Banks turbo for the 4.0?

I live in Seattle so my experience will not help you, I took mine to emissions this year and it passed with no issues.
Guys....the “ for off road use only “ deal is the same thing KTM uses to import its motorcycles and skirt emissions by stating “for closed course competition “. This saves manufacturers a ton of headaches.

These companies know their products alter or can’t meet emissions....and the fines are huge. They get around it with this position in the market.
 
  • Like
Reactions: billiebob
I live in Seattle so my experience will not help you, I took mine to emissions this year and it passed with no issues.

I’ve had no problem with emissions in CA either, but I have a 2006 which doesn’t have that mysterious “race application only” language in the kit literature. It is only the 2004 and earlier TJs that are so affected.
 
This is the Banks Power webpage for the 2003-2004 Sidewinder Turbo kit. Note the comment "for race applications only." There is a similar disclaimer for the 1999.5 to 2002 Sidewinder kit.

There is a single EO on the CARB website that covers 1999 to 2006. It is D-161-97.

View attachment 70840

The page below is for the 2005 to 2006 Sidewinder and shows the EO number rather than the "for race applications only" disclaimer.

View attachment 70841

Thanks. When I went to the Banks site, I kept ending up on this page, which didn't have that information.

https://shop.bankspower.com/c-73-products-turbo-performance-kits.html
 
Seems like super chargers have way less parts.
 
Turbos are on every semi out there. Almost every "hot" car has a turbo. The new JL 4 cylinder has 2 turbos. There is no "extra" heat. Heat is generated in the combustion chamber. A turbo "adds, generates" nothing.

I believe they are referring to the heat added to the intake air. Any time you compress air, it also heats it up. (By the same principle, when air expands, it cools). This is true whether you have a mechanical-driven supercharger, or a turbo supercharger. Most every "hot" car has an intercooler to cool the intake air to counteract this effect.
 
Seems like super chargers have way less parts.

How so? The only difference is how you drive the compressor. A mechanical-driven supercharger uses extra pulleys and belts, while a turbo uses extra exhaust tubing. From the compressor to the throttle body, it's basically the same.

The Banks kit looks like a lot of parts because they include everything you need, like larger injectors, a boost gauge, an ECM programmer, etc. Pretty much all the same things you need for any boost system.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KCsTJ
I've been eyeing the Banks Turbo kit for a few years now, if / when I do buy and install I will be sure to make a review thread of my own personal experience on this site.

I 'home brewed' a turbo kit for one of my last 4.0 Tjs and for my previous 3.8 JKU. I had each of them running on about 5 psi. It definitely is expensive if you want to do it correctly and safely, but that turbo-whistle is hard to beat, in my opinion! Even though I also love a good superchager whine, but it just doesn't have that same " :D " effect to me.
 
Last edited:
Out of curiosity and future plans. Why does the bank turbo only fit 99 and up vehicles? I am out of luck since I have a 98 Sport?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ron Hockett
Out of curiosity and future plans. Why does the bank turbo only fit 99 and up vehicles? I am out of luck since I have a 98 Sport?


I would give them a call, they are super helpful and if the person on the phone can’t help you that person will get someone who can. I don’t often get impressed, but this company does. By the way, I recently put on 33” 12.5” 15” BFG K2’s on mine. This is up from the 31” 10.5 15” that I had on before, I’m running stock 3.73 gears with Detroit Tru Trac’s front and rear and I do not notice any difference in acceleration even though the tires are significantly bigger/heavier. I’ve had it in the snow, mud, and on the freeway and it preformed excellent this winter.

45F567B5-7A49-4015-99E5-3F0E71755550.jpeg


776E9766-C267-44BF-B2D5-7C731CC80021.jpeg


E76108F3-AAE2-4464-98BD-9BBFFDD8933C.jpeg


5A15FEB3-29A0-46BE-9C28-DB6D31834116.jpeg
 
I really like it, it is out of the way and has yet to be caught on anything while wheeling for the past year. I mounted my jack there because my wrists were both broken a couple years ago and have limited mobility and strength in them. So far other than having been told by people who don’t know what they are talking about tell me I’m going to get it caught on brush and it will be ripped off the Jeep. These are the same folks that tell me how dangerous the Jack is and I shouldn’t be using it. I’ve had them on/in all my Jeep’s since I bought my first one in 1968 when I was a sophomore in high school, I have used them 100’s of times over the years with no issues.
 
I’m running Bank’s Monster Exhaust, and yes I’m running an intercooler. I put in the turbo, intercooler, and exhaust all in over a 3 day weekend with my brother. I have seen them on sale, but only by a couple hundred dollars.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KCNoDots
I’m running Bank’s Monster Exhaust, and yes I’m running an intercooler. I put in the turbo, intercooler, and exhaust all in over a 3 day weekend with my brother. I have seen them on sale, but only by a couple hundred dollars.

Ron- The water pump motor for the intercooler puts out a horrific amount of RFI that will desensitize your CB radio. I am working this issue right now to quiet the pump down with filtering, grounding etc.
 
Yeah, I have one. I don't know if it added any performance. It's designed to vent the excess pressure to the atmosphere when the throttle is closed, instead of the intake, so I don't know why that would increase power.

I originally installed the turbo by itself, and saw high intake air temps on hot days. (That was before they had the intercooler available). The blow-off spacer vents the excess pressure to the outside, rather than to the intake, so I added that to help lower the intake air temps. It seemed to lower them a little, maybe 10%. It also added the compressed air burst of sound like you hear on street turbos when they shift. Some people like the sound, I would prefer to not have it, but wanted to lower the air temp. I've since added the intercooler, which lowered the intake air temp a lot, and may put the original blow-off plate back on, if I get motivated to do it and can find the original plate. I've gotten used to the sound, so it doesn't bother me any more.

Here's what Banks claims for the plate, you'll see there is nothing about increasing performance:
I never noticed any turbo lag, so I can't say if it "quickened turbo response"
  • Reduces intake air temperature
  • Vents hot air to atmosphere
  • Quickens turbo response
  • Reduces pressure on compressor wheel during drop throttle
  • Creates unmistakable sound

You can always attach a duck call to the blow-off valve for that all natural experience
 
I’m running Bank’s Monster Exhaust, and yes I’m running an intercooler. I put in the turbo, intercooler, and exhaust all in over a 3 day weekend with my brother. I have seen them on sale, but only by a couple hundred dollars.
Thanks! I wondered how it performed with the 3.73 gears and 33s. Do you have a 5-speed? I am currently on 35s, 3.73s, 5-speed, and its honestly not terrible, but i know it could be a lot better!