Does a cold air intake add horsepower on a stock TRX?

On its own, the gains on a stock TRX are modest — the factory 6.2L supercharged HEMI already breathes fairly well, and the blower is the real bottleneck. Expect a slightly crisper throttle response and a much louder induction and supercharger whine rather than a big dyno number. The real power arrives when the intake is paired with a supporting tune, which is why most owners add both together.

Do I need a tune after installing an intake?

A quality intake that keeps the factory-style mass-airflow (MAF) housing and sensor location is designed to run on the stock calibration and usually won't throw a code. But if you want the airflow to actually translate into power — and to be safe on an open-element design that flows a lot more air — a supporting tune is strongly recommended. Always follow the intake manufacturer's guidance on whether recalibration is required.

Sealed airbox or open filter — which is better for a TRX?

A sealed airbox pulls cooler air from outside the engine bay and resists heat-soak, so it holds power better on hot days and in stop-and-go traffic — the safer all-around choice for a daily-driven or desert truck. A fully open filter is louder and shows off the blower whine, but it sits in hot underhood air and can lose the advantage once the bay heats up. For a TRX that sees real heat and dust, lean sealed.

Oiled cotton-gauze or dry synthetic filter?

Oiled cotton-gauze filters (the classic K&N style) flow very well and are reusable after cleaning and re-oiling. Their downside is that over-oiling can foul a MAF sensor, and they let through slightly more fine dust — a real consideration in the silt a TRX lives in. Dry synthetic media (many aFe and S&B options) filter finer particles and need no oiling, at a small flow trade-off. For a desert truck, a quality dry filter is often the smarter pick.

Best Cold Air Intakes for the Ram TRX

The TRX rolls off the line with a supercharged 6.2L HEMI V8 making 702 hp, so a cold air intake isn’t going to transform it — but it’s still one of the first bolt-ons most owners reach for, and for good reason. Done right, it wakes up the induction note, lets you hear the supercharger, and clears the way for the airflow a tune wants. Done wrong, it fouls your MAF sensor, lets desert dust into a very expensive engine, or heat-soaks in traffic and gives back everything it promised.

This guide is about picking the right one for how you actually use the truck. For new kits, follow the engine & performance category; for used, take-off, and hard-to-find brand kits, use the eBay Motors buttons at the bottom. When you’re done here, the broader best TRX performance upgrades list shows where the intake fits in the build order.

What actually matters on a TRX intake

Before ranking anything, understand the four decisions that separate a good buy from a regret:

1. Sealed airbox vs. open filter

This is the big one. A sealed airbox draws cool air from outside the engine bay through a factory-style inlet and keeps the filter isolated from radiant engine heat. It resists heat-soak, holds power on hot days, and is the safer choice for a daily driver or a truck that idles in the desert sun. A fully open filter hanging in the engine bay is louder and lets the blower whine sing, but it’s breathing hot underhood air the moment you slow down. On a 702-hp truck that generates serious heat, a sealed or semi-sealed design is the smarter default.

2. Filter media: oiled cotton vs. dry synthetic

Oiled cotton-gauze (the classic K&N approach) flows beautifully and is washable and reusable — but over-oiling can contaminate a mass-airflow sensor, and it passes slightly more fine dust. Dry synthetic media (common on aFe and S&B kits) captures finer particles and never needs oiling, at a tiny flow cost. For a TRX that sees silt and sand, filtration efficiency beats a few extra CFM every time — a dry filter is often the wiser pick for the desert.

3. MAF placement and tuning

A well-engineered intake keeps the mass-airflow sensor in a housing that mirrors the factory’s diameter and profile, so the stock calibration still reads airflow correctly and you avoid check-engine lights. Cheap kits that relocate or resize the MAF bore without a matching tune will run poorly. If you want the airflow to become power — not just noise — plan on a supporting tune from the engine & performance side of the build.

4. Fitment year and legality

The TRX is a single-generation truck (2021–2024, DT platform) — see the year-by-year fitment guide for exactly what interchanges. Most intakes fit the whole run, but always confirm the part is listed for your year. And check emissions legality where you live: some open-element and race intakes are marked off-road or show-use only.

The ranking — how to choose, best value first

1. A sealed or semi-sealed airbox kit — the all-arounder

For most owners this is the sweet spot: cooler air, heat-soak resistance, a healthy induction note, and no MAF drama. It’s the intake you buy if you daily the truck, tow occasionally, or run it hard in the heat. Pair it with a tune later and it’s ready. This is the safe recommendation for a first mod.

2. A quality open-element kit — for sound and show

If the point is to hear the supercharger and you’re willing to accept some heat-soak, a well-built open kit delivers the drama. Best on a truck that lives in cooler climates or one that’s already tuned and treated as a toy. Get one with a good dry filter and a partial heat shield if you can.

3. A brand-matched replacement filter — the budget move

Not ready for a full kit? A high-flow drop-in filter in the factory airbox is the cheapest way to freshen airflow with zero fitment or tuning risk. It won’t change the sound much, but it’s a legitimate maintenance-plus upgrade — and a smart one before a long dusty trip. See the maintenance side of things for filter service intervals.

4. The intake-plus-tune combo — where the real gains live

The honest answer to “how much power will an intake add?” is: not much alone, a lot with support. If your goal is measurable performance rather than noise, budget for the intake and a tune together, then let a cat-back exhaust finish the breathing upgrades. That combination — intake, tune, exhaust — is the classic TRX starting build.

Where an intake fits the whole build

An intake is a supporting mod, not a foundation. Sequence it with the rest of your plan:

Add power the right way: the best TRX performance upgrades list ranks intakes against tunes and exhaust.
Then stop it: more spirited driving means the best TRX brake upgrades matter more than any intake.
Confirm fitment first: the fitment guide covers what interchanges across 2021–2024.

Buy for how you drive: a sealed box with a dry filter for the desert daily, an open kit for the show truck, a drop-in filter if you’re just refreshing airflow. Whatever you choose, respect the engine — a $60 filter that lets dust into a supercharged HEMI is the most expensive part on this page.