crisper shifting as well, something the D sorely needs.

Couple things to consider:

To get the most out of a tune, you would want to clean up the intake and exhaust as stated above. I just picked up a Volant intake for my D and a Borla cat back is on the way. A tune would allow me to get the most out of these pieces, and, from looking at other 5.7 mod pages, should push flywheel hp over 400. (The 2011 Hennessey Dodge Ram with the above, plus headers, nets 425.)

All that said, there is currently no tuning options available for the 2011-2012 Hemis, as Dodge has put in rolling codes that prevent a tune from sticking. All of the tuning companies are working feverishly to break the codes and allow their products to work. But, at the moment, nothing is out. (Diablo is rumored to have 8 guys whose only job is to break the Dodge/Chrysler codes and release their tuning.)

I believe this issue applies to all 2011+ Hemis - Challengers, Chargers, etc., so there is a big market once they get it cracked.

One company is offering the solution of replacing the ECU with a 2010 unit and tuning from there.

As for handheld tuners, those can be returned to stock and back at any time.

Another bonus is that gas mileage actually improves with intakes and tunes.

Anyway, I am in contact with Hennessey specifically, so I will know right away once things are available. I'm planning on a supercharger as well.

Also, I will report in on how the intake and exhaust feel on their own once they are installed.

Hope this helps.

Oh, and be prepared for a lot of whining and "why do you want more power in a family SUV, lol?," etc.

I wanted a Durango SRT8, but they don't make one, so I am building my own.

Good luck and happy tuning.

 

I'm of the exact same mindset as you guys. I traded my 2009 Pontiac G8 GT in for my Durango R/T AWD. I know the G8 GXP is incredible, but the GT version is very very powerful and quick also. There is a very noticeable acceleration difference in going from my old G8 to my new Durango R/T. However, Oddly enough, I like the handling of the Durango better.

I'm very interested in upgrading the performance also. yes, it is a 7 passenger "family' SUV but my family (wife, 2 kids, and dog) are only with me in my car about 10% of the time I drive. The other 90% begs for a supercharged and re-tuned 5.7 Hemi.

In addition to the exhaust and intake modification that sbindley recommended, you can also switch out the drive axle gears (if I'm using the correct terminology). The Durango V-8 drive axles are geared with a 3.46:1 ratio. If you put a lower-geared drive axle in the vehicle you could improve performance. HP would not increase but acceleration would be better due to the gearing. One other poster on here mentioned he was going to put in a 4.11:1 drive axle ( I think it was the poster with the Durango R/T Redline....can't remember names). If my gear ratios above are correct and if my math is correct, this would mean that if the stock Durango reached 38 MPH in first gear at 6000 RPM engine speed (this is approximately pretty close to what I've observed) then the modified drive axle Durango would only get to 32 MPH in first gear at 6000 RPM engine speed. It's difficult to calculate how much more quickly it would get 60 MPH (or any other speed) but it will be noticeably quicker. Furthermore, on the highway it would go from about 80 MPH at 2000 RPM to 80 MPH at about 2400 RPM. This of course will likely reduce your highway GPM.

Anyway, I'm excited for the code to be cracked and tuners to start flooding the market.

 

I have only used Hypertech on my truck (Chevy 5.3 Vortec). Yes, you can set it to stock anytime.
From my experience I dont think you will get enough an improvment to satisfy what you are looking for based on what you described you want from it. Its kind of fun to mess around with but I didnt notice a big difference in performance.

 

Bear in mind that aftermarket tunes develop the additional power typically by a combination of timing advance and leaning out the air fuel ratio. The cost is the need for higher octane fuel to avoid detonation depending on how aggressive the tune happens to be.

 

Maybe this is a bit naive of me to ask, but why in the world would Dodge or anyone else put rolling codes on an engine to prevent owners from doing what they want to it? If they can't tune the engine to get the maximum performance out of it, then why stop someone else from doing it for them? I know what you are saying is true and that this is the case, but I don't understand why!

 

Just a guess on my part here, but I see this all the time on my BMW forum where people buy the 335i and then do an ECU tune for roughly $1K and they have a vehicle which likely has more power than the 335is which costs several thousands of dollars more than the base 335i. Bottom line is the company wants to be able to get these performance upgrades out of their own system on an incremental basis so each upgrade will make the buyer want the "better" vehicle.

 

That is interesting, I did not know that but I do have some pinging occasionally in my truck. Im gonna reset to stock and see if it stops.

 

According to the chargerforumz it looks like B&G Chrysler may be the first to market with a tune.