I've been scouring the internet and came across some pretty inexpensive CAI's from various companies. I seen them from $75 up to $4/500. Some look very nice and come with a fancy heat shield where the filter gets contained and others are simply just a mandrel bent tube with a filter on the end of it. Now Ive read here in the forum where people have made there own CAI with various materials. My question is, what would be the difference between a generic mandrel bent tube CAI and a homemade version? It would seem to me that it wouldn't really be that cost effective to make your own when I can buy one for $75ish. What say the experts?
Keep in mind the purpose of a COLD Air induction kit is to get more cold air for combustion. Cold air is denser and improves combustion.
A pipe with a filter sucking from the engine compartment may get you more air flow, but it wont be colder denser air from outside the engine bay.
The OEM set-up is a little restrictive for ease of Chrysler manufacturing and noise reasons, but does suck through the passenger side fender to bring in cooler air.
Two CAIs are very popular on RAMS: 1) Vararam air grabber and 2) S&B CAI.
The Vararam actually has a ram effect as you accelerate so gives best improvement
BUT, its open to snow/slush and that means a lot of folks in the northern states go with the S&B.
S&B is enclosed, but uses the factory suction through the right fender and has an additional optional suction low down near the tow hooks. Being enclosed the S&B reduces the amount of throttle noise. I like that. Some folks want that loud sucking sound you usually get from K&N, AIRAID etc which have a heat shield but do not seal against the underside of the hood even though they claim to, and therefore suck hot air from the engine compartment.
Hemi450hp above is the owner of Moe's Performance, one of the preferred vendors on RF and has a
beast of a 1/4 miler RAM. Great customer service--so give him a call if you still have questions before you go with eBay or some fly-by-night vendor.
