adeluca73's Build - 2014 POWER WAGON SLT - FLAME RED TWO TONE

[adeluca73]

2014 POWERWAGON SLT FLAME RED TWO TONE

Greetings, thanks for visiting!

1. My 7yr old son (he's 10 now) named the truck "Optimus"--watch Transformers.

2. I started this thread to chronicle the mods, enhancements, and those functionally questionable, yet athestically appeasing upgrades I install on my PW.

3. Seek counsel and advice from all of the gifted and talented folks on this site.

4. My own personal ROE (rules of engagement) on this thread are:

• Describe the mod and it's purpose
• Post vendor and pricing
• Post before and after pictures, and any interim procedural pics deemed helpful during the install

Completed Mods as of 9/6/2018 (with active links):
*the listed prices are not necessarily the price I paid at the time of purchase, just posting links for reference

Armor /Protection Mods

1. DiamondBack HD in Line-X
2. White-Knuckle sliders & full-length diamond plate in Line-X
3. Purple Cranium Rear diff guard
4. Carli Front Diff Guard
5. Marcus Dethloff Trans-Skid Plate

Suspension Mods

1. 37" Nitto Ridge Grapplers
2. Truxx PW specific front 1.5" level (have to contact directly for the PW kit which is 1.5" tall vs. the 2.0" kit listed on their web store) {As of August 2018: removed and replaced w/ Thuren kit below}
3. Triple anti-hop shocks Purchased 2x of the OEM Bilstien anti-hop shocks and added 8" long Grade-8 replacement H/W from Fastenal
4. Thuren boogie bump stops **part of the Thuren 2.5 kit order, but NOT included
5. Thuren XHD front end links **part of the Thuren 2.5 kit order, but NOT included—my front links were shot
6. Thuren King 2.5 Extreme Kit **If you are going to do this mod, order through DAMAGEWAGON--trust me, he will handle all the details, he's super responsive, Thuren is not, and Marcus is as knowledgable as anyone on this forum about these trucks, Thuren's kit, and general machining and manufacturing
   1. 1.5" PW front springs
   2. Thuren rear springs
   3. King 2.5 front reservoir shocks w/ stainless shafts
   4. King 2.5 rear piggyback shocks w/ stainless shafts
   5. 4x Black shock boots
   6. King steering damper
   7. E-Brake relocate brackets
   8. Front/Rear track bar
   9. Thuren rear sway bar + end links

Appearance / Comfort Mods

1. Ram door sill guards
2. Opti-Coat Pro 2.0
3. RAM OEM Front air/bug deflector
4. WeatherTech slimline window deflectors
5. Red Ram head valve stem covers
6. Custom black-out work by the Egyptian
   1. Line-X'd: front/rear bumpers, bug deflector, wheel flares
   2. Hand painted Ram Head badges
   3. Hand painted PW lettering
   4. Hand painted center wheel Ram Head
   5. Plasti-dip PW wheels Black w/ Gunmetal metalizer

Functional & General Mechanical Mods

1. AMP Research BedStep
2. DeeZee tailgate strut
3. DeeZee ¼" fitted bed mat
4. FilterMag kit
5. 4.88's (Yukon Front/AAM Rear)
6. DOR Steering Box Brace
7. Morgan's Locker by-pass
8. AEM dry filter
9. Mufflex MagnaFlow
10. Resonator delete
11. Warn Wireless Winch Remote
12. Seat mounted dual gun cases and gear bags (spans width of truck mounted to rear of front seats)
13. XL Duck Canvas Seat Cover

Lighting Mods

1. Truxedo LED bed lights wired into RamBox Connector
2. Removable Back-up Spot Light
3. Phillips Hi intensity LEDs in cargo lamps & back-ups
4. Next: HID low CANBUS replacement, LED HI, Baja Designs LED fog cubes

AEV Stuff

1. Front diff cover
2. Rear diff cover
3. AEV RAI w/ Pre-Filter
4. AEV ProCal (previously Bootleg'd)

Factor-55 Stuff

1. FlatLink winch hook
2. Shorty Strap 3.0
3. Hitchlink 2.5
4. 2x Bubba Shackle

[adeluca73]

Pics of the stock 2014 PW undercarriage and mechanicals posted in the "Picutre Thread". I won't waste server space reposting these pics. Here's the link. Let me know if there are any others you'd like to see and I'll oblige.

Stock Undercarriage

[adeluca73]

Here are some stock interior pics. I went with the frost beige/cappuccino interior.

[adeluca73]

Mod: Mopar door sills x4.

Purpose: Ccosmetic & protects that step which becomes impossible to get the black boot scuffs off.

Vendor: Mopar Door Sills
$122 for set of 4

Installation: 15min. Use flathead screwdriver, pry up existing sill, place over metal guard, bend 6 retaining tabs, tap existing sill back into place to lock in.

[adeluca73]

Mod: Tailgate assist shock.

Purpose: Enables no-handed tailgate "open" operation.

Vendor: Amazon. $30

Installation: 20-30 minutes. Most difficult part was removing the wire tension limiter on the tailgate side of the cable.

[adeluca73]

Subscribing to see how others help you spend your money. I figure if they pick on you they might leave my wallet alone.

NICE

[adeluca73]

I really like that cappuccino color!

Thanks---me too. The standard gray that most folks get is ok, but everyone gets that--like being different.

[adeluca73]

Mod: Tailgate assist shock.
Purpose: Enables no-handed tailgate "open" operation
Vendor: Amazon. $30
Installation: 20-30 minutes. Most difficult part was removing the wire tension limiter on the tailgate side of the cable.

I have a 7 sec movie of it in operation, but I keep getting the file rejected when I try to upload.

[adeluca73]

Want me to start giving you motor mod ideas???? LOL!!

YES..

I have a magnaflow muffler replacement from Mufflex on order. Should be here by 18 Aug. I also ordered a DiamondBack HD Line-x cover, should be here in 2 wks. Those two mods alone were $2K!!!!!

[adeluca73]

Mod: Replaced factory GIANT muffler with the NEW mufflex bolt on MagnaFlow based kit, 3.5" in and 3.5" out.

Purpose: Increase low end grunt (sound quality), reduce the unnecessary back pressure caused by the factor muffler's buttefly valve that only opens beyond half throttle, which should provide a bit more low end power at lower throttle inputs (I drive like a granny, so I rarely punch it past half throttle).

Cost/Source: $295+S&H, Mufflex

Install: Easy-to-medium difficulty.
1) Hardest part was prying the factory muffler hangers off their rubber mounts. Drench it with WD-40/Fluid Film and use a LONG pry-bar. I had a 18", maybe 24" bar, and I couldn't get it loose lying on my creeper in the garage. I took it to