up in the air about CAI...

[darrenforeal]

Hi everyone. I'm new to the forums, just bought a 2004 Ram 1500 quad Laramie. I come from the BMW world and have built a lot of turbo BMWs, but it was time to get another truck. I have always missed my '99 f150 that was totaled in 2005. Anyways, couldn't be happier with the ram I purchased. Here is a photo below.

I have been doing a lot of searching and research and I am up in the air about CAI selection. I mainly just want it for the way it sounds and maybe some slight increase in efficiency/performance/mpg. So, I am pretty torn between the Volant, S&B and the Vararam with the ducts. What is everyone experiences? I have read a lot of threads, but can't make my mind up. I am leaning towards the S&B, because the Vararam looks like a PITA. Only other mods I will be doings is a muffler (magnaflow or dynomax) and maybe a programmer. Then big big plans for the sound system that I will compete with in IASCA and MECA SQ Appreciate the opinions. thanks!

 

[bigbadram1500]

Welcome

others will chime in soon to help you out on your cai decision

 

[TheSatinPumpkin]

Nice ride and welcome to the forum. I am outdated on current CAI production and comparisons but hopefully a member(s) will chime in some comparison thoughts for you.

 

[03MopaRamman]

I had the AEM Brute Force CAI in Gunmetal Grey. Nice looking and you could hear the Grunt coming a long ways away and it complemented the loud 14" Magnaflow I had.

Since then I got rid of Both those mods and am Running sleeper quiet with comparable parts with better results.

The cost vs HP though is expensive IMO, a Superchips 3865 would be a better Mod.

 

[darrenforeal]

thanks guys! I have been talking with Matt at Moe's performance. And while it seems the Vararam may offer the best performance, I am worried about the size and not solid nature of the way it mounts and the more work it will be to set it up.

So I just ordered the S&B and will get their extension scoop when it comes out. I also ordered a 22inch magnaflow and Y pipe. And the flex-a-lite 183 e-fan. I think all of these will help with efficiency. Next I will be getting a DC power 250 amp alternator. 180 amps at idle. Then i'll start my competition audio build

I also need to fix my drivers seat. the motors arent working right. The only one that is working is the front and back one. All the others just make noise and dont do anything. I'll take a look at it when I rip out the seats and carpet to deaden and insulate things. Also need to fix the wind noise from the doors. Already ordered the new seals. Hope that works and I don't need to bend the top of the doors.

 

[Hemi450hp]

Darren, I didnt even know you were on the forum. Welcome.

I'm excited to see what you come up with on the audio build.

 

[darrenforeal]

Darren, I didnt even know you were on the forum. Welcome.

I'm excited to see what you come up with on the audio build.

Yeah just recently. lol.

I am sponsored by Hybrid Audio Technologies. I will be using Hybrid's L8 8.5 inch+ midbass woofers in the front floor/kick panels. 5.25 inch point source Hybrid Audio Imagine drivers in the OEM dash locations for the midrange and highes. 12inch image dynamics IDQ under the center front seat. Maybe a custom console setup. Then 4 Zapco Z 150.2s running the front stage and a Zapco 2kW running the sub. Then the headunit will be a Clarion DRZ 9255. And processing will be a Zapco Z DSP8.

 

[BLKDODGE04]

welcome to the forum! i dont have a cai or much experience with one so i cant help out much. curious to know how the audio setup turns out though. post up some pics when you get it done!

 

[darrenforeal]

welcome to the forum! i dont have a cai or much experience with one so i cant help out much. curious to know how the audio setup turns out though. post up some pics when you get it done!

will do! It will start fairly soon. Need to rip out the interior and deaden everything and run wiring. Did the front doors today. I was happy how easy the door panels come off on these trucks.

 

[03MopaRamman]

had me Lost on all that Audio Talk....(sounds like your a Pro) but hey you made a real good choice by picking the 22" Muffler....you'll be happy!

 

[darrenforeal]

had me Lost on all that Audio Talk....(sounds like your a Pro) but hey you made a real good choice by picking the 22" Muffler....you'll be happy!

lol. sorry about that. But yeah I liked the sound clips I heard. I'll leave the rear OE resonator on it for starters, and I can always take a sawzall to it later.

 

[Durzil]

I'm glad you asked this. I'm also looking for a CAI but am more conserned about performance. (06 w/ Hemi) than sound.

I have HAT L6v1's in my front doors with Clarus tweeters and love them! Your going with topline gear there post up your build thread

 

[darrenforeal]

I'm glad you asked this. I'm also looking for a CAI but am more conserned about performance. (06 w/ Hemi) than sound.

I have HAT L6v1's in my front doors with Clarus tweeters and love them! Your going with topline gear there post up your build thread

I think strictly for performance, the Vararam. But, I think ill be happy with the S&B.

And yeah the audio build should be great. Honestly, half the reason I went for the 3rd gen rams is because it is an awesome platform for audio. Great soundstage potential. I will be competing with it in MECA And IASCA. Last year I did pretty damn well with my BMW. I still plan to compete with it, but in a lower class than the truck. I have L1 R2s, L3SE, and L6v2s in that car.

 

[TheMaddog]

alright, if you want to get the most bang for ya buck, get a vararam intake, with a e fan, and that'll give you some mpg and other goodies too, for sound you can't go wrong with magna flow, that's what i'm running and i love it, but i'd do the entire exhaust, from headers back. get a nice tune, and boom you'll have better mpg/performance and whatever else you said

 

[darrenforeal]

alright, if you want to get the most bang for ya buck, get a vararam intake, with a e fan, and that'll give you some mpg and other goodies too, for sound you can't go wrong with magna flow, that's what i'm running and i love it, but i'd do the entire exhaust, from headers back. get a nice tune, and boom you'll have better mpg/performance and whatever else you said

Yeah I'll do headers down the road. Went with the S&B intake, ordered today. If I eventually got a Sport hood, i might switch to the Vararam type deal

 

[TheMaddog]

that's a good one too, i am saving up for the vararam, i want a force induction cai, as long as you like what you bought, i'm fine lol

 

[darrenforeal]

that's a good one too, i am saving up for the vararam, i want a force induction cai, as long as you like what you bought, i'm fine lol

Yeah, for performance I don't think anything beats the vararam. But it also looks like a PITA. And this isn't my fast vehicle. I have a turbo BMW for that

 

[smykowski]

S&B is a decent choice, my neighbor works at a performance diesel shop, he swears by them

 

[truckin151]

The vararam is a nice intake, have it on mine, just don't plan on going through any big puddles with it. The ducts are to far down and don't have a way of "draining" water that gets up in there. Its a bit of a pita to get installed and routed too. Real quiet compared to others, but times dropped, not by much, but they went down none the less. Would rather track down a BFI though.

 

[darrenforeal]

gotcha. Yeah the vararam seems more like a track thing. The more I look at it and investigated it, it seemed that I would have to make more compromises than I'd like. The S&B seems like the best I could get for the standard CAI type deals. Build quality looks good, and they are releasing a scoop for it at the end of the week.