I've done so much searching on here that my eyes are spinning and I'm a little overwhelmed. I want to get a tonneu cover for my 06 Screw 5.5' bed and I've settled between Xtang and Access. Any recomendations between the two?
I also have plans for a programmer/tuner, CAI, headers, and exhaust. I was going to go the Banks Power Pack route but was told here that I could customize the whole system from different mfg for less. I know that but I'm not sure who is the best for each item. Intake I'm thinking between Banks and Volant, progammer I'm thinking the gyphon cause I've read a lot of good things about it. Headers, guys are telling me to get the long tubes. Why are long tubes better than shorties? Exhaust, I like the Banks single side exit cause that's the style I'm looking for. Any other suggestions that might be better than Banks?
Banks quoted me $1,600 to my door for the tuner, intake, headers, and exhaust power pack system.

 

I really like the Xtang I have on my '06 Crew with 5.5' bed. I Liked it enough to buy the exact same model for my wife's Nissan Frontier PRO 4X. - No experience with the Access, but you can't go wrong with the Xtang.
BTW, the picture in my signature was taken before I got the tonneau (sorry).

 

for the headers- shorties do nothing for the modular engines which is why they arent recommended. long tubes are dyno proven 20hp on the 2v 5.4. what engine do you have?

 

I have the 5.4. What brand of long tubes would you recommend?

After a few phone calls it looks like the extang RT is the cover I'll get over the access.

 

Actually LT's w/HF's CAN net you 30/35 when it comes to numbers if done right.

Headers cost $290

I got my high flows from Troyer -cost $0

So the hardware is around $300.

Not sure about the tune, but Troyer knows these trucks best IMO.

 

L/T Pacesetters are about 300
L/T Dynatechs are about 1600 for the headers and high flow cats

I have the Volant CAI and I love it

For a performance exhaust go with magnaflow and then of course the Gryphon with all of the add ons will really wake up your truck!

 

i saw obx headers for 525 on ebay. arent they suppose to be almost as good as the dynatechs?

 

Their a lighter gauge and rust on the inside eventually. Nice Tig work on the obx tho. If you wrap the Pacestters or OBX it a big benefit, downfall of that is they rust quicker wrapped. Mine are wrapped, no rust yet, but most of the header noise and heat is out the back instead of under the cab.

Dynatechs/Kooks = Heavy gauge and don't rust, - no need to wrap.

You do get what you pay for, just about. Well with the Dynatech and Kooks you do anyway. High Flow cats are free + You can actually make money converting over from OEM.

 

I got pacesetters LTs, their outlet is about 3 inchs so you could run 3 in 3 out high flows to 3 inch exhaust. I went with 2 3/4ths and i really like it. I wasnt about to go too fancy with a $1,000 set up when my $420 setup works fine. I believe the maggie high flows were 70 a piece on www.carpartswholesale.com and $275 for the pacesetters. I believe jbrew has the same set up and he knows his ***** !!

 

Yea, I did mine 3 years ago and had just about as much fun doing it as everyone else is having lol. After you do one, doing another is cake.

 

wow, I looked on Troyers site and the LT from dynatech are $1400! My budget for intake, header, exhaust, tuner is around $1500.

 

Take your old converters to the scrap yard after removed. I got $180 cash for mine, but others have came away with $200 + , depends on the market, but Ford converters do very well. Mine were about 10 years old lol.

That should offset cost a little.

 

Okay, I think I've decided against the LTH's. For the difference in money, I don't think the amount of gain over the shorties is really worth it. Therefore, I've decided to just go the package way I believe. I'm either going to do the stage 2 kit from Troyer ($1,700) or the Banks Power Pack ($1,663). The Troyer kit posts about 10 more hp and about 20 more ft/lbs of torque over the banks kit with the e-fan, intake, pully's, exhaust, and custom tune. Where as the Banks gives you the intake, header, exhaust, and programmer. Hmmmm

 

That's some poor math, with that kind of cash to invest I would be after 50-60 hp. Wait! You have an 06, -nevermind. I'd be after more. A tuner alone will bump it up quite a bit. Who makes LT's for the 3V ? Not sure ? Do they exist?

 

The Troyer kit lists a gain in hp of 57-65 and torque of about 70. That's including their custom tuner. I can throw on some LT's at a later date. I'm really considering this kit.