I find it interesting to read the exhaust/chip/intake advertising from all the manufactures.

They are very creative in the way they are written. They make you feel like there is a real promise of something that you want. More power. But they never really come right out and state it.

They say things like "up to 30 hp increase". If you get no increase or 3 hp increase, is the statement true. Why don't they say "at least 10 hp increase"?

The Banks intake system advertising is the one I like the best. It states in huge print "outflows stock by 116%". And refers to the stock intake system as "small" and "restrictive". Meaningful words?

Anytime you put a duct and a filter on something it is more restictive than no duct and no filter. So, is the banks system restrictive also?

The important thing is if the stock intake is adequately sized for the engine. They don't make that claim. Why not?

If you have 5 gallons of water to store and a 6 gallon bucket to store it in, does increasing the bucket to seven gallons benefit you?  

ok so there has been many replies to this post that i put up with no real answers, so, ftgiles what do you have done to your jeep stock motor and everything?  

I put all the money that I saved from not buying near meaningless engine performance parts into the things that make me feel good.

There would be some that think everything that I have done to my Jeep is just to make me feel good without any real performance gains. And, they'd probably be right, with one exception.

I have OX lockers front and rear with 4.56 gears. That's real performance.

I'm not the slightest bit interested in reducing my fuel economy and paying for premium fuel for the minuscule gains. It is what it is.

I love my Lightning, and it is quick by any standard, but most days, I actually enjoy my TJ and drive it more than the Lightning.  

so giles, do you have any performance mods done what so ever?  

fastjeepwrangler:
so giles, do you have any performance mods done what so ever?

These are my "performance mods" and no engine stuff.

BFG KM2 315/75/16 (34.5")
4" lift
 OME 2.5" Springs
 OME Long Shocks
 JKS ACOS
 Nth rear spring relocators
 Nth Rear Track Bar tower w/solid track bar
 Nth Front Track Bar bracket and brace w/solid track bar
 2" dropped pitman
 Nth Rear Torque Arm
 No rear UCAs
 Re-mounted (leveled) Rusty's Rear LCAs
 Rusty's Front adjustable UCAs
Advance Adapters SYE
Tom Woods Drive shaft
Nth Tummy Tucker center skid
High Rock front and rear bumpers
T-Max EWI 10000lb Winch
Dana 44 Rubicon housings with OX Lockers, 4.56 gears and Alloy USA Axle Shafts  

ok so i can agree with the gears thats a given, but given that many have changed out stock bumpers, suspension, tires, add winches, all that does is add weight, correct? the 4.56's i believe cannot put you back to stock performance right? i can understand you have a vehicle to get you movin when you want to just how about to get the slug amovin, i guess it depends on if you dont mind drivin in the slow lane everywhere, i guess it just depends on your style in driving and what you want out of the dang thing  

You are very right. There are so many things we do to our Jeeps that make them less capable on the street in terms of get up and go. Adding weight does not help.

But, that goes back to one of my previous posts, where I said you should accept it for what it is and isn't.

Chips, cold air and exhaust systems, installed on an otherwise stock motor is, in my opinion, a waste of money. There just is very little return on investment.

My point about the advertising is just that. They make you think your going to get all these great things, but make no real claims. Why? Because if they stated the real world benefits you'd have a hard time dumping $350 for a chip, $300 for cold air, $300 for a header and $400 for a cat back to gain 10-15 hp. And on top of that pay .20 cents more per gallon and get 20% less in fuel economy.

It is real easy to sell things to people, that don't have any real benefit, if they just make you feel like they are providing you some great benefits that you already want. Look how hard it is for me to talk you out of spending money. You'd think that would be easy.

It's been going on for hundreds of years. Look younger, loose weight, make more money, get more power.

There is no magic about producing hp from an engine. It's the engine you want to modify to get more power, and then match the engine's characteristics with the propper tuning (chip), intake and exhaust systems. It doesn't work the other way around, no matter how bad everyone wants it to be.  

ok so i said screw it to the dang jet chip and contacted the people at uni-chip, they are willing to make a custom map for my jeep. it will cost significtly more but at least i will be getting full potential of my jeep. as well as the dynoing will be done for my specific modifications. ohh by the way if any one ownes a 06 tj uni chip does make a chip for those as well, their website was wrong  

Ask them if they will warranty the cats and the O2 sensors if the dealer refuses to because of the chip.  

will do this is still the early stages, but thank you giles  

this was basically pointless trying to talk this dude out of "power gaining mods" its harder talking him out of spending money than talking him into it. im not saying the unichip wont give him some extra horses, but they wont be useful horses  

For $500 dollars I will sell you Invisible rocket boosters that fire while orbiting the earth. Shipping is cheap too.  

we need dyno numbers for the power gains of gears at 65mph and 33-35" tires using the 42rle, ax-15 nv3550 and the nsg370, maybe that'll sell some gears.

you can pour all the money into more power and still get wasted by the guy with a stock engine, auto tranny, 5.13's and 35's.  

or you can get wasted by fastjeepwrangler      

I am opposed to chips. They can create problems like the other members have stated. Not only can the lower thermostat temp make the winter alot colder. I have even repaired a jeep with a blown head gasket and a 98 chevy truck. Each due to over heating. Before this they both suffered driveability issues. The jeep was lucky with the cast iron head. No warping detected against my machined straight edge. If your looking to mod your engine I recommend an electric fan a cold air intake and a header. Each of these do not give the engine more power but allow the engine to operate more effenciently freeing up horse power. Or put a cam in your engine. All of these mods together add up to about 1250 if you do the work yourself. It would be the best way to add power while maintaining reliability. All the power gains will be throughout the rpm band. Which means usable power.