[KaMaRow]

I have been moding cars for some time now and like most people i have spent my fair share of money on after market parts. But in recent years I have come to the conclusion most parts are just snake oil. Like a CAI for example. On most cars and especially turbo cars they are pointless. The manufacturers air intake in most if not all cases is engineered to be the best and on dynos there is little to no difference in aftermarket ones being put on except some new funky sounds you can hear.


My fav one was in a mustang forum. There was some rear vertical links. people fought back and forth on weather they did anything. of course the people who bought them swore they did because well. no one wants to admit they wasted money. It actually got to the point one manufacturer came in and flat out admitted they did nothing and the only reason they sold them was because people wanted them for some reason.

Buddy of mine spend thousands on suspension parts sway bars and links and k members and blah blah blah to replace ones all ready on the car. basically I felt no difference what so ever.

I have honestly myself never bought a part and after installing it ever was really wow what a difference. I mean if i have to drive it hundreds of miles and get others to see if they see any difference then most likely its not doing anything or you would notice right off the bat.

I think at the end of the day these parts are so expensive that they just think their butt dyno feels the difference because they don't want to admit they wasted money. I mean these manufacturers spend millions in development and years of testing and have decades of car knowledge and billion dollar manufacturing.... some guy out of Arizona or where ever is gonna just make a better part?

I think other then parts that actually up the HP or an exhaust to have a different sound IM not gonna spend any more on these things.

You ever buy a part and after install been disappointed? try real hard to feel any difference?

[WVracer]

CAI are definitely not pointless. Especially on FI cars. Every try to run a smaller pulley with the stock air box on a supercharged car? Good luck with it. In fact, you'll see that the factory airbox restricts air pretty quickly. Most CAI show a gain of around 10hp on LS3 cars. Thats not enough for the butt dyno but its a must once you start throwing in a cam or FI. Suspension mods definitely make a difference in the 5th gens too. The bushings on these cars are junk. Tbh, I don't think I've done too many mods that I didn't notice a difference with except for general things like plugs, plug wires, steam line kit, etc.

[gtstorey]

If you can't tell a difference in suspension changes you may not be pushing the car hard enough. Of course that depends on what you start with. The 5th gens SS and especially the early ones could really benefit from suspension changes when driven hard. Even the 6th gen ZL1 must have left some suspension improvements on the table or there wouldn't be a ZL1 1LE.

[95 imp]

The factories are tuning these cars more and more for max power and efficiency.

That being said, the EPA (and other alphabet orgs) limit them to exactly what they can do.

So, AM parts give less bang for the buck than the old days and there is still the fact that one bolt on isn't going to make a huge difference.

You have to tune the system (intake/cam/exhaust) to get a substantial difference.

[Royal Tiger]

Was this an early April 1st post?

Look at factory OEM suspension components vs quality BMR pieces. If you think it’s snake oil you aren’t “modding” correctly.

[1JEWLDSSRS]

lol, that's a good one!! "Snake Oil"?? Yea then my Camaro is one BIG snake pit, and it's full of Vipers and Sidewinder!! Everything I have done to my Camaro has made quite a bit of difference in the cars handling AND performance. So if you can't feel anything, then you haven't done your homework and just didn't do the right mods...

[Crushin_LT1]

No, most parts aren't snake oil. They also aren't magic. Pick and choose what you think are the best price/expected outcome, that is what I tend to do.

[FarmerFran]

My short throw shifter says no

[Chrome383Z]

Some are some aren’t. Some that are do nothing for a stock car, but are required for a high HP car (cai for example). Have to start somewhere.

IMO if you don’t have to modify the tune it’s probably not doing much at WOT. But that doesn’t mean it’s not something you should do before FI or cam.

[The SS Godfather]

Originally Posted by 1JEWLDSSRS

lol, that's a good one!! "Snake Oil"?? Yea then my Camaro is one BIG snake pit, and it's full of Vipers and Sidewinder!! Everything I have done to my Camaro has made quite a bit of difference in the cars handling AND performance. So if you can't feel anything, then you haven't done your homework and just didn't do the right mods...

