Quick Upgrades for 2002-2005 Dodge Ram Trucks with AIRAID’s Quick-Fit Intake System
- Jun 23, 2016
The second-generation Ram pickup was a game-changer for Dodge at a time when it was desperately needed. While the first-generation Rams had a small but loyal following, sales had dwindled with both Chevrolet and Ford releasing fresh designs for their trucks and coupling them with powerful drivetrain choices. Dodge needed to make a statement with the new Ram; they needed something bold and different than what the General and Ford were offering if they expected to remain a player in the full-size truck market. The release of the second-generation Ram was all of that, with love-it or hate-it styling and a refreshing variety of engine and transmission choices. Though the Magnum 318s and 360s weren’t really all that new, the 5.9L Cummins engine was starting to gather steam in the marketplace, and all of those engines were backed with good transmissions. The big-rig styling of the second-generation Dodge, with its prominent grille and lowered headlights, proved to be a huge hit and sales skyrocketed for the Ram. By the time another redesign came around in 2002, Ram engineers had very different concerns from those in the early 1990s: how to keep the momentum going rather than trying to breathe new life into a dying marque.
The third generation Ram released in 2002, received a mild facelift but still had the aggressive big-rig styling that had by that time become a Dodge signature. Though the old Magnum 5.9L pushrod V-8 was still offered, the smaller V-8 option was replaced with a new 4.7L overhead cam engine that made more power and delivered better dual economy than the previous 5.2L pushrod V-8. A 3.7L V-6 option was added to Ram 1500s, but the biggest news for second-generation Ram owners was the introduction of the 5.7L Hemi V-8, which replaced the 5.9L Magnum, in 2003. The return of the Hemi, in more modern form, was a welcome addition to the Ram lineup as well as other PentaStar platforms.
Regardless of the engine options, however, the factory intake systems placed a priority on quiet operation over maximizing airflow, and the engines were not able to make as much power as they potentially could as a result. AIRAID was quick to recognize the shortcomings of the factory intake design and released a full line of cold air intake systems for 2002-2005 Dodge Ram 1500s, 2500s, and 3500s that all helped improve airflow and therefore the performance of the V-6 and V-8 engines available in these trucks. There are sometimes as many as three different AIRAID intake options depending on the year and engine application, and all of them have different features with price points to match. The AIRAID Quick-Fit system represents the simplest and most cost effective way to improve airflow to 3.7L, 4.7L, 5.7L, and 5.9L engines in third generation Ram trucks.
The AIRAID Quick Fit system targets the most restrictive portions of the factory intake: the air box and the filter. AIRAID utilizes cold air dam panels in place of the factory upper half of the intake box. These panels snap into the lower half of the box and are held in place with the provided hardware, while weather stripping is positioned along the top of the panels. The weather stripping seals against the underside of the hood when closed, essentially making the hood the “lid” for the revised air box assembly. This design enables the kit to make use of the factory cold air inlet duct in the lower half of the factory box but also adds a large forward-facing area for cool outside air to reach the filter. The panels also incorporate a filter adapter, which connects the factory intake tube to the premium air filter inside. The simple design requires no drilling or trimming, and installation can be performed in under half an hour using simple hand tools. Inside the cold air dam panels is the heart of the system: the premium AIRAID filter. All AIRAID filters feature durable polyurethane casings that resist cracking and warping to ensure a long-lasting seal that doesn’t compromise filtration. Interior and exterior wire mesh screens help give the filter media shape and also protect it from damage. As for the filter media itself, there are a few options available. The 300-125-1 Quick-Fit system includes a SynthaFlow filter that utilizes traditional oiled filter media with four layers of cotton gauze, plus a synthetic layer. The synthetic layer helps maintain effective filtration and helps keep the oil suspended in the filter media. The 301-125-1 intake system includes a SynthaMax dry filter, which contains multiple layers of a synthetic material in red, while the 302-125-1 and 303-125-1 cold air intakes for 3rd generation Dodge trucks include dry filters in black and blue, respectively.
Owners of 2002-2005 Dodge Ram V-8 trucks seeking a complete system with a replacement intake tube might also consider the 300-150 cold air dam system, or the 300-220 MXP intake. These systems fit many of the same applications and are fully-featured solutions, but the 300-125-1 intake and its variants remain a great choice for budget-conscious owners. Owners of 2002-2005 Dodge Ram V-8 trucks seeking a complete system with a replacement intake tube might also consider the 300-150 cold air dam system, or the 300-220 MXP intake. These systems fit many of the same applications and are fully-featured solutions, but the 300-125-1 intake and its variants remain a great choice for budget-conscious owners. 2005 DODGE RAM 3500 PICKUP 5.7L V8 F/I - All For more information on cold air intakes and components for all generations of Dodge Ram trucks, visit our Dodge Ram 1500, Dodge Ram 2500, and Dodge Ram 3500 air intakes pages. For more information about the different types of cold air intake systems that AIRAID offers, visit the air intakes systems page. For more information about drop-in filter solutions for Dodge Ram trucks, visit the drop-in replacement air filters page. To locate your nearest AIRAID dealer, simply use the dealer search tool. |
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