CAI, Nismo vs. K&N

12547 Views 30 Replies 19 Participants Last post by La frontier, Dec 31, 2012

johnjwomack

Discussion Starter · Jun 15, 2010

im looking for a CAI and im torn between the nismo and a K&N. MY dad has a K&n in his suburban and he loves it. does anybody have any tips or advice on what to get? there isint too much price difference so that dosent really sway me any different way.

1 - 20 of 31 Posts

joefrontier2

· #2 · Jun 16, 2010

I think they both are very very similar.

I went with Nismo as it's a Nissan item.

They are louder than stock of course. They both have a hiss when sitting still. Other than that it's a toss up.

LINESKIER45

· #3 · Jun 16, 2010

Airaid... i installed mine (2nd gen) in like 2 min!!! sounds great and has a good fit and finish. saved a lot of $$$ too

Frijolero

· #4 · Jun 16, 2010

Volant!

AmosM823

· #5 · Jun 16, 2010

AEM and NISMO are the exact same intake system, so really, its K&N vs. AEM. I have the AEM, my buddy has the K&N. I've installed both, driven with both, to me...they are exactly the same thing.

colin123

· #6 · Jun 16, 2010

there is another option http://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/f11/just-got-my-kool-vue-intake-75-shipped-60470/ its basically the k&n only for much cheaper. the tube is exactly the same as the k&n it just doesn't come with a k&n filter

jonbth

· #7 · Jun 16, 2010

I had a Nismo and switched to a K&N. The Nismo is specified for off road only and made my truck bog a little at the start of acceleration.

WeRideNTruX

· #8 · Jun 16, 2010

jonbth said:
I had a Nismo and switched to a K&N. The Nismo is specified for off road only and made my truck bog a little at the start of acceleration.

R tune or S tune R is for off-road only S is for the street

i hav a 2nd gen nismo & love the sound

johnjwomack

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jun 16, 2010

i shuold have made this called CAI debate. whats the big draw to volant? at least to me it seems like the cone will draw more air than an enclosed box with a hole in one side

dubie2003

· #10 · Jun 16, 2010

Just to remind everyone, this is a 1st gen so their intake choices are limited.

The draw to Volant for both 1st and 2nd gens is that it is a closed box system. This will help keep your low end TQ for launching off the line or towing a heavy load.

You are correct, a standard cone filter will draw in more air but that will only give you top end HP but not low end TQ that trucks need.

Now if you offroad or live in a rainy area, the volant is almost a winner hands down.

Side Note: Remember a truck is very different then a car. Cars used open style intakes since they want the high end HP since they are pretty light. Now trucks are heavy and require some TQ to get off the line and if you are towing, it requires even more to get it moving. This is why most people drag race cars, not trucks but once you try a truck, you are hooked, lol.

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johnjwomack

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jun 16, 2010

dubie2003 said:
t once you try a truck, you are hooked, lol.

amen to that. im moving up to montana so the volant actually is sounding like a good idea. ive heard a few people say that it throws a CEL. But ive also heard alot of people say that its fine. I just dont want to have that happen because having a CEL on would bug the hell out of me.

Black1Diamond

· #12 · Jun 27, 2010

I've got a K&N on my 03 SC - I like the performance, but the oil dorks out my MAF if it's not cleaned frequently. I ordered a dryflow filter from C2R Performance so I can get rid of the oil and cotton gauze - should be here next week.

BluJay

· #13 · Jun 27, 2010

Volant, FTW.

38crazykid

· #14 · Jun 28, 2010

I went with the Nismo myself

daves d22u

· #15 · Jun 30, 2010

I have the Nismo cai and a k&n cone filter. I keep an extra filter so i dont have to wait for it to dry. The k&n filter was cheaper than the AEM replacment filter.

dubie2003

· #16 · Jun 30, 2010

The volant only thru a CEL on the 2nd gens when they used the powercore filter. I have yet to hear any CEL/SES issues on the 1st gens.

bigdog

· #17 · Jun 30, 2010 (Edited)

CAI Options for 1st Gen

dubie2003 said:
Just to remind everyone, this is a 1st gen so their intake choices are limited.

I am trying to make this decision for a recently acquited 1st gen xterra. It seems like the options are:

- K&N Flat-Panel High-Flow Air Filter - $40
- JWT POP-Charger Air Filter - $110 (Jim Wolf Tech)
- AIRAID QuickFit Intake System - $215 (reuses factory inlet tube)
- K&N High-Flow Intake System (6005) - $265 (HP: 5.45 HP @ 5660 RPM)
- K&N High-Flow Intake System (6010) - $290 (HP: 12.73 HP @ 4824 RPM
- AEM Brute Force Intake - $268 (Avaliable in Gunmetal Grey and Polished Chrome)
- Nismo R-tune CAI - $242 (AEM Intake painted black and relabled)
- Volant Cold Air Intake - $315

So based on this analysis I'm torn between the JWT and the NISMO/AEM.

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dubie2003

· #18 · Jun 30, 2010

bigdog said:
I am trying to make this decision for a recently acquited 1st gen xterra. It seems like the options are:

- K&N Flat-Panel High-Flow Air Filter - $40
- JWT POP-Charger Air Filter - $110 (Jim Wolf Tech)
- AIRAID QuickFit Intake System - $215 (reuses factory inlet tube)
- K&N High-Flow Intake System (6005) - $265 (HP: 5.45 HP @ 5660 RPM)
- K&N High-Flow Intake System (6010) - $290 (HP: 12.73 HP @ 4824 RPM
- AEM Brute Force Intake - $268 (Avaliable in Gunmetal Grey and Polished Chrome)
- Nismo R-tune CAI - $242 (AEM Intake painted black and relabled)
- Volant Cold Air Intake - $315

So based on this analysis I'm torn between the JWT and the NISMO/AEM.

Between the 2 I would go with the Nismo since it replaces the intake tube which causes turblence in the air flow.

What are you looking to do with the Xterra? This will help the decision between and open intake compared to a closed one. Then go from there.

bigdog

· #19 · Jun 30, 2010

dubie2003 said:
Between the 2 I would go with the Nismo since it replaces the intake tube which causes turblence in the air flow.

What are you looking to do with the Xterra? This will help the decision between and open intake compared to a closed one. Then go from there.

It is 2WD used for DD for my son. Don't plan to do much to it, but a little more power would be a plus.

So that's what is interesting about the JWT, they claim that the venturi affect cleans that up.

"Interestingly, it is the POP-Chargers aluminum venturi that accounts for the largest performance gain; the filter element itself is designed simply to not adversely affect this venturi."

So if it adds power and sounds a little more agresive for $120 less that could be a win.

dubie2003

· #20 · Jun 30, 2010

If you are paying for it and it is for your son, then the JWT is probably fine. It sounds like it has a built in AirAid style TB spacer that give you this venturi effect.

He will probably think that it looks cool and has a nice sound. He probably wouldn't appreciate the minimal gains that the other intakes may or may not give you over the JWT.

Now if he catches the "modding" bug that most of us get, you are in for a heck of a time, lol. You may be SASing in the future.

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