Pros & Cons: Do You Need a Cold Air Intake on a Lifted Truck?

Whether you’re contemplating starting a lifted truck build, you’re halfway through or you’re just considering some last-minute additions, you might be wondering if you should add a cold air intake. When lifting a truck, there are several other modifications and adjustments you need to make to ensure your vehicle operates properly and safely, but do you need a cold air intake? That’s what we’re going to answer today here on the Glover Customs blog, by diving into some of the pros and cons of adding one.

• The biggest potential benefit or pro to adding a cold air intake to your lifted truck is the horsepower gains. Some aftermarket parts manufacturers claim that their cold air intakes can add anywhere from five to 15 horsepower, depending on the engine and intake design. While that might not sound like a huge increase, it can improve throttle response.
• Another potential pro is the ability, in some cases, to optimize fuel combustion. By making the airflow more efficient, you could potentially see slight fuel economy improvements as well — especially on the highway. It’s important to remember that any of these fuel savings will be negated by aggressive driving or similar bad habits.
• Adding a cold air intake could potentially change the tone of your engine as well, which a lot of tinkerers see as a big pro. The upgraded system can sometimes give your engine a deeper, throatier sound while accelerating. While your best bet for making your truck sound more aggressive would be to fully upgrade the exhaust system, this is a good starting point.
• Lastly, a lot of aftermarket intake systems utilize high-flow filters that are reusable. These filters provide better airflow and longer service compared to your standard disposable filters, which will obviously be a noticeable boon if you intend to take your lifted truck off-roading.

• If your truck has a small engine a cold air intake is undeniable, but full-size trucks with high-displacement V8 engines won’t see much of a power increase at all.
• Perhaps the biggest concern, especially for those who intend to use their lifted truck for off-roading, is the potential water ingestion issues. Adding a cold air intake will often relocate the filter to a low position, such as near the wheel well. This can obviously increase the risk of water ingestion, which might not be an issue for regular everyday drivers, but if you’re an off-roader you know how often you face deep puddles or river crossings.
• While relatively minor, swapping out the factory airbox for a cold air intake could lead to altered mass airflow sensor readings if your truck utilizes one to regulate intake and fuel flow. This just means you’ll need to tune your engine control unit in order to optimize performance and prevent unwarranted check-engine lights.
• While the changes in the tone of your engine is a big pro for some, it could be a con for others. The increased engine noise isn’t going to be for everyone, as it can be especially intrusive on longer drives. In other words, if you prefer a quieter cabin, you might not want to consider this upgrade.