I"m on the verge of purchasing a CAI but i'm not sure which one and I have this hesitation about getting one. I've read here over and over how they work. Could the people that have them, list what kind they have, and what gain's they've seen. I think that'll help me. I'm looking at a Volant Ram Air Intake system. It's in JC Whitney's truck catalog on page 9 if you have the most updated one. It's a volant cai and it has a tube that goes down to where the tow hooks would be and its supposed to shoot air up into the filter and go to the engine. To me it looks good because it pulls cold air right from the bottom and shoots it up top. Please help give me that push over the edge and help me choose. I have a 96, 1500 club cab 5.2L 318CI

 

if youd like, i can give you general info on the CAI in general, but i dont have a truck. but if you have any specific question, im sure id be able to answer them, because i also work at a dodge dealership.

 

Awesome, and thank you. I read a lot of what people write on here but still, I just can't decide or get over my worrying that I'm goign to waste money. But I guess i'm wasting money on gas by not having one. I know its not going to give a great boost in mpg but anything helps. What are some standard things that I should look for in a CAI? and what is bad, maybe that is a start, thanks in advance, i really do appreciate it

 

I personally went with a kit from AIRRAM. I was in the same spot you are and started looking everywhere when I found this kit. I haven't received it yet, but it's one of the best thought out systems I've seen. Here's a link so you can check it out your self

www.airram.com

 

well, i am ultra anti-name brand CAI. everyone in the import world, which my car basicalyl is, insists that AEM and brands similar are far superior, but think about it. its a fe pieces of mandrel bent pipe, with some brackets, and a filter on the end. i personally bought an off brand CAI, and spent about 70 bucks, and thats WITH going out and buying a K&N filter. some complaints ive heard about the offbrand CAIs..."it doesnt come with a K&N filter" , "the bracket break after a year or so" "AEM will make it in any powdercoated color", "they dont come with all the things oyu need to install them"

my solutions..the AEM piece of my car was like 300 bucks., the one i got was, like i said, 70 after i bought the K&N. if it last me a year, i can buy 4 of them and still not have spent the money that they spent on a AEM, should my brackets break. mine came with al of the rubber brackets, bolts, and even came with a cheaper filter, that was washable, and it came with the rubber conectors, ANd the gaskets for the MAFS. and frankly, as long as its nice and shiney, i dont care if its the same color as my car.
wth mine on, i get about 2-3 mpg increase and i feel that i gained quite a bit of midrange torque, plus i gained alot of sound, sort of a deep throaty sound. there is also the constant rumor of "hydrolock", your engine sucking water in and locking up, but think about how much water youd have to be in for that to happen. my car sits very low, and ive driven through solme Very ahrd rain with no problem.

i strongly suggest getting one, because it is a nice cheap, and easy mod. if you want the name of the place i got mine, let me know. i knwo they make one for the hemi...

 

Thanks, so why are you anti brand name, other then that people swear up and down by them all the time? I just want something I know will work and also not break down that will leave me stranded somewhere etc. Anything else you can think of that I might need to know?

 

well, buying one built by your next door neighbor as compared to AEM, wont make your ride break down. so long as it doesnt restrict flow, which is pretty hard to do, it can never hurt. some people just insist on the brand name, or the color of the pipe matching their car. as for the brand name, people buy the brand name becuase its a brand name, not because its any better than an offbrand, but its just my preference really. there is nothing wrong with the expensive ones, dont get me wrong, but id rather give the business to a smaller company, because, if you think about it, AEM was once that small company...who knows.

ive had my CAI since march of so, and ive not had a single problem with the craftsmanship. some people say that the brackets are cheaper on the offbrand, and that they are way too rigid, and break. but the one i bought came with flexible rubber mounting spacers, about an inch long, and it gives the CAI alot of play to fend off vibration. but like i said, im not familiar with CAIs for the trucks. but like i said..think about it. all they are, is a few pieces of pipe, and some rubber connectors. soe guys say the connectors arent as high grade rubber with the offbrand pieces, buti only used one that came with mine, and another from a greddy turbo kit. all in all, they are a good item to have. cheap, easy to install, and like i said, ive had one of my car as lon as ive owned it, because i made one when i first bouht the car, but later bought the one i have now, because it looks nice...

 

I hav e a ram 1500 with the 4.7L engine. I bought a AIRMAX cai intake system for mine.
It sis come with a K&N air filter and was considerably cheaper then alot of the others. I also bought a spiralux throttle body spacer (distributed by the same company) and installed it at the same time. I recieved around a 5hp gain, not to bad. I now get 3-4 more mpg, and some what of a whine around 2000 rpm, the whine does not bother me.
The truck does sound throatier. I noticed a fair amount more mid range, and more low end torque. I pull a trailer with two quads gas and riding gear and the truck acts as if it is not even there. I have had these items on my truck for about a year and have not had any problems at all with them. Good luck on your purchase.

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once again, i dont want it to sound like brand names arent good! this airraid seems to be the in-thing. what does it cost?

 

You don't have a clue what your talking about, or talking to. Here's a picture of me and I'm tough, cause I'm grew up in Pittsburgh, PA.[sm=lol.gif]

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Mr. Tom PLatz