Best Cold air intake for a 04 chevy?

**kyle** · 10-16-2009, 03:35 PM

Im looking to get a cold air for my 2004 chevy 1500 5.3.. anyone have any ideas which ones are the best?

**99'HEARTBEAT** · 10-16-2009, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by kyle

Im looking to get a cold air for my 2004 chevy 1500 5.3.. anyone have any ideas which ones are the best?

to the site Kyle,All of the CAI's on the market Today,will give your truck some Form of Gain's in H.P.& MPG. K&N,Volant,Airraid,Brute to name of few.If you do a search there are many threads that have a lot of Great infor that can help you find the Right CAI for your Truck.

**Chad01** · 02-11-2010, 11:56 PM

Look at the Volant... alot of he Volant intakes for truck have the ram air scoop available also... I have a Volant and I love it. It sound mean and can tell when coupled with my exhaust mod that it did the trick.

**BLK-Z71** · 02-12-2010, 02:10 AM

!!!!!!!!!!Volant!!!!!!!!!!

**adampaul1964** · 02-12-2010, 07:14 AM

Another vote for Volant! But it's really up to you.They are all pretty much the same performance wise and the big names all have good quality. Stay away from metal tubes though because they get hot and transfer that heat to your air charge thus defeating the "cold" part. I went with Volant because I've used them before and I like the look under the hood. If don't have an exhaust yet I'd recommend that too, more air in and more air out!

**GMClone** · 02-12-2010, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by adampaul1964

Another vote for Volant! But it's really up to you.They are all pretty much the same performance wise and the big names all have good quality. Stay away from metal tubes though because they get hot and transfer that heat to your air charge thus defeating the "cold" part. I went with Volant because I've used them before and I like the look under the hood. If don't have an exhaust yet I'd recommend that too, more air in and more air out!

Wow, that Volant looks pretty BA, thanks for the pic. Here I thought I was just debating between the tried-and-true K&N, and the much cheaper Spectre. Adding the Volant to the mix I guess.

Question on your comment about avoiding metal tube intakes, due to transferring heat to the air. I'm considering the Spectre because it's a lot cheaper, and that will mean more money towards an exhaust. The Spectre has a metal tube, but I was thinking I could put some kind of pipe insulating sleeve on it. I'm sure there's some kind of pvc/heavy rubber or a heavy textile wrap I could put around the pipe to keep it insulated? The air is going to be moving through there so quick anyways, I wonder how much of a difference it makes. Anyone have any thoughts? I know there are plenty of threads to discuss CAI's in, but this seemed as good as any. I had to post about the Volant pic anyways. Thanks.

**adampaul1964** · 02-12-2010, 09:23 AM

I don't see why you couldn't "wrap" the metal tube, but I thought they were for looks so that kinda defeats the purpose, if price is an issue you can find intakes on E-bay cheaper than a parts store and there is usually a few guys on here selling theirs.

**Gambit** · 02-12-2010, 09:26 AM

The air may be moving through the tube quickly but the air density will still change because the tube itself will be hot. The idea is to get the more dense cold air than the less dense hot air to gain the performance. The way ours are designed is to run right on top of the radiator hose. The metal tube will get hot and change the air density.

As for the insulating wrap. Sure you can do that but to me a CAI isnt just about gains it is also an asthetic thing. Wrapping a CAI in insulating fabric is going to make it look worse than stock. That is just my opinion though. Your truck your rules.

I have the K&N FIPK but the Volant looks Awesome. Bet it doesnt have any different performance gains but it "LOOKS" awesome.

**GMClone** · 02-12-2010, 09:57 AM

I hear ya on the "looks" factor, but that wouldn't really be my reason for going with the Spectre. Looks are somewhat important, which is why I'm not considering the Volant. I usually don't cheap out on these kinds of things either, but it would make me feel better about spending money on an exhaust too since my current OEM muffler is in new condition... must've been replaced recently before I bought the truck. As for looks, I was thinking a braided hose cover like you see on radiator hoses would still look pretty sharp, but I think those are usually used more for increasing strength in high-pressure hoses, as opposed to insulating.

I'm leaning towards the K&N or Volant anyways, just something to think about. I don't have to decide until I get my tax refund anyways

Thanks for your thoughts.

**Gambit** · 02-12-2010, 10:04 AM

Yes the mesh is more for holding high pressure lines and an asthetic look. Keep in mind though it is Metal itself and will have no insulating characteristics at all. Pluss it will probably be hard to find for a 4 inch tube.