Banks' Response to SXTH's Charge Pipes Ad

[Banks Power]

In a recent post in a Tacoma Facebook group, we found this comment thread.

Marc R.

My opinion without owning either is banks has much more experience and engineering capability.

Rob M.

Sometimes old companies get lazy and think they got it when they don’t. Just take a look at the passenger side pipe.. banks got lazy af and made a small little piece and left the rest to be rubber couplers which in reality isn’t far off from the stock especially for $500. SXTH made the pipe how it’s suppose to be, they went the extra mile to create a quality part. Not tk mention using aluminum over steel is like night and day.. the steel pipes get so hot and help heat soak more than they do good


Our response.

While some old companies do get lazy, Banks is not one of them. There is nothing lazy about the design. Every millimeter is poured over. Gale Banks does allow any product to go to market that doesn't beat every competitor. We buy and test all competitive product. The only thing we don't compete on is price. For this reason, we understand that Banks may not be right for everyone. Like Rolex, our goal is to be an aspirational product. The fact is, you don't need anything we make. Stock is fine in almost every situation. But for those who want more, and place value in superior engineering, and 68 years of wisdom, race wins, world records, OE consultation, and defense contracts, we're the right choice.

Stainless vs Aluminum
Having pioneered charge air coolers and tubing, we are experts. Stainless is chosen for its strength. These pipes are under pressure. Under 20psi+ the rubber couplers want to blow off. To prevent this, you need strong, tight, constant tension clamps. Tightening the clamps enough to hold the couplers from blowing off is enough to deform aluminum. How do we know this? Because we've been engineering charge air systems them since the 1980s.

Rubber Couplers
The Nomex-woven rubber coupler is engineered to allow engine movement while promoting smooth laminar flow. Remember, the engine moves and the intercooler doesn't. When the engine rocks, something is going to give. In the case of the SXTH tubes, they are so rigid that they could break the plastic intercooler mounts over time. Or, their rubber couplers will slide off the tubes or tear.

Aluminum Couplers
The transition inside the Banks billet aluminum couplers that moves the air from the larger tubes to small stock intercooler inlet and outlet is a reverse curve pioneered by NASA. It reduces the separation of the boundary layer. Open the Banks kit. Inspect it. Run your finger across the inside. No harsh transition. This is not the case for the SXTH where there is a disruptive transition.

Clamps
The beadroll on their tubes is so small that it will likely allow the rubber couplers to slide off. And, their wormdrive clamps will not shrink and grow with the pipes as our spring-loaded T-bolt clamps do.

Wisdom
While there are even more Banks advantage to point out, we'll pause here. At the end of the day, we expect brands to learn from our six decades of experience and improve their products. In fact, we welcome it.

Learn more about Banks Boost Tubes (Charge Air Cooler Pipes) for your 4th Gen Tacoma here.

Sponsored