Just got off the phone with Banks turbo in California. They have discontinued making products for the TJ. They also said that they have no plans to continue to make replacement parts. Glad I called and didn't just order the kit from a retailer. Guess it's back to looking at Stroker engines.
Wow. Now there's some good information. Thanks for sharing!
That is sad. The intercooled turbo for the 4.0L was my dream.
This puts them in there with AEV. Fabulous engineering savvy. Zero marketing credibility.
Banks & AEV, 2 names I'll never consider again. Cannot imagine the jumpers on the skyline when AEV dumps all the JK & JK Brute support.
This puts them in there with AEV. Fabulous engineering savvy. Zero marketing credibility.
Banks & AEV, 2 names I'll never consider again. Cannot imagine the jumpers on the skyline when AEV dumps all the JK & JK Brute support.
He only said the were discontinuing making 'em. Still bound to be a fair amount of inventory out there, I would think.
My point exactly, Goatman The turbo would be the only part that would need replacing, I would think. If it is a standard size that they continue to make, that may still be okay. What I don't like is the message it sends. Banks is saying that supporting their products doesn't matter.
Yes, they do. Wouldn't you want to clear out stock? I'm concerned about the parts later. The guy at Banks would only reply that the kit was no longer available even when asked about current parts.
What parts are you concerned about? Banks isn't making the kit for a Jeep that's been out of production for 14 years, but they still make most of the parts that aren't specific to a TJ installation. Ask the people who actually own the system, they have been super-reliable and I wouldn't hesitate to buy one again.
You make a good point. The only part to be concerned with would be the turbo itself, specifically the screw. All the other stuff could be easily remanufactured. Perhaps it was just off putting that they wouldn't remark on anything other than "the kit is no longer available." He wouldn't even tell me if the turbo housing was a standard that will still be available because it is used in another kits. I'm sure they have their reason and probably lawyers are involved. I'm probably naive, but how hard would it be to keep a couple parts in stock? Customer loyalty?
I'd have to go check mine, but I think the turbo is made by a turbo company, like Garrett or someone. So that means parts will be available regardless of what Banks does.
Soon after I installed my system, the three rubber mounts for the cold air housing sheared off. I contacted the company and their response was "we never saw that before", and that was the last I heard from them. I made my own mounts with a bolt all the way through the rubber mount, and they never sheared again.
I guess I don't expect much service from companies any more, so I'm rarely disappointed with what I get.......
Soon after I installed my system, the three rubber mounts for the cold air housing sheared off. I contacted the company and their response was "we never saw that before", and that was the last I heard from them. I made my own mounts with a bolt all the way through the rubber mount, and they never sheared again.
I guess I don't expect much service from companies any more, so I'm rarely disappointed with what I get.......
Keep in mind few manufacturers can afford to make replacement parts for their products forever. Jeep hasn't made replacement parts for our TJs in years.
I considered everything that you and the guys stated here and decided to pull the trigger. Perhaps, I was just looking for support. Not like the wife is going to say, "Sure, spend $5,000 on a Jeep part from a company that's going out of business." There are many reasons I decided to go this way. I like the idea of being able to keep the 4.0 stock for repairs and low-cost rebuilds. I also got the intercooler because, let's face it, there is no other intercooler like it on the market. I found out that the pump that the Banks intercooler uses is a standard that'll be around for a long time. You are also right about the turbo. They didn't say it was a Garrett, but what I did get out of them is it you bring in one of their turbos they can replace or rebuild it. They tell me they still get turbos off of vintage aircraft that they replace. The kit has only two moving parts and those are both serviceable. This install is going down at the end of the month. Let me know if anyone wants a play-by-play on the install.
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As an OEM supplier for Toyota, we are only required to have the ability to make service parts (parts failed in field and we have to replace) for 7 years after model life end. After that, consumer is on their own to find a good used whatever they need.
The turbo should be a product that is added to the kit. That wouldn’t be manufactured in house. Banks probably only manufactures the piping and orders the remainder of the kit. What you’re getting when you buy their product, they do all the figuring and laying out to make the fabrication as little as possible on the users end.
Tigger09
TJ Enthusiast
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