lonesometree

Anyone use the Red Rock CAI? The revues are exceptional and the price is great. Just curious about the actual function.

TheDirtman

Waste of money like the rest of them.

Jonathan_JK

CAI's are great for hydro locking your engine. Makes the process easier to do over the factory box.

CAI's are a waste unless your putting a turbo or a blower on your engine. Then still I would go with a snorkel with a pre filter your actually pulling air from outside the engine compartment. Either way unless your installing a intercooler its not going to make a difference.

lonesometree

I disagree about CAI being a total waste of money. They def provide a performance upgrade. HP and ft lbs. I'm just curious about the XT product in comparison to bigger names.

P.S. Some may consider chromoly axles a waste of money. Being stronger than stock driveshafts or gears(and $$) many would prefer to leave them stock so that the break point on the trail is relatively easy and somewhat quick to repair. Just a thought.

Now back to the bench comparison...Red Rock intake...

jtphoto JK

Any intake that draws air from under the hood is not a CAI. The factory airbox draws in cooler air then that and a snorkel is the best of all.
There was a poster on another thread that actually monitored his Air intake temp and found that it could go as high as 100 degrees over ambient temp under the hood and took a lengthy drive on the freeway to get temps down some, whereas from the snorkel, temps stayed around ambient temps.

Your money, if you like the sound and the look. You asked and you are getting honest answers. An under the hood CAI for the Jeep is worthless no matter who makes it. A K&N filter in the factory box is more efficient and safer then the CAI.

TheDirtman

With federal CAFE standards if a manufacturer could get more hp, mpg, and performance out of a "CAI" then they would do it from from factory since it is so cheap. This is just common sense. All I have seen is a difference in sound.

I would also rather break a driveshaft on a JK then a axle shaft. A driveshaft is much easier to fix and you have two so at lest you can drive out with only one most of the time.

lonesometree

I have a K & N filter in the factory box. Little change. I find it hard to believe an open air filter would be worse. But what do I know? That's why I'm asking. I have no desire for a snorkel. I don't intentially travel hood deep in water crossings.(Which could hydro lock anyone). The only people that do that are only looking for a cool instagram post. There are prob more snorkels on mall crawlers than race ready rigs. But I may do a CAI for "looks and sound"(thanks for the idea &#128521 because that seems like the JK thing to do. Ha.

lonesometree

Would you rather destroy a carrier than an axel?!? I doubt it. I think it's common sense to focus your weakest point on axels. But once again...what do I know. I'm just a once in a while warrior. Not a pro. It's just that most builds are very cliche.(look at signatures) That's why I ask a lot of advice from others. But ultimately I always make my own decisions. If anything, this thread has pushed me closer to purchasing the intake. Why not? It's only $$. And I could waste a hell of a lot more on new shafts that I don't personally need. Unfortunately my ride gets a ton of interstate miles. But can function if I need her to. All of the responses so far are from people apparently NOT running one...and all of my local, personal responses have been positive. It's a 50/50 gamble I suppose.

jtphoto JK

So that should have been your first indication, why not many people on here run them. If they are cheap and work, why wouldn't everyone have one. Many HAVE HAD them and taken them back off. Around here those that choose to try one usually have it up on Craig's list after the first trail ride.

BTW A strong carrier will still shred the splines on a Chromoly axle. Ring and pinion is even cheaper and as easy to replace. If you break an axle at the splines you still have to pull the carrier out to get out the pieces. So broken axles is seldom that easy.

So If you want a CAI without a full snorkel check out the River Raider short stack. The snorkel is not just for water crossing but also dust control with a pre cleaner. And yet still more effective then the underhood intake for the mall crawler on the interstate.

jtphoto JK

On a more technical note:
The Jeeps air intake and fuel system is controlled by a computer. Increasing air flow really makes 0 difference, reducing air temp does. Even Running a bigger throttle body as we did on the 3.8s with an 08 Viper TB didn't make a difference because the computer controls the volumes to base anyway. Having a custom tune built for you, adding more air, more fuel through bigger injectors and finally headers or free flow exhaust will make a HP difference .. forced induction is even better but again a special tune must be used to get it to work.

In other words you can run a 4" pipe to a 74mm TB or a 74mm pipe to the 74mm TB and there will be no difference in air volume intake.