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January 2005 Issue

Airaid: Breathe Easier

by Steve Temple
photos by the manufacturer

You’re at the base of the preverbal, Death Hill, the Grand-daddy of all off-road vertical torture. Staring up at the steep, impossibly rugged trail, you realize with one false move, it’s capable of devouring prey (read your vehicle) in one gory gulp and spitting out the bones. You’re about to hyperventilate, remembering your last trek up the beast, when your 4x4 choked and grumbled all the way, threatening to gasp its last breath and abandon you to the dangerous task of backing down . You vowed: never again.

This time you’re ready — you’ve got a revitalized, fully oxygenated 4x4. The true beauty of this latest upgrade is that it didn’t cost you a second mortgage or max out your credit cards. Nor did you have to spend weeks in your garage, sweating over your engine rebuild. All you had to do was add an Airaid intake system.

Airaid is a relative newcomer in the world of performance products, starting in 1997 with the development of air-intake systems for light trucks and SUVs. The original Airaid filters combined an open-element filter with adapter tubing to create an inexpensive and easily installed air-intake kit that dramatically increased airflow to the engine, resulting in improved performance, more horsepower and torque and better throttle response — all of which give that special oomph needed for rock crawling to dune racing.

Seeking a way to improve on airflow products in general, the company and product evolved over the next five years, according to Kevin Wilson, Airaid’s marketing manager. Airaid Premium Filter Company burst on the scene in 2002 with an air-filter system that used new materials and technology to enhance traditional cotton-gauze performance filters. The company’s extensive research and development on new vehicles has given it a leg up in feeding the demands of a horsepower-hungry market. To further expand production, Airaid will soon be moving to a 60,000-square-foot facility.

So what’s the big deal about airflow and why do you need it, especially in an off-road vehicle? First of all, airflow translates into power. Most performance upgrades boil down to combustion efficiency. The more air that goes into the combustion chamber, the more efficient the process. An engine that’s running at maximum efficiency cranks out far more horsepower for quicker acceleration — just what you need to break out of the grasp of gooey mud or going flat-out on a desert trail.

Second, consider the dust and grime on the trail. All that dirt, especially the fine dust that penetrates every orifice of man, beast and vehicle, gets kicked up by your 4x4 caravan and sucked into the air system where it can etch ugly designs on your cylinder walls. Desert racers realized this years ago and have traditionally brought a veritable lifetime supply of air filters to each race.

So how does Airaid make a difference? The company’s filters and intake systems are specifically designed to improve airflow of a factory setup. In most production vehicles, the airflow restriction on the inlet side of the engine is found in the design and baffling of the stock air box. Most factory setups have noise-canceling devices that impede airflow, robbing the engine of its potential maximum input and consequently, output.

Airaid intake systems use larger-than-stock, mandrel-bent tubing or cross-linked polyethylene tubing for maximum flow and long life. Combined with a high-flow, 360-degree Airaid air filter, the engine will not labor when taking its first breath and can get all the air it requires much more quickly than a stock system can. Another feature of the Airaid intake system is the cool air dam that helps isolate hot air away from the filter and provides denser airflow charge with more oxygen to burn.

For off roaders running snorkels that utilize the existing air box, Airaid offers the Airaid Junior which consists of a direct replacement filter and Modular Intake Tube. This setup for the ’04 F-150 is said to generate 12 rear-wheel horsepower and 18 lb-ft of torque over stock on the dyno.

The QuickFit is Airaid’s latest innovation. This setup is for the 4.0-liter Jeep Cherokee and utilizes the bottom portion of the stock air box which helps feed cool, outside air to the 360-degree SynthaFlow filter.

For those looking for a bit more bling-bling under the hood, many Airaid systems are offered with a modular intake tube (MIT) that replaces the baffled factory intake tube. Airaid’s MITs flow up to 400 cfm more air than the stock unit and are made of cross-linked, high-density polyethylene.

For those who’d rather retain their stock air box, especially if the vehicle is equipped with a snorkel system, Airaid offers Airaid Junior, which comes with a replacement filter and the MIT tube for improved breathing and horsepower gains.

The heart of the Airaid system is its premium filters, which consist of four layers of cotton-gauze, plus one layer of nano-fiber synthetic material sandwiched between either stainless steel or aluminum mesh, depending on the application. The casing of the filter is industrial-grade urethane rather than vulcanized rubber, which is used on other filter products. The urethane provides superior performance and durability and won’t degrade over time from prolonged heat exposure under the hood.

The trademarked SynthaFlow material is key to the Airaid premium filters’ success. The moisture-resistant nano-synthetic fibers filter dirt down to two microns. These are the nasty particles responsible for most engine damage from gulping dust.

The secret to improved throttle response and more torque and horsepower is airflow. A classic example is their new Jeep Wrangler TJ intake system. On the dyno, Airaid claims the intake system produced 11 rear-wheel horsepower and 14 lb-ft of torque on a stone-stock Jeep TJ fitted with the 4.0-liter powerplant.

Airaid manufactures three distinct types of intake systems: The Airaid Classic Series, the Cool Air Dam Series and the QuickFit Series which utilizes the lower half of the stock air box for simple installation.

The Airaid filters not only exceed the flow requirements of any engine, they are washable, reusable and guaranteed for the lifetime of the vehicle.

To keep the Airaid filter in top condition, the company also offers a cleaning kit, which features a simple three-step process, starting with a spritz of a spray-on solution followed by a thorough rinse. Once the filter is completely dry, apply the Airaid performance oil to each filter pleat. The oil takes about 20 minutes to fully penetrate, and then you’re ready for another trip to the boonies.

Airaid has also has a torque-producing PowerAid throttle-body spacer, which was added to Airaid’s lineup after extensive research and development. The company’s patented Helix Bore design, a spiral-cut groove on the inner surface of the spacer spins the incoming air as it passes the throttle plates. The spinning air charge carries all the way into the combustion chamber, producing better atomization. Airaid claims the end result is significant gains in midrange torque and fuel efficiency.

The PowerAid throttle-body spacers also are available for carbureted applications and early GM TBI engines; they dramatically improve fuel/air atomization at the intake ports for more horsepower and torque, along with increased plenum volume.

Since most hard-core off roading is done at part throttle, the easiest way to add torque to any off-road vehicle is with a PowerAid throttle body spacer.

In the our world where horsepower and torque reign supreme, the Airaid intake systems and performance air filters are a quick and inexpensive way to make it up Death Hill without missing a beat. Finally, you can breathe easy.

Source:

Buy Airaid products from www.4wheelparts.com.