I'm looking for the best cold air intake for my 2005 Dodge Ram 2500. My truck holds the V8 5.7 Hemi. I'm looking for both sound and performance. I'm open to any and all suggestions.

 

Moving to the correct section. CAI's do not increase performance. Only add sound. That being said, go for a cheap one. No since paying premium price for something that adds sound. These things can be found on a multitude of internet sites. Ebay, amazon, etc.

 

CAI will help performance considerably, if and only if you do other modifications such as porting or installing a larger throttle body, polished/ported heads, a cam, headers, free flowing exhaust/muffler.

You are only gonna breath as well as your most restrictive intake/exhaust component. If you're not willing to go all the way, don't waste money on a half a$$ modification.

If you're gonna add one for sound or to look good when trying to pick up chicks at your local junior high, build one for around $50.

Do a search, read...

 

My truck is already as loud as it is. Seeing as how my truck gets anywhere from 8.5 MPG to 11.5 MPG I would like to do anything I can to improve performance but not to the point to where I'm taking away from my gas Milage.

 

Best thing you can do for mileage is have a light right foot. Aftermarket intakes are gimmicks unless the rest of the engine/exhaust is modified as stated above.

 

Almost any modification you can make to improve fuel economy won't pay you back for its cost unless you are going to own the truck for another 8-10 years.

Aside from keeping it optimally tuned up and changing your driving habits substantially, the only mod that can actually pay for itself short term would be to pull the parasitic clutch fan for an efan. An electric fan cools the engine without robbing power created at the crank. You'll see a decent mpg increase around town, idling, stop and go where engine RPMs are low and the engine must actually work harder to engage and keep the fan spinning. On the open road, you won't see any real MPG gains as the engine is making enough power that the draw is minimal.

A side benefit is you'll see a small power increase on a dyno. The efan won't make any more power but will give you back the parasitic drain of the clutch fan. Usually around 10 HP or so at the crank.

You can spend very little by using a Taurus or Mark VIN I fan obtained from salvage or paying about $300 for an all inclusive kit. So even with a top of the line (Flex-a-Lite) being relatively inexpensive, it's a cost effective modification.

Many, many threads on this here and in the DIY section. Do a search...

I installed the Flex-a-Lite kit on my old '04 Hemi back in '05 and it performed flawlessly right up until I sold the truck last year. Kept engine cool as the clutch fan even hauling and towing and actually surpassed the ability of the clutch fan when I was off road, especially hog hunting, going 2-5 mph in 90*+ heat where RPMs weren't built up enough for a clutch fan to be efficient.

I even installed a manual shut off on the dash so I could cut the fan off when forging water or deep mud to keep the fan from suckling in sludge and clogging up the radiator fins. Although to be honest, I never took,the truck anywhere where I needed it...

 

Ok so it's good to get a flex-a-lite, I'll look into that. Now I did just get this truck may 5th and have every intention of keeping this truck as long as I possibly can. I will be putting in at least 15 grand with things I want to get done.ainly interior and cosmetics. I did just get the exhaust done and have intentions of putting dyna tech headers on it. And I still want to find me a front bumper that comes with a flush winch so it don't stick out and has a grill guard to come with it. So I def appreciate all the advice you Guys have been given me.

 

Just get what you like and fits your budget since aftermarket CAI's offer the same functionality.

 

Look for the thread on here for DIY intakes. You have a gas 3/4 ton truck. Its not gonna get stellar fuel mileage. Dodge/Ram are not known for fuel mileage. Lots of H.P.