Cold air intake, throttle body spacer?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

jram1500

Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2013
Posts
97
Reaction score
8
Ram Year
2012
Engine
hemi 5.7
What kind of cai are you guys runnin?
And I've heard mixed thoughts in throttle body spacers. Just wondering what your thoughts and opinions are
 

Casper

U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Military
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
Posts
4,625
Reaction score
1,446
Location
Springfield, VA
Ram Year
2020
Engine
5.7L
Throttle body spacers are a waste of money.

If you want true performance go with a ported (C&C cut) Throttle body. Stock is 80mm. 85mm is about right if you don't plan on adding headers in the future ($300). If you're going that route, then an 87mm is the way to go ($350).

Consensus around these parts (with a few notable exceptions) is that Vararam ($360) or S&B ($299) are the way to go for a CAI. Matt at Moe's Performance, or Discount Auto Performance a couple of of the preffered vendors ---->>>
can hook you up. :headbang:
 
Last edited:

chuck

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2013
Posts
3,439
Reaction score
408
Location
Maryland
Ram Year
2013 True Blue Big Horn
Engine
Hemi 5.7L
^^^What he said. I'm buying the Vararm air grabber for my truck within the next week. I've heard great things about it. There are alot of threads around here where guys have shown the process of installing it through pics, and then posted up their reviews after they had been running it for a while.

The VR is definitely the sexiest of the CAI's in my opinion too :waytogo:
 

Hemi450hp

Moe's Performance
Preferred Vendor
Joined
Jul 17, 2012
Posts
9,421
Reaction score
4,703
Location
Conroe, TX
Ram Year
2014 Ram 1500
Engine
Whipple Supercharged 422" Hemi
Like mentioned, the Vararam is the best intake you can buy for all out performance. The S&B is a close 2nd for performance, but it has the best fit/build quality of any intake on the market.

As for the TB spacers...they are junk which is why we do not even list them on our website. I would go with 1 of our true ported throttle bodies...85mm if you plan to keep the mods simple, or 87mm if you plan to add headers, boost, or nitrous.

We also have a drop box that will save you $20 if you add a TB to your Vararam or S&B order. Fee; free to shoot me a PM if you have any questions about either product.
 

Whitewolf

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
Posts
1
Reaction score
1
Ram Year
2011
Engine
Hemi 5.7
The Vararam was the first mod I did. That was 1 1/2 years ago and I'm glad I did.
 

audio1der

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2012
Posts
5,300
Reaction score
1,103
Location
Airdrie, Alberta
Ram Year
2012
Engine
Hemi 5.7
If the truck were "mine" instead of "ours" I would have gone Vararam to wring out every ounce of performance, but am very happy with our S&B.
Like the others said, TB spacers, at least for our application, are useless.
 

chuck

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2013
Posts
3,439
Reaction score
408
Location
Maryland
Ram Year
2013 True Blue Big Horn
Engine
Hemi 5.7L
If the truck were "mine" instead of "ours" I would have gone Vararam to wring out every ounce of performance, but am very happy with our S&B.
Like the others said, TB spacers, at least for our application, are useless.

Did you go with the S&B because of the close to factory fit? I'm just curious what about it made it better for a truck that you guys both use.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
 

audio1der

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2012
Posts
5,300
Reaction score
1,103
Location
Airdrie, Alberta
Ram Year
2012
Engine
Hemi 5.7
My CAI needed wife approval. She thought the Vararam looked like something Darth Vader would buy; I think its badass, but each to their own. The fitment of the S&B IS top-notch, but if you take your truck to the dealer either one is pretty apparent they're not factory so that doesn't matter...
Matt said the S&B was a close 2nd for performance so it was a good compromise for me but like I said, if it were my truck alone I'd probably have the Vararam to get every bit of performance out of it (and I spent the extra $99 to get the S&B scoop, so price was not a factor).
 

chuck

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2013
Posts
3,439
Reaction score
408
Location
Maryland
Ram Year
2013 True Blue Big Horn
Engine
Hemi 5.7L
My CAI needed wife approval. She thought the Vararam looked like something Darth Vader would buy; I think its badass, but each to their own. The fitment of the S&B IS top-notch, but if you take your truck to the dealer either one is pretty apparent they're not factory so that doesn't matter...
Matt said the S&B was a close 2nd for performance so it was a good compromise for me but like I said, if it were my truck alone I'd probably have the Vararam to get every bit of performance out of it (and I spent the extra $99 to get the S&B scoop, so price was not a factor).

Ah ok gotcha, that makes alot of sense. I thought it might have been looks partly. I showed my girlfriend a picture of the Vararam online and I was all excited about it and she said it looks ridiculous and made fun of me for a good 5 minutes. But at least I have you guys hahah:drunk:
 

kschaefer426

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2013
Posts
227
Reaction score
30
Location
Wisconsin
Ram Year
2010
Engine
5.7 L Hemi
my wife recorded me opening my vararam with her phone...she said i looked like a kid on christmas morning when the ups guy showed up haha
 

chuck

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2013
Posts
3,439
Reaction score
408
Location
Maryland
Ram Year
2013 True Blue Big Horn
Engine
Hemi 5.7L
my wife recorded me opening my vararam with her phone...she said i looked like a kid on christmas morning when the ups guy showed up haha

hahah nice! I'm sure that's exactly what it's gonna be like when I order mine. I'm so excited. It's killing me to wait until my next paycheck.
 

sdboatner

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2014
Posts
1
Reaction score
0
Ram Year
1998
Engine
5.2
98 dodge 1500 4x4

iv got a 98 1500 4x4 with a 5.2,will a throttle body spacer and a cold air add a noticeable amount of power and acceleration?
 

loveracing1988

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2013
Posts
3,505
Reaction score
913
Location
Clarkston, MI
Ram Year
2020
Engine
6.7 Cummins
iv got a 98 1500 4x4 with a 5.2,will a throttle body spacer and a cold air add a noticeable amount of power and acceleration?

Wrong section but throttle body spacers are pretty much useless in my experience. You might pick up a little sound out of a cai but that is about it.
 

Asur

Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2014
Posts
74
Reaction score
22
Ram Year
2012
Engine
4.7l
Throttle body spacers will do nothing on an fuel injected engine, if you want to use one for spray that fine, but other than that its a nice paper weight for your desk.
 

Steelerman

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2013
Posts
27
Reaction score
17
Location
Columbus, OH
Ram Year
2009
Engine
Hemi 5.7
Just installed my Vararam and BT catch can...love them. Look great and can notice a definite difference with this CAI.

Errr...was I suppose to tell my wife about the CAI? :)
 
Top