I recently purchased an 06 ram 2500 mega diesel. The rear suspension was beefed up with what I think is called helper springs. So, I assume this makes the rear end a 3500? That was the only mod when I bought her.original post question is the Banks cold air system is 410.00 Would getting this set up show an improved mpg? I ask those of you who have this installed. I am also looking at straight piping the exhaust unless someone has a recommened set up. I would also like to get the ecu done but i am still learning and doing research on a good set up.

In reality, no. It will be successful at lightening your wallet. Without major engine modifications, you will not see any measurable difference and will never save enough in fuel consumption to pay for it.

my thought would be, will it provide cleaner air to the big guy hammering away under the hood.if not, then no way, the 4" thick mopar air filter does a good job and provides the diesel engine clean air. when I bought my truck used at 42K miles it had a K&N air filter in the air box.I took it out, was going to clean, reoil, then I ran my hand back up into the air duct to the engine, my hand came out with a white powder type material on my hand.I wiped all the white powder out of the air tube and boxed up the K&N air filter.bought a mopar 4" air filter for my 2005 dodge diesel truck and never looked back.my mpg may have gone down 1 mpg, but clean air, no powder, is worth it to me.

I saw about a 150 degree drop in EGT's in my 2006 by switching from the stock setup to an aftermarket cold air intake.

Does it help nope! Dodge and Cummins guys did a great job with the OEM air intake, pulls cold air from the front of the truck through the inner fender and into the air box. But if you add supporting mods to your truck a bigger air box/inlet/filter can be used. Supporting mods would include: bigger injector nozzles, larger or twin turbo setups, programmer, straight through exhaust, beefed up tranny...list goes on and on....been there done that my 2005 had plenty of mods, at 517hp and 1200ftlb torque and got great fuel mileage, I did it not to get the fuel mileage but for some extra hp and cause I had nothing else to spend money on at the time! If you want to help that Cummins do the straight through exhaust, safest mod of any.

I would NOT do the straight pipe. There are aftermarket exhaust that do as good of job letting it exhaust and sound good. A straight pipe will drive you nuts running down the road with a load. I have a MBRP exhaust on my 05 and really like it and has no droan. Unless you are going to do the scoop that goes down to the air dam under the front bumper then a good quality filter will be all you'll need to feed the air unless you are planning some major mods to the motor and then a better flowing inner cooler would be my first pick before a cold air intake. The stock intake heater on our trucks are more of a restriction than the air box.

Does the Banks ram cold air intake really help

JIMNLIN
Explorer III
Jan 20, 2014
catfishmontana wrote:
I saw about a 150 degree drop in EGT's in my 2006 by switching from the stock setup to an aftermarket cold air intake.

Same here when towing up to 16k when I installed the AFE pro 7 to my brand new '03 Dodge/Cummins 305/555 HO truck. Non towing didn't show much difference.
I Didn't install it to gain mpg but help in keeping EGTs down when hauling.
I have a Westach dual guage EGT/boost. Great diagnostic tool.
Slowmover
Explorer
Jan 20, 2014
The stock airbox is good to 450RWHP. Aftermarket is also unlikely to have an air filter as good as the deep MOPAR piece.

The very latest CTD has specialized hot and cold intakes; switches from one to another depending on conditions. That would be a sweet retrofit.
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Jan 13, 2014
C Schomer wrote:
My stock 03 muffler was terrible. It was so choked, it hissed like I had a smashed tailpipe, when towing. You already have 4" and that is enough. A 4" straight thru muffler is all I would do to your exh. The air intake stuff isn't worth the money. Do a search on the home depot CAI mod. Guys cut a hole in the bottom of the air filter box and use HD cheap parts to get more cold air from down lower. It's also good to get more air in the bottom of the box when you put in the newer deeper filters. Gauges (at least a pyro) are nice but not necessary til you add fuel. It's scary how hot some of the stock diesels run and you will be helping the egt a little with 2 cheap mods... muffler and the hd cai. I put a pre-turbo pyro in a fiends CTD and it was going over 1400. He took it to Cummins to see why it ran such high egt and they moved the probe to after the turbo and told him... there it's fixed, quit worrying about it! Craig

Pre turbo is exactly where it should stay.
ib516
Explorer II
Jan 13, 2014
I have had no issues with my set up, and it has a nice power boost.

4" MBRP exhaust with straight through muffler, no CAT, no resonator.
Hypertech programmer set on stage 2 (middle).

