Banks Turbo Install on a 2011 JK Unlimited
 

So, I thought I would let everyone know how my experience has been dealing with Banks Power in Azuza, CA. I dropped my jeep off on July 27th to have the sidewinder turbo kit and monster exhaust installed. The salesman Chuck said they would need to keep it 2 weeks to take pictures for the install manual. After getting no return calls from Barbara in the install dept. I drove up there to get my jeep at the 2.5 week mark. They were confused why I was there and asked who called me. I told Barbara that I have called over and over and I wanted my jeep. They sent me to the shop area were I was greeted by an engineer and Andrew Banks. I was told to give them until Friday to finish the work. Friday I was told it was done and they left it out front for me to pick up. The following day (Saturday) I started getting traction control lights and my electronic throttle control would go off and I would have to pull over and turn the jeep off then back on. I could not get anyone to return my calls at Banks.
Upon inspection of the work, I noticed they installed a 3inch bump stop on the front axle to keep the down pipe from hitting the front drive shaft. Did I mention this was a stock suspension jeep? I cannot put my finger between the bump stop and the top foam bounce pad. They also used a rose bud to heat the down pipe and hammer it flat to give clearance to the front drive shaft. What company sells a product they have NEVER put on a stock vehicle?? They also removed a stock cross member to move the crossover pipe down a little. After posting on their facebook page about our issue, I got a call from Jeff in tech support and they now have our jeep back in their shop to try and figure out the issues. This is going on week 6 of no jeep and I have had to order a lift kit to get some clearance back and have the jeep drive able.

Some info on the jeep:
2011 JK Unlimited
3.8 v6
metalcloak fenders front and rear
5.13 gears front and rear
37" toyo's
stock suspension

Anybody have any thoughts on what to do? I dropped $6100 to have Banks do this work and have now had to spend another $3300 to order a lift. It is hard to get a reply from anyone at Banks that has any authority to do anything.

If anyone is thinking of this kit, DO NOT DO IT!!!!!!

Thanks for the info on your issues with Banks. Hopefully they are able to resolve this for you and maybe some of your cost for the lift kit.

me too, I was not planning on installing a lift kit at all. I would have never expected this from Banks....just wanted everyone to know so they don't get hosed by them.

Sorry to hear about your troubles.

Why did you go with Banks versus the Prodigy Turbo Kit?

I went with Banks because of their name and previous use of their products on other vehicles I have owned. I got a call yesterday from Chris B. with Banks and they found the issue with the traction control and electronic throttle. It was a vacuum leak from a hose they put on. They offered to install a 2 inch coil spacer lift and I told them no thanks. Nothing on my jeep is half assed and they are not going to start doing that. I told him I already have a kit on order through T & J performance in Orange, CA (great guys by the way) so he asked how much the lift cost. I told him and he asked if they could help by paying 1/3 Rd of the cost. At this point I'll take what I can get....but I just want my jeep fixed, running correctly and driving the way it should. Let's hope it all works out.

Honestly, I'd never be anywhere close to a guinea with adding boost to an engine. The few superchargers out there for JKs have an insane amount of engineering and testing hours to get everything correct. The tunes are constantly being improved. More importantly, they have the data to ensure that the system will not damage the engine.

Now, I am familiar with Banks and agree they make great stuff, but that is a huge risk you are taking as they don't make stuff for JKs. If nothing else, I would expect to have random issues pop up for quite a while.

I'd be livid.
I'd make them refund my money, give me a new downpipe, and undo everything else they did. that's WAY too much money for issues like this.

Holy crap what lift are you HAVING to get that cost $3300. Can easily be done for less. Just saying.
On another note sucks your going thru the issues. Hope it gets worked out.

IMHO, they should've given you a pretty decent discount for being their "guinea pig" if they've never installed their kit on a stock Jeep. But hey that's me. At least they're offering to help pay for the lift, hwich they should.

