Airaid Cool Air Dam Intake

 

Looking for a quick boost in horsepower and fuel mileage? Want a package that you can add on yourself, quickly and easily? We were, and we looked to Airaid for our fix. The folks at Airaid suggested an Airaid CoolAir Dam Intake and a Poweraid throttle body spacer to install and test on our ’04 Jeep Rubicon.

Installing the Airaid components was relatively easy. All you need are some basic tools and about one hour of your time to be off and running-faster, and more efficiently than before!

Poweraid Throttle Body Spacer Installation

We began installing the Poweraid throttle body spacer kit by removing the factory air box, intake tube and breather hose. Then we removed the four bolts and unplugged the OEM throttle-body fuel injection unit. With the fuel injection system out of the way, we positioned the new dry gaskets and the shiny, red anodized Poweraid spacer. With the spacer and gaskets in place, we reinstalled the fuel injection system and put the throttle cable mount spacers in place. Installation was quick and easy, seven bolts off and on, and you’re done!

The 6061-T6 anodized aluminum spacer is precisely machined for a perfect fit. The red color along with the Poweraid signature adds some color under the hood.

Poweraid Throttle Body Spacer Under the hood in stock form Removing the OE air box Removing the throttle body fuel injection Installing the Poweraid throttle body spacer Installing the supplied accessories

Airaid Cold-air Intake System Installation

Next, we looked at the Airaid cold-air intake system. We pulled it out of the box, and Whoa! This is a massive, powder-coated air box made of solid steel, fitted with a large diameter intake tube and cotton gauze cone filter.

With our factory intake tube and air box already removed, we were able to go straight to the installation. After assembling the heat shield tray, we installed it in place of the factory air box that we already removed. As with the Poweraid throttle body space, the engineering behind the AirAid Cool Air Dam system was perfect. With some minor positioning and a few hose clamps, this baby is installed and ready to roar.

Airaid Cold-air Intake System The Airaid air box installed in place of the OE unit Reinstalling the grille support bar Placing the Airaid intake tube Tightening the supplied hose clamps Fitting the supplied cotton-gauze, free-flowing air filter Fitting the rubber seal Admiring our handywork

And roar it does! The first time you stab the gas pedal, you’ll notice the signature whistle of the throttle body spacer and the deep suction sound of the air dam system. Together, they make a super-charger-like sound that’s really impressive. But, what about the performance? After all, our goals were to squeeze a few more ponies out of our mill, and save a few bucks each week at the gas pump.

Before our tests, we put our Jeep on the dyno to get our baseline measurements .Although we needed to give our Jeep’s computer system a few days to “learn” the changes we introduced, we felt the differences immediately upon pulling out of the shop. We felt more pull from the engine, which was definitely more “peppy” -a welcome change. I couldn’t help myself-at each stoplight, I would punch the throttle, just to feel the increased power and listen the system’s unique sound.

Since this Jeep is also my daily commuter, I kept track of, and noticed, an approximate 4-5-mile per gallon increase in fuel economy. After giving the computer enough time to re-learn the new intake system, I took the vehicle to a local speed shop and had our Jeep dyno’d for the second time with our new Airaid intake and Poweraid spacer. Our initial feeling of more power was dead on. The dyno results showed an increase of 14 horsepower over our stock configuration, and an increase in airflow over stock form, roughly comparable to the 30% increase that Airaid advertises. While I wasn’t overly skeptical, I was slightly doubtful that we’d get all of what Airaid claims and we’re glad to report that our doubts were amiss.

All in all, we couldn’t be happier with these products from Airaid. They install easily, fit extremely well, look great, and most of all they walk the talk in improving your vehicles performance.