The Diablosport Predator tuner I also have (picked up used out of the local classifieds for $60) gives WAY more power, but the truck runs much smoother on the Hypertech.

As a side note, gauges give high marks in the LCF (look cool factor), but are $$ and not required. You can add a $169 Scangauge2 and monitor trans temp digitally - among other things.

The Hypertech tuning is safe - no EGT gauge required. It is the only tuner I would run without monitoring EGT. I know the Smarty Jr is also advertised as EGT "safe" - and that could be, I just don't have any direct experience with it.

Whatever you choose - keep us updated!

Oh, BTW, Diesel Power magazine did dyno tests with the stock cold air intake and several afetrmarket ones. None made any more than 1 or 2 hp over stock on a stock truck. COLD AIR INTAKE DYNO TESTING
C_Schomer
Explorer
Jan 13, 2014
My stock 03 muffler was terrible. It was so choked, it hissed like I had a smashed tailpipe, when towing. You already have 4" and that is enough. A 4" straight thru muffler is all I would do to your exh. The air intake stuff isn't worth the money. Do a search on the home depot CAI mod. Guys cut a hole in the bottom of the air filter box and use HD cheap parts to get more cold air from down lower. It's also good to get more air in the bottom of the box when you put in the newer deeper filters. Gauges (at least a pyro) are nice but not necessary til you add fuel. It's scary how hot some of the stock diesels run and you will be helping the egt a little with 2 cheap mods... muffler and the hd cai. I put a pre-turbo pyro in a fiends CTD and it was going over 1400. He took it to Cummins to see why it ran such high egt and they moved the probe to after the turbo and told him... there it's fixed, quit worrying about it! Craig
srt20
Explorer
Jan 13, 2014
My 05 muffler was defiantly not straight thru.

I have a setup I cam across on a diesel forum, I forget the name of it, but it's basically a 5" turbo back with a resonator that goes under the cab. It's actually quieter in the cab than the factory setup was but a little louder at the tip. Not "look at me loud" though.

The resonator is not a glass pack type design, it is a smaller straight thru center, with a auger type outer design. It's the same size as the rest of the pipe, 5".
No cat, no muffler. No emissions here were I live.
Stock muffler rusted out, otherwise I probably would have just left it on.
mountainsam
Explorer
Jan 13, 2014
Actually I do not have gauges but that is the next purchase.
ksss
Explorer
Jan 13, 2014
mountainsam wrote:
I just paid 2100 bucks to reinstall a cat. My 05 was purchased in MO at one year old and with a straight pipe. Sounded great at first but soon got irritating as heck. We added the muffler back but not the cat. In 2013 we moved to CA. To license the truck I was required to install a new cat. Not a cat but a new one. CA. would not accept a used one. Big problem. For the 05 Cummins I was told by the dealer that there were five new cats in the country. Dodge had to get involved to ship a cat from Ohio to CA. So if you decide to streighten out the exhaust hang on to the parts. You may need them some day. BTW. With streight pipe we got 21 - 22 mph on the highway running 2000 rpm. With the cat and muffler I get 20 - 21.

Are your EGT's higher with the CAT and muffler?
mountainsam
Explorer
Jan 13, 2014
I just paid 2100 bucks to reinstall a cat. My 05 was purchased in MO at one year old and with a straight pipe. Sounded great at first but soon got irritating as heck. We added the muffler back but not the cat. In 2013 we moved to CA. To license the truck I was required to install a new cat. Not a cat but a new one. CA. would not accept a used one. Big problem. For the 05 Cummins I was told by the dealer that there were five new cats in the country. Dodge had to get involved to ship a cat from Ohio to CA. So if you decide to streighten out the exhaust hang on to the parts. You may need them some day. BTW. With streight pipe we got 21 - 22 mpg on the highway running 2000 rpm. With the cat and muffler I get 20 - 21.
Teebucket1313
Explorer
Jan 12, 2014
I know your not asking about gas vehicle...but I would like to get my 2 cents in....I had a 2008 National RV with the F53, V 10 and I had the Banks Power System install by CW.....it did add a little more power and 2 tenths of a gallon mileage increase. I don't remember the total cost....over $3000.00. My opinion is I would save the money. It just made the motorhome sound like a hot rod when you step on the gas. Intake was so load when you stepped on it you couldn't even talk over it.

Happy Camping.
Bye Dennis