OK if someone was looking for reliability and just some extra added performance in a pre engineered package is the banks bighoss bundle good at all?? Seems to me it would be.. I have never tried it though... My get one for my dads 05 3500. I have the smarty and the tst r49 afe stage 2 south bend con ofe rok timing sensor, straight exhaust and am getting ready to do fuel system injectors and turbo... my father doesnt want to go kinda wild like that but hes old and just pulls trailers and hauls his lance truck camper and 21 foot bass boat all over in the winter and summer..

 

I don't think there's anything wrong with it per se, it's just a lot more expensive than putting one together using just as reliable and more powerful components. I think most people feel like they're getting screwed due to the high price.

 

I thought the fact that it comes with the chip, intake(s), intercooler, exhaust, and gauges with the built saftey of self back down if too hot made it really nice for the average needs and wants of some extra umph... add injectors, fuel system and turbo to that and its adjustable on the fly and would make a dang nice hauling set up.

 

Banks stuff works o.k., it just simply over rated! Too much stretching the truth with their advertising. My friend has the 6 gun on his 05 and it runs good. Does it run at power levels as advertised? NO!! My tri-dog I used to run, set on performance would blow his doors off with his banks stuff maxxed out. No difference between the trucks, other than programmers/module.My point to all this is they are over priced, over exagerated for what you get. I would get something proven and not inflated with marketing hype, like edge,bullydog or smarty.I have towed with all 3 and they all work excellent.Aftermarket exhaust are more affordable elsewhere also.

 

It is ok,, but not special,, for one, an intercooler and high ram are marginal for the average user... their exhaust is not one of the higher rated exhausts out there. Personally, for what you are wanting, power,, safety etc. I would go with an edge Juice with the attitude montior, a MBRP or Silverline,etc exhaust system, an AFE intake,,, an you would be set with a nice safe setup

Kevin

 

You already have a smarty, let your dad use it for a few days to see if it's enough for him. Set it no higher than 60-70 Hp extra and life should be good, no other modifications needed, at least until he wants more Hp. If that's all he wants is just a little more and he like your smarty he can always get the Smarty Jr. for less cash. Right now they are selling them at a reduced price until Christmas.

If the smarty is not what he's looking for then get a Edge Juice/Attitude or Quadzilla X2/commander setup. They both have built in guages, back down at your specific settings and other features he would probably like.

Banks is just what the name implies, A bank to put your money into that you will never see again and could have spent more on other things in life.

 

One thing about Banks-

They tend to advertise max gain, versus peak gains. A bit misleading, IMO.

Their hard parts are awesome! Well made, fit perfectly and work as advertised. I'm not a big fan of the electronics. You'd be much better off with an Edge Juice w/ Attitude.

 

Smarty JR!

 

Your Dad might not like using a programmer, something on the fly might suit him better. Just flip the switch to whatever position. The guys are right, put your Smarty on his truck and give him a taste of power. You can easily add a better air intake, a better flowing intake horn, and a better flowing exhaust and save some bucks doing it piece by piece vrs a complete kit.

Look at the bright side, quality time, you and your Dad, garage, trucks, couple of brews - how can it get better??

CD

 

Smarty jr. (40 or 70 hp setting)....good gain, minimal smoke, great egt's, you dont need the safety features (backdowns)...unless you absolutely try your hardest at those levels, it wouldnt be easy to get into the danger zone.

 

I've been towing 13,500 lbs for 5 years and will TALK FROM EXPERIENCE. There are a lot of electronics that will get more horsepower than a Banks PDA or Edge juice, HOWEVER, these will make a huge and SAFE difference when done in combination with an air intake and muffler back. I prefer the Edge with attitude and when set up properly, it supplies very smooth power and with adjustability on the fly, it's been great. I've seen the Banks PDA work on a close friends truck and it was working fine towing. The shops where I was looking to purchase the Banks PDA originally steered me away from the Banks electronics (three vendors in fact!) and recommended Banks exhaust.

The Edge has been terrific. It also has room to grow should the desire be there. I wanted more power and got the hot unlock, added and Edge EZ, FI injectors, intercooler and twins and the power is still very linear and usable.

The Edge will remain in the truck as it supplies all the power I need for my intended purpose.

 

Mid to late 90s I sold Banks kits for 12 valves.$3100 for their high horse kit parts,labor and tax.Customers LOVED them.Techs LIKED them a lot from a install and support end of it.Epa certified,fit like a glove,ran like a raped ape.One day in and out of the shop.Gauges,turbo housing,fuel plate,exhaust,air filter etc.On my 03 folks ask me a lot if I have Banks performance under the hood.I don't.But they NEVER ask if I have a Edge,Quad,Bullydog etc.Just my experiance.Sold two to three of these kits a month mainly by prochures on my desk.Bacbk then first rate support,nation wide warranty on the whole kit.I thought about piecing a kit togather and priced it part by part.Just wasn't worth it when I got it all in one box for the most part(no inter cooler) and one total warranty.

 

My brother-in-law now runs his truck stock because he got so fed up with all the problems he had with his 6gun. It never worked right even after they worked on it. It was very inconsistent power and the safety features only worked part of the time. After over a year of fighting with it, he finally just gave up and is now pulling the mountains with a stock truck, which is not what he wants to do, but at least he knows what to expect.

 

Your Dad would be a good candidate for the Smarty Jr. For an intake you could do an Amsoil drop in filter. For the exhaust a replacement muffler would work great and be the most cost effective. Just be careful on the muffler selection because some are known to have droning problems. This problem would be increased when he was towing.

As far as intercoolers, the general consensus is that they are effective when you increase your power to a high enough level. However with the power levels that Banks puts out, the intercooler would provide a marginal improvement in power or EGT control.

Please do some searching on the Smarty Jr. you'll find some threads where the poster was towing a pretty big load and maxed his EGT's out at something like 1100 degrees!