R&D Update: 2018+ Jeep Wrangler JL Ram-Air Intake

The new 2018+ Jeep Wrangler JL intake will soon be available. And yes, as expected, it flows better and has more power potential than any other JL intake on the market. We bought every JL intake we could find and put all of them on the flow bench and drove them on the road, testing for airflow increases or decreases, horsepower, and torque gains. The new Banks Ram-Air intake has two unique features that set it apart from the pack.

It’s quieter than the rest: The Banks Ram-Air was designed with a Helmholtz resonator, which is an “acoustic filter” of sorts that eliminates the annoying drone that can be found in many intakes currently on the market. This device is named after its creator, Hermann von Helmholtz. And how does it work? There are many papers on the interwebs explaining it in grueling detail with formulas to back it up, but in plain terms, it works like this: A Helmholtz resonator is comprised of an expansion chamber, a compartment or bladder of sorts that is connected by a neck, which is in turn connected to the intake tube portion of our Ram-Air system. Depending on the size and shape of those components the sound can change. When the air rushes over the opening of the “H” resonator the air inside it bounces out with a harmonic frequency, creating sound. That sound reduces the resonance frequency in the tube and the volume essentially shushing unwanted sound.

It has a patented fit: While bellows in intakes are commonly used to accommodate engine movement, they can cause turbulence in the airflow, slowing things down inside. To avoid unwanted restrictions in airflow Banks created the “slipper fit.”

The patented design incorporates a beveled portion on the air filter that nestles against a specially contoured portion of the airbox, allowing movement while keeping a perfect seal and eliminating the need for a bellows.

These may seem small things, but it’s all part of the engineering process taken here. Banks goes the extra mile seeking every possible advantage, and toils over them until the product offered is the best that it can be.

Stay tuned for an announcement for when this will be available!