I personally have not put a CAI on any of my past cars or trucks, i figured some of you have so my question is will it affect and thing such as taking the truck down alot of dirt roads or going off road (when i say off road i mean just down trails, not like cliff hanger type stuff) also will i have to worry about it in the winter

thanks for your help

 

dont worry about any of it

 

I have not personally tried a cold air intake system yet, but according to K&N, their filters have an overall filtration efficiency of 97 - 98% (with some filters achieving 99% efficiency) when exposed to particles ranging from 5.5 to 176 microns. (They state the average human hair is approximately 50 microns in cross section). In comparison, they claim they have tested some paper filters which were only good for 93% efficiency. They also state that since their filters are multi layered as opposed to the stock paper filter, there will be more surface area exposed per square inch, hence better filtration and fewer service intervals which means you clean it every 30,000 miles as opposed to changing it every 10,000 for the paper filter. All this and better air flow to boot. Almost sounds too good to be true. But if it is, I'd say off roading is no problem, just clean your filter after each outing. Same goes for dirt bikes for instance, but I do notice that the filter in my dirt bike gets much dirtier when following vs. when leading for obvious reasons. Better to lead than follow anyway!

Check this out - http://www.knfilter.com, as well as this - http://www.knfilter.com/facts.htm

 

By the way, K&N states their horsepower gains to be between 8 - 16 hp for their CAI systems depending on the application. For a 2005 GMC Sierra 1500, their claimed hp increase is almost 12 hp or approximately 4%. I'd say that's pretty significant for an air filter system all by itself. I've seen all kinds of inflated claims regarding hp figures for air filter systems, some even claiming as much as 12%. Do the math, that's 35 hp. I doubt my engine would make an extra 35 hp if i took the damn filter off completely! Same goes for exhaust systems - until you see it on the dyno or hear it from someone whom you know to be an honest and reputable source, beware!

 

A lot depends on the vehicle you are putting a CAI on. The manufactures always claim big gains no one else can duplicate. Older vehicles react better to CAIs while many '02's and later have advanced so much that MAF sensors automatically adjust increased air-flows. Cold air temps always afford greater low-end reaction and seat-of-the-pants feel hp but little in the way of great dyno numbers.
CAI's depending on design could risk water ingestion (pick-up) and that can kill parts like O2 sensors, MAFs, MAPs, Not to mention the big problems (PM me for the details). The Manufactures make air filter housings that limit or muffle that sucking air sound that engineers hate but Moders love. At high speed underhood temps are very similar to ambient temps but an aftermarket set-up will provide a greater filter surface area. Expect that 3-5 HP is realistic (delta gaps are wider) in CAI's.
I found by experience that keeping airflow straight and abundant is better than temperature in 1/4 mile performance.

 

its like this yall. different trucks are designed for different dealerships in different states and even countries. if a truck is going to classic chevrolet in houston texas, its gonna be tuned for warm weather and anything you do to it is gonna just cancel itself out when it gets to the mass airflow sensor, it will just automatically compensate for the new air giving you 3-4 horsepower MAX for ...whats the price of a cold air intake? 3-400 dollars? is it worth it guys??? these trucks are run by computers!!! if a truck is ordered from canada or colorado, somewhere where it snows alot, then how much colder could the air get? really! something else you prob didnt know, some years EPA is on GM's butt more than other years, causing them to back the power down, and some years they let off and GM jacks it back up. for instance, my 2001 has considerable more power than a 2000 model, power that you can really feel, because EPA ratings let off of them more...kapish? wanna know how to get considerable power? programmers! they allow u to change shift points, they let you ride out 1st gear longer resulting in faster acceleration. it really works! all my friends have spent the 400 dollars for the hypertech programmer and it has delivered power that you can actually feel! get one and stop wasting your money!

 

i got one on my 1999 1500 and i have alot of gravel roads to drive down and all i notice is that u have to clean it alittle earlier than they recomend so i wouldn't worry about anything happening as long as u keep it oiled it traps the dirt.