Banks System

[kwy]

Good Evening, I was thinking about a Banks system for my 08 6.4 diesel truck. Banks said no speedbrake for a couple of months, but power and mileage upgrades were available. Duramax owners, does the speedbrake work as advertised? Is there a noticable difference in power or mileage? Thanks for reading this. kwy

[wingnut60]

For the most part, if you drive into a Ford service area with the Banks installed, you can kiss your warranty goodbye. Some dealers might ignore them, but the way Ford is monitoring any engine/transmission warranty work they handle, be prepared to lose the warranty.
Doesn't your Tow/Haul work good enough for braking? My does with a 17K load. And you shouldn't see any better fuel mileage unless you can get rid of the DPF and the sensors--and that WILL void the warranty.
Joe

[kwy]

Thanks for reply wn. I am not much of an aftermarket guy either, I was just curious about the product. I am not 100% on the tow haul. When I started down wolf creek pass this summer I didnt think it was going to work very well, but after a few miles it seemed to work as advertised. I take one big trip a year with the camper, so I am not an expert on the subject. Good luck, kwy

[wingnut60]

We have very similar trucks--I went over WC Pass this last summer and had no worry about the downside. Upside was a little expensive on fuel!!!! I have learned to trust the T/H--just have to remember to use the brake lightly BEFORE you want to slow down. I DON'T trust it to do everything by itself--if I remember the manual correctly, if you are off the throttle and gaining speed, it should downshift at some point. I prefer not to wait and a light touch of the brake will initiate the first downshift.
20000 miles--so far, not a glitch with the truck.
Joe

[Diesel Guy]

HELLO i BOUGHT a banks speed brake for my 2005 GMC HD 2500 Duramax It works just great I installed it myself & had no trouble with the install I went down a 8% grade for 11 miles last fall & it kept me @ 50 miles a hr all the way down the grade. I haul a 35 foot 5thwheel really did a great job felt extra safe.

[450Donn]

IMHO Banks stuff is way over priced for what you get. You might check with Ford on whether any exhaust brakes are available for aftermarket and still keep your warranty.Once you have one you will wonder how you ever did without.

[Diesel Guy]

Hello all I have to say about stuff being over priced is this. You only get what you pay for. Good products , service, after sales help all adds to the pricing , you buy cheap you get cheap period.

[SuperGewl]

Let's just say that on an 03 Dodge Ram 3500 with the Cali diesel, 235hp 450lbft torque, it's like night and day with the Banks installed on L6 non towing and L2/3 Towing. After the upgrades I had it dyno'd last week. On L1(stock) at the rear wheels, 245hp 477lbft torque at the rear wheels and 323hp & 601lbft torque, Sweet.
Gotta LUV those upgrades, the Banks IQ is nice, I can't wait until they get some more add ons for it, GPS, Rear View camera. I'm still waiting
Yes, Banks stuff does cost more than the rest but if you get if from one of their authorized dealers you can get a good price on it.
As far as warrenties, that depends on your local dealer, most of them are selling the after market stuff themselves.

[450Donn]

I guess I should have also said that ATS is at good and way cheaper than Banks. Also, ATS is sometimes covered under factory warranty. At least on Dodge it is.
There are other brands out there that are less costly than Banks. Remember who pays for all that advertising.

[Grimreaper]

The Banks Speedbrake may be expensive but it is worth every penny. I installed one in my 05 GMC and I pulled my 36' 14k fifth wheel 500km through the mountains with no trailer brakes, my trailer brake controller quit on me on a sunday of course. On the 500km trip through the mountains I may have used my trucks brakes once. The banks speedbrake performed perfectly. I bought a new 2010 GMC dually and I think I had it 3 weeks and the speedbrake was the first thing I bought for it.