Banks Cold Air Intake Jeep Gladiator – K&N Replacement Review
Gary Phillips’ 2020 Gladiator 3.6L struggled with sluggish performance. It’s outfitted with 5.13 gears and rides on 37″ tires. To help the engine breathe more easily, one of his first upgrades was improving the intake system. “The Banks Ram-Air is phenomenal!” says Gary rather excitedly. “I live on a cattle ranch in the Badlands of South Dakota, which basically means rough roads. I had a K&N 57-1576 cold air intake, and the roads are so rough that they kept breaking the plastic tube at the airbox. I got tired of repairing it and ordered a system from Banks. What a difference! First, the filter absolutely dwarfs the K&N cone filter. The air box is larger and has a larger opening for air to be received without excess engine heat. The union of the air box, tube, and filter supports each other, and is an oval, resulting in less stress, and the air box has cool aluminum studs that fit in the factory air box support location. All of this makes a solid mount that doesn’t flex like the K&N did. Banks also gave me an option of wet or dry filters.”
“On the road to Rapid City, which is about 40 miles, this Ram-Air setup resulted in noticeably better engine breathing without any whine or whistle. The Jeep felt like there was less strain and restriction, and it didn’t downshift up a hill versus before where it would downshift twice. It felt as if the engine was breathing through a straw before, but now through an open mouth. Mileage improved to an average of 19.3 mpg, and that’s driving a shoebox on 37’s with 5.13 gears.”
“Something that really surprised me was the packaging. I mean here is a performance part that came with some comic relief messages printed inside from Gale Banks and Ricky Bobby. What a combination. There was even some swag in the box with stickers and a license plate frame. I hope Banks continues to develop products for gas engines. Just buy the Ram-Air. You won’t regret it!”
Related Sources
For more on how this system is engineered for real-world abuse, check out AIR DENSITY TESTING to learn how Banks stress-tests every intake.