I figured I would write a review of these items in hopes that'll it'll help or answer somebody's questions later on down the road. I plan to write a review of VMP's tunes as well after I've had some time to play with them and really get a feel for the truck with custom tunes loaded. For now here is what I've got to say about the intake and exhaust.

So while I was at work today the guy in the big brown truck dropped off both my S&B CAI and my Banks monster exhaust. Since I work for myself I was able to take a few minutes away from work and install both. I installed the exhaust first and then followed that with the installation of the CAI. Here are a few pics and my initial impressions of each....

BANKS MONSTER EXHAUST:

Let's start with some background relating to exhaust that I've had on this truck. When I bought this truck I initially ordered the Roush Off-Road exhaust and installed it when the truck had just over 100 miles on the odometer. The Roush kit sounded really good especially on a cold start but I always felt like it would be better if there was a bit of volume sacrificed for a deeper tone. Now don't get me wrong, it sounded GREAT but I wanted to find something with a deeper tone so I looked towards the MBRP 3 1/2" SI/SO kit. The MBRP kit was most definitely deeper than the ROR but it had a really "airy" sound to it (for lack of a better term). After trying to figure this sound out for a little while I realized that the clamp tightening the MBRP intermediate pipe to the factory y-pipe was not sealing correctly. After fixing that the sound was much, much better but it still had a slightly "airy" sound on full throttle and on a cold start. Most people probably wouldn't even notice it but I'm very **** when it comes to exhaust and I knew I would be looking for a new exhaust very soon. All this brought me to the Banks monster exhaust and I can truly say that I am VERY happy with the way it turned out. I had the factory system off and the Banks on in 30 minutes and that's no joke (I've taken my exhaust off before though ). My only gripe is that the kit comes with u-bolt clamps instead of band clamps. I do believe that u-bolts hold better but I still prefer band clamps. There are no videos online that replicate the way this exhaust really sounds in person and it's damn near perfect in my opinion. On cold start it's pretty quiet (not nearly as loud as the ROR) but still very noticeable. Upon moderate acceleration it get's extremely deep and sounds excellent. Under WOT it's unreal and the volume is going to be almost that of the ROR after the muffler is broken in. I wasn't too crazy about the size of the tip when I first put it on but it actually flows nicely with the lines of the truck and I think the truck/exhaust compliment each other. Deeper than the ROR (even deeper than the MBRP), almost as much volume as the ROR (when used with the S&B CAI so you're tone may vary), a SI/SO exhaust, and a super easy install...... I'm thoroughly satisfied.




S&B CAI:

I've had no experience with CAI's on the '04-'08 F150's so I don't really have much to compare this CAI to but I'll do the best I can. I chose the S&B over the other brands simply because the filter was enclosed and the price was unbeatable. I Had a K&N 77 series on my '03 F150 5.4 and an aFe Stage 2 on my '06 Dodge 2500 with the Cummins engine. The quality of the S&B is just as nice if not better than both of the other intakes. I'm really digging the clear filter cover that the S&B kit comes with. Install was a piece of cake and took about 1 1/2 hours. That included taking a couple breaks for some water since I was working outside and it was HOT here today. After installation I started the truck and the idle seemed slow to come back down if I revved the truck to around 3000 rpm's. After looking over my installation I figured out that the new vacuum hose was not completely sealed and after fixing that everything was perfect. I can feel a noticeable difference in throttle response with the CAI installed vs stock so I know something is flowing better. I drove the truck with the exhaust alone and then drove it with the exhaust/CAI and the CAI definitely makes the exhaust louder and a bit deeper. The drone on this particular intake isn't too bad from what I can tell. I haven't done much driving though because I'm still waiting on my tunes from VMP. Then I'll give it a real good test.






My review for the VMP tunes will be coming as soon as I get them in. As for the truck I've pretty much got it finished. The only other things I have left that I still want to do is install the 2" AS leveling kit and some 305/60/18 BFG KM2's. Hope somebody has found this useful!

 

Awsome !

Your just trying to get me green with envy are ya?

Damn my stuff came in before yours! I still have another long week until I can get home and install my toys. You should get a tracking number from Justin any day now!

congrats!

 

good to hear you like the exhaust, i wish they made one for my truck. After i get my tires im gonna give banks a call and see if they will see me just the muffler and tip

 

Very nice write up man! Well done and thought out I love reading actual reviews from non biased sources. Glad to hear you are happy

 

Sorry man...... had to do it! I'm hoping I'll get the tuner early this coming week. Does he ship them UPS or FedEX?

Thanks guys! I've got a good source for a camcorder so I'll see if I can't get some videos up of the exhaust system after I get my tunes from VMP. I think a rev video, a drive-by video, one inside the cab with the windows up, and one inside with the windows down will really let people hear how this exhaust sounds. All of the videos on youtube (including the Banks videos) do the exhaust no justice but I think the sound can be captured with a high quality camcorder.

 

I look forward to it!

 

so the banks isnt as loud as the ror but it has a deeper tone correct?

 

Exactly. It's not quite as loud as the ROR but it has a much deeper tone. Once the muffler is completely broken in I think the Banks kit will be almost as loud as the ROR. Remember that I do have a CAI installed with the Banks exhaust and did not with the Roush exhaust -- the CAI does affect the tone/volume of the exhaust.

 

Great reviews. So you finally found your new exhaust, thats good. Glad to hear you are happy man. Congrats!

 

I am confused about this though. If the gotts/DWV mod works well, how come commercial CIA's are so big? Do they offer more in sound gains with exhaust or something?

 

Thicker tube to draw down more air, bigger air box for more air allowance and a bigger filter. The Gotts mod lets the inlet go from 2.5 to 3" for better air but the tube diameter is still 3" throughout with a smaller filter. You get the same benefits with the Gotts at a lower cost with the acception of your own labor.

 

Sorry Darren, I meant "big" in terms of amount of people buying them, my bad

 

Well thats what I meant too, I just explained reasons why. Some people are DIY people and like to save a dollar, others would rather buy an entire direct-fit replacement and have a warranty for it.

 

Ok I gotcha. Thanks man

 

Exactly what Darren said. I started to just do the Gotts mod but I really liked the S&B CAI and knew that I wouldn't be happy unless I had it.

On a side note...... my Xcal3 shipped today and it's already got the custom tunes loaded!