Cold Air Intakes

[Max-t]

Are cold air intakes effective or just a waste of cash that can be spent elsewhere on the Gladiator?

Can we just agree to call them DAIs. Or Nais… for noisy or different?
No unless you’re turbo’s and doing modifications, of course they do nothing. Even if you do some FI mods , there’s absolutely going to be an overall loss without a customized tune for your exact setup.
They CAN increase engine noise, which can be fun to some, sometimes.
Particularly with these jeeps, they have an intake that does exactly what DAIs purport to do already.
if ya want to throw an inefficient filter in your air box you can do that. Too dusty in the south west to be using any of those big flow things.
Every Jeep sold kills FCA. They don’t have a Prius to pull out their average mpgs.
The whole CARB and dot/epa thing. If there was anything to be gained in efficiency or power by using a different shaped tube, they would. If they could throw on any old pipe and be able to continue selling in California they would.

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[ShadowsPapa]

That's one of the reasons why I put on the Mopar CAI, even though it was more expensive. It 'looks' like a factory option.

The CAI was a factory option when I ordered a year ago in May.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Particularly with these jeeps, they have an intake that does exactly what DAIs purport to do already.

Unless you cut the hood for the optional outside air inlet on some.
But these pull enough air from away from the engine, won't matter much anyway.
It's a thing when pulling hot engine bay air in, even more of a thing when you don't have computer controlled air and fuel mixtures.

There are reasons you aren't going to see gain in these, though. They do a decent job pulling in outside air. (* unless you run a snow plow then all bets are off LOL)

 

[Max-t]

I wonder if the cai… erm DAI folk realize there’s also “ram” air inlet in the grille as well as the hood side inlet

 

[Mister Lamb]

If you get a CAI, I would recommend the Mopar CAI. It offers no measurable performance benefit, but looks and sounds better.

*Looks up price of Mopar CAI*

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I wonder if the cai… erm DAI folk realize there’s also “ram” air inlet in the grille as well as the hood side inlet

Bingo.
I have a feeling people never look beyond the far right side (left when standing in front of the truck) and only ever see that top foam seal and assume all air comes in there. They ignore what's in the far passenger side slot.
When moving along at any speed, You have cooler outside air coming in (well, yesterday it was 95 degree air coming in at almost that same humidity, but point is, it's outside air....)
So you really aren't doing anything as far as "cold air" - it's getting that already from that far passenger side slot and the air coming in by the hood, that area. And that air going in low is coming in under some force at highway speed.
And it's a reason I have to pull my filter out every so often to get the bugs out. Not bug as in computer bug, but literally insects I have to vacuum out of the housing.

As long as the truck/Jeep is moving, it's getting air to the intake that's cooler than engine bay and even sitting, it's better than engine bay air.
So yeah, it's not doing a lot for "cold air".

I laughed when I was ordering my second Gladiator last year - the sales guy knows me very well, knows I'm a former tech, my history with Jeep (and AMC in the 80s) and was going through the list of options to make sure we missed nothing this time (we missed passive entry on the first one so I added it after I got it).
He got to the CAI and looked at me and said "I assume you don't want this".

If I was racing, I'd stick my 401 in it anyway and get some serious air into it (damn, there I go again, mentioning "race" in a Jeep topic. Sort of like saying government intelligence. Contradiction in terms)

 

[Max-t]

Yeah, it’s kids stuff.

Come on, sometimes you have to vacuum out the computer bugs in these things to

 

[charliez]

I actully had some on 2 previous trucks. They came with it. It was more of a PITA than anyhting. After having them I would never purchase one myself.

 

[TroutFishingInAmerica]

I put on the Mopar cai, had the throttle body bored from 74 to 80 and half shaft by Fastman (Fastman does great work by the way). In theory I'm delivering air more efficiently, in real life I don't think it made much of a difference. I would definitely do it again anyway. That's just me.

 

[Shift Happens]

I always liked the growl a "CAI" provides. I saw one for the gladiator that can use a paper filter (I'm not a fan of the oiled filters) and if it provides the same protection as stock, then...that's enough for me.
Never noticed any gains from running one on any other vehicle, but never did any dyno testing either.

 

[jac04]

I always liked the growl a "CAI" provides. I saw one for the gladiator that can use a paper filter (I'm not a fan of the oiled filters) and if it provides the same protection as stock, then...that's enough for me.

I'm running the Mopar "CAI" with the factory air filter for exactly that reason - I've never liked the 'high-flow' type filters (either oiled or dry).

A couple of my car guy buddies have actually commented on how nice it sounds when I get on it a little.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I'm running the Mopar "CAI" with the factory air filter for exactly that reason - I've never liked the 'high-flow' type filters (either oiled or dry).

A couple of my car guy buddies have actually commented on how nice it sounds when I get on it a little.

That's the reason I'd do it - for the growl. I miss the growl I had with my car engine before I put the stock type air box on it. when you got on it before with just a simple air filter on top of the throttle body, you knew it every time you touched the throttle a bit.
Lucky - I have a choice of what to drive if I want noise (if I put the darned thing back together, that is)

Anyway, they do SOUND good, totally. And if that's what is wanted, if it's for that reason, then no one should be dissing it.
Heck, I've got dual quads on a car even though I know I can get the same HP and perhaps better throttle response in town with a good Torker intake and single 750 CFM carb. But I like the looks I get and the comments. Whatever.

 

[Sandevino]

My sawsall has a date with the rear resonator on the stock exhaust. It hangs down a bit far and I've already caught it on a few obstacles.

I plan to cut if off just above the last bend where it can't try to catch itself on anything.

 

[friskeljr]

If you want one, I have a Volant I'd sell ya.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

My sawsall has a date with the rear resonator on the stock exhaust. It hangs down a bit far and I've already caught it on a few obstacles.

I plan to cut if off just above the last bend where it can't try to catch itself on anything.

I'm rather surprised those hang down back there as they do. Wouldn't take much to crunch it while trying to back around or maneuver out of a tight spot.

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