Topic: Banks Header Installed

[JohnnyO]

My daughter got a new job with a longer commute, so I got a Banks header and had it installed today.  It's purty.  So far it's quieter than the stock manifold, which the shop found had one loose bolt and one missing totally.

[bestos]

how much did it cost you?  where did you get it from?  it seems REALLY expensive. 

[JohnnyO]

$399 from 4WD Hardware, the price just went up about $20.  I had to take it to my bud's shop and pay to have it put on because I'm not fully recovered from rotator cuff surgery and don't have full strength in one arm yet.  The intake manifold has to come off too because they share a gasket.  Still, if the stock manifold cracked (they do) he told me I'd pay at least that for a new stock one.  Quality unit, the flange is very thick.  It didn't feel any faster on my brief drive home but I'm hoping it picks up the mpg a little bit since my daughter got a new job and has a much longer commute now.  I put the Banks cat-back exhaust on earlier this year.

A Pacesetter header is over $100 less but not stainless steel and won't last as long.

[Tr00b]

A Dorman manifold from Rock Auto for like $60 or something.

I got really frustrated with my Jeep on the long commutes... I was driving about 2:15 every day and it sucked big hairy ass. Loud, piss poor mileage... Downright abusive traffic the Jeep couldn't keep up with (like a turtle at an airport).... I got a decent older Subaru station wagon a couple months ago and have already saved around $250 in gas. I also feel less stressed out when  I get home from work... Which in and of itself is worth alot.

Not saying its time to ditch the Jeep but they just aren't meant for it and before you spend more money putting lipstick on a monkey for a modeling job, let the monkey climb the trees and get yourself a model.

[grumpygy]

I find I drive my truck More than my Jeep Cause of the Fuel Mileage.  Get close to 22 mpg in the truck.

[SDWE61988]

The milage between my jeep and my car is very close. The jeep noise can wear on you on long comutes or trips.  I have the Banks header and the Dynomax exhaust and it can be very load when you add in road noise at highway speed.  With that said, I do thiink the header helps my milage and performance of my jeep.  I can average 19-20 mpg mixed driving, and when I am on the highway, I can mainatain 70 mph (most of the time)
 The jeep uses the cheap gas, so that is one of the reasons I run it more then my car.  It also keeps me out of trouble with the LEO's. ( have a heavy foot)

[JohnnyO]

Not saying its time to ditch the Jeep but they just aren't meant for it and before you spend more money putting lipstick on a monkey for a modeling job, let the monkey climb the trees and get yourself a model.

I hear you.  It's my daughter's ride.  Her new job is steady night shift at the airport which is an 18 mile straight shot up the highway.  It's an automatic with no overdrive so the engine is spinning almost 3000 rpm at 65 mph.  I told her to keep it to 65 or less to use less gas.  I'm pretty much done with mods.  Thought about a Jet chip but from what I've read the Stage 1 doesn't seem to make much difference.  The Stage 2 chip does and the Jeep has all the required mods for that except the 180* t-stat but I don't know that she'd want to drop another 20 cents a gallon on 91 octane.  I figure the noise will keep her awake on the drive home.  She gets home from work about the time I'm leaving and it's not a pretty sight.

[jwalls4x4]

I have a banks on mine but afterward I just have stock down pipe, no cat, a cheap glasspack, and a 45deg dump that stops the exhaust about where the back seat would be.  Mine sounds like a plane taking off when I hit 60mph.  Everybody hates it...but me   I would redo the test pipe back, but I no longer have the good paying job and I have dreams of a 4bt swap.  So, Cotton will be noisy until I can do better or get a ticket 

[JohnnyO]

Update.
Back to the shop that installed the header a few months ago to tighten it, plus once more recently myself since I have two working arms again (rotator cuff surgery).  Also the collector likes to come loose since it doesn't fit tightly to the downpipe.  A week ago make another visit to the muffler shop where the dude is pretty sharp and best of all works for cheap, and he cut the flange off the header and welded on a different one that fit the pipe better.  He tinkered with it for 4 hours and charged me $50.  

[grumpygy]

Pacetter has one that looks like this



  Pain to put together  but have not had to tighten mine in almost 2 years.

[stan98tj]

I split 2 banks headers. Replaced the last one in Sept 2012. Currently ripping out my banks muffler and going back to stock, the thing is just way too loud.

[VA_YJ]

I have the Banks header - no problems.  I had the Banks Stinger cat-back and it was very loud.  I recently installed a Dynomax cat-back and I am very pleased.  It is much quieter, but still has a throaty sound.  I can talk on the cell at 70 mph and the Jeep seems to pull just as well.  The best part is Dynomax kit from Summit was only $150 - much cheaper than Banks.  The main reason I went with the Banks cat-back is that it is stainless steel construction, but the Dynomax (made by Walker/Tenneco) does have a pretty good galvanized coating.

[JohnnyO]

Same deal here.  I got the Banks cat-back simply because it was stainless with a 5 year guarantee and I was putting on a new muffler every year for inspection.  Too flippin' loud though.  Header has been on for about 10 months, no cracks yet although the muffler shop did weld a new collector flange on (see above).  I will probably get a Magnaflow next time.

[stan98tj]

 

Same deal here.  I got the Banks cat-back simply because it was stainless with a 5 year guarantee and I was putting on a new muffler every year for inspection.  Too flippin' loud though.  Header has been on for about 10 months, no cracks yet although the muffler shop did weld a new collector flange on (see above).  I will probably get a Magnaflow next time.

The exhaust shop threw on both a flow master and magnaflow as well as a reg glass pack and they were all still too loud. Sounded nice at idle, nice rolling around town, but the moment the rpm crept above 2300, it gave off that tin like, fart can whine. In the end I just feel like the 4banger revs too high for those kind of mufflers. I got friends who run banks on their 4.0s and their jeeps sound great, but the only time mine sounded nice was at low speed low rev and on the trail when it would snort a bit like a hog.

[Jeffy]

I like my Borla.  They sell universal muffler only, too.   I hated my Flowmaster.  Glass pack is definitely going to be loud.  Are you running a cat?