He he , love it...Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake. ..... and agree with mods i have done all have a feel good factor built into it, especially if you do them yourself AND they do make a real difference re performance and handling - Still waiting for my blower $$$

[KaMaRow]

Originally Posted by Royal Tiger

Was this an early April 1st post?

Look at factory OEM suspension components vs quality BMR pieces. If you think it’s snake oil you aren’t “modding” correctly.

Funny thing is BMR were the ones who admitted their vertical links did nothing. The forum post on this topic on the mustangs was funny as hell. They got into a fight with another manufacturer who claimed vertical links did something and BMR started posting test results showing they didn't. When asked why they were selling them then they said well because people are convinced they do something and want them and they are cheap enough to make so they do.

[Royal Tiger]

Originally Posted by KaMaRow

Funny thing is BMR were the ones who admitted their vertical links did nothing. The forum post on this topic on the mustangs was funny as hell. They got into a fight with another manufacturer who claimed vertical links did something and BMR started posting test results showing they didn't. When asked why they were selling them then they said well because people are convinced they do something and want them and they are cheap enough to make so they do.

Look at OEM trailing arms. Going with the BMR pieces are clearly an upgrade. As far as a CAI, on a stock car it’s a minimal gain, but it’s still a gain. Modding a modern car is more of building on changes then instant gratification like with a 1970 Chevelle.

[KaMaRow]

Originally Posted by WVracer

CAI are definitely not pointless. Especially on FI cars. Every try to run a smaller pulley with the stock air box on a supercharged car? Good luck with it. In fact, you'll see that the factory airbox restricts air pretty quickly. Most CAI show a gain of around 10hp on LS3 cars. Thats not enough for the butt dyno but its a must once you start throwing in a cam or FI. Suspension mods definitely make a difference in the 5th gens too. The bushings on these cars are junk. Tbh, I don't think I've done too many mods that I didn't notice a difference with except for general things like plugs, plug wires, steam line kit, etc.

I did say it depended on the car but.... here is an example. ON the civic type R people were all falling over themselves to buy CAIs. video after video after video review and comparisons on dynos showed that a after market CAI did exactly nothing. Most tuners actually said to leave the factory one on for their tunes. Yet everyone still bought CAI for this car and swore up and down it made a difference even though the dynos proved that wrong.

I just think there is a lot of aftermarket parts the buyers will swear make a difference because they don't want to admit they just wasted money.

Like for example, I know that say a shock or strut can make a difference because there are moving parts and built differently. But when people remove a solid metal part say like a vertical link, tie rod or steering knuckle. with no moving parts and installs in exactly the same place in exactly the same way how and in what way does it improve anything for the money?

IM not saying all parts are bogus but there are a lot that are. Now lock out kits and sway bars (depending on quality and adjustability) bushing kits and stuff that actually changes something sure. but when people just buy up all these solid metal parts that simply do the same thing as the part they are replacing.... eh....

what you said is also key on CAI. lots of people just slapping them on and the manufacturer claiming wild gains from just the intake... if you are just slapping an intake on to do it then its a waste of money. if you have also installed the 2k or 3k worth of supporting parts well then that is different.

I guess my issue is the manufacturer sorta marketing the CAI as a hellfire improvement by itself when most dynos on lots of cars show just a CAI alone really make little to no difference some even take HP away. but the buyers will swear its made their cars so much faster... kinda like stickers aren't each one 5hp?

[Scotavo]

Most aftermarket parts are not snake oil. Example: many years ago Hotchkis came out with a Engine Bay Brace for old B-body cars 70's through 90's. For a body on frame car you needed reinforcing the engine bay like a fish needs a bicycle. John Hotchkis personally got untold numbers of complaints that he was selling snake oil (words to that effect). Embarrassed and humiliated he took it off his site and even offered anyone who wanted to send it back he'd pay the return shipping and refund the full price. Still in business 30 years and more later because he stopped selling snake oil. Those guys die from an awful reputation.