We have a new guinea pig in our powerhouse stable of test trucks. We scored a new Tundra that's loaded for battle with a 5.7L V-8 and six-speed AOD tranny. This twowheel- drive wonder truck does everything well, including blasting through intersections after the green light drops and then screeching to a halt just in time to avoid the cops. However, in stock trim, the truck sounds weak and like every other truck we have. We were looking for a way to not only make it sound better but make it move better, as well. So, with just a few hundred ticks on the truck's odometer, I called up Airaid to order a new cold-air intake kit. A new intake is the easiest way to unleash a few extra ponies without spending a ton of cash. The kit is less than 300 bucks.
The intake is a quality piece, surrounded by top-notch components like pure silicone hose fittings and a contoured cold-air dam to seal off the filter from the hot air in the engine compartment. Handtools were the only required items to make the installation happen, and after I spent an hour installing the kit, the truck was strapped onto Gibson Exhaust's Dynojet chassis dyno to see what the results were. The open-element filter unleashed the beastly growl from the DOHC V-8 engine, but it also added 6 ponies to the top end. Airaid also offers new intakes for the 4.7L V-8 and V-6 engines.
What's In The Box?
The new intake comes with a Premium Series high-flow air filter, mounting brackets, a cold-air dam, and adapter fittings for the factory vacuum lines. All of the hardware for the job is included with the Airaid kit. Pay close attention to the provided instructions because the photos are a bit small, and if you don't look hard, you'll end up assembling a bracket backward and having to start over.