I'm curious, too, though....what lift did you order that's costing you $3300? Evo Double Throw Down? Something that uses coilover up front? Even with full long arms, etc., most good kits run under $3000 including shocks, etc. Also curious how you're running 37's on stock suspension. Pics?

TIMES 10 here!!!

I was a guinea pig for the Smitty Built full JKU cage. They only charged me $100 in labor to install the kit in exchange for being able to photo, measure and document the install. Sure, they had the jeep for a few days, but it worked out well. The same was done for a front coil over install. Again, labor was reduced to $100. Maybe you can get all the labor costs back?

You can run 37s on stock suspension when you don't wheel, or when you don't articulate when you do wheel. I run 7" of lift, and steel tube fenders with my 40's and I still rub on uptravel. But I get 12" of uptravel articulation.
I don't understand how coil spacers are "half assed"? You still get stock spring rates, which isn't bad.

The cost for the lift is a 3.5 Rubicon express short arm full kit, new front driveshaft, labor to install and align. I wasn't the first to have the system installed on. ..but I was the first with stock suspension. I did get 500 off the cost to let them keep it for the initial 2 weeks
I am running full Metal cloak armor and only use this jeep to trail ride. Running 37's gives me the extra ground clearance I wanted.
I have an 04 TJ that I use for having fun and beating on. My girlfriend drives this jeep every day and wanted it to retain the stock ride and keep a LCG.

Evo Double throwdown is about 12K before labor and driveshafts. Evo Double D pro is well over 6K before labor and driveshafts.

I could not hardly go offroad at all with a 2 inch AEV lift and 35's.

Why go 37's and cant take it offroad? Looks alone?

Could have went metalcloak for that price and had a much better system. I'm curious what you have for axles since your running 37s and don't half ass anything on your jeep.

I agree! This is crazy to use a customer as a 1st Guinea pig and not even give them a clue they are doing it and charging them the full bill. Sounds like Banks needs Roy D. Mercer to come over there and pour a 55 gal drum of whup azz on him.

This post doesn't make any sense. First you said you're running stock suspension, or at least were when Banks installed the turbo kit. Next you say you're running a full Metalcloak system. Obvoiusly not stock suspension. And then $3300 for an RE short arm? Could've installed all of that yourself in your garage, including control arms, drive shaft, etc. nad saved a few pennies.

So what's currently installed on your Jeep? Stock suspension or Metalcloak? Without some serious cutting, I don't think it's possible to run 37's on stock suspension.

I looked at the metal cloak lift and I love what they make. I went with the rubicon express lift due to Mike Barnett's (owner of jeepspeed) recommendation for my set up. I have the metal cloak fenders front and rear, rock rails, corner armor on BOTH of my jeeps. You dont need to sell me on metal cloak, I am a customer of theirs for life. Everything is personal choice. my axles are stock on the JK and they will be until the need arises to upgrade them. I dont put this jeep through anything harsh, like I said this rig is for trail riding NOT rock crawling. I have other vehicles for that. I was trying to say that I was not going to accept a 2inch coil spacer kit as a suitable fix. A coil spacer kit is a cheap alternative to a real kit, and thats fine if that is what you want on YOUR rig. I'm not here to fight and bicker with anyone, guess that comes with the territory of forums. Everyone has their own opinions.... I was simply trying to let everyone one know what kind of experience I have had with this system from banks. Next time I will keep it to myself and not help anyone out. why didnt you go with the metal cloak lift? or fenders for that matter?
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/atta...d=623767&stc=1https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/atta...d=623768&stc=1

I have full metal cloak armor. sorry for the confusion. I am running 37's on stock suspension and yes I did cut a few inches of body in front of the back tire. I have NO issues with the ride of the jeep as it is a TRAIL jeep. I dont have time right now to do the work on the jeep. I have done everything else on both jeeps....right now I am slammed busy and didnt have the time. To pay someone else versus my time it is well worth it.

I can go offroad, see photos. I dont need crazy flex on this jeep as I dont take it through the hard stuff. Just use this jeep for trail riding, hitting the dirt roads to go to the river, etc. My TJ is smaller and narrower so I use that for the fun stuff. Metal cloak fenders help give you the clearance needed for bigger tires that I wanted for ground clearance. A lift would not help with ground clearance. It may not be for everyone but it works for me. Building the JK has been a slow steady process and we have done what was needed and wanted first. audio is done, tires done, bumpers done, winch done, fenders done, now lift will be done and the turbo kit. next will be front runner roof rack, then axles and lockers.

I wasn't bickering or arguing. I was actually curious as to what axles you were running as you said you don't do anything half ass on your jeep and your running 37s so I would naturally assume that you weren't running stock crap axles as that is most definitely half assing. And RE is not really that great either so I was curious again since you were running so much metalcloak stuff why you just didn't go metalcloak. You could have gotten a 3.5" kit from them, had a better ride, better quality and product overall for about the same price. All you really need is the front lower arms to correct some caster and maybe some rear uppers to adjust the pinion angle. And as a matter of fact my lift consisted of RK, Metalcloak, and fox of which all are great brands. Sorry I struck a nerve.

I don't understand how you can't go offroad with this setup. I wheeled my Jeep plenty in stock form before I ever added the lift and tires. There's not too much my Jeep can do now that it couldn't when it was stock to be honest. I obviously don't beat the hell outta' the skid plates as much, but there are only a handful of trails where I normally go that I wouldn't try in a stock Jeep. So you can barely offroad with a 2" lift and 35's? Sounds like you need to hone your driving skills a little more.

OP....thanks for clearing up the Metal Cloak/stock suspension thing. Makes a lot more sense now; although, I'm sure your Jeep actually sits a tad lower because of the additional weight from the armor, etc. But 37's do wonders for ground clearance! I'm only on a 2.5" RK lift, but with my 37's, there's not a trail/obstacle I haven't been able to overcome. Truth be told, I think my Jeep is more capable than my balls allow me to be. :yup:

I'm impressed that you fit 37's on stock suspension, though. LCG like a boss! :thumbsup:

Thanks RubiBus,
I prefer to keep my jeeps as low as possible to help avoid any type of roll over. My girlfriend drives this JK everyday to work and we use it for trips. My TJ is what I use for hard play time. This is no prerunner or Ultra 4 race rig so the need for insane FLEX is really not needed in my case.
When I was looking at installing a lift, I wanted the metal cloak 3.5 game changer lite kit. After talking to Mike Barnett of Jeepspeed and T & J Performance, he informed me that the guy who designed the lifts for metal cloak was the former designer for Rubicon Express.
Mike had a customer come in with a JKU with metal cloak fenders and 37's sitting on a 3.5 rubicon lift. He asked the guy if he would bring it by and let me drive it to see what I thought, I drove it and the feel was just as good as stock. That's customer service right there. I asked about installing King adjustable shocks with the kit and he actually talked me out of them as he said the rubicon uses the Bilstien 5150 shocks. Once those shocks wear out I will install the Kings or Fox 2.5 adjustable.
the armor and winch did droop the front end a little bit but i had installed rubicon springs and shocks off a brand new rubi that got a lift kit installed so it helped a little.

Well this thread started out interesting,... until all of the "you can't do that with stock suspension" post got it side tracked.

So, getting back to the turbo topic. Other than the piss poor install, and the piss poor communication from Banks, how do you like the turbo? Was the power increase significant? Is it worth the $6000 price? Do you still have a dash that is lit up like a christmas tree?

I don't know yet, I heard from Banks today and they are supposed to drop off the jeep this Saturday. Chris did tell me they added a 2 inch coil spacer lift to see if that would solve the suspension issue and he says he thinks it did. I told him it will be coming off next week when my lift is installed. I just hope they fixed everything correctly this time. This is week 7 with no jeep....ugh.

Well let us know what you think of the performance once you've had a chance to try it out. For $6000 it should be absolute night and day difference from stock.

Please remember that the $6000 cost was the turbo kit, monster exhaust and install for both. I think the price for just the turbo kit was 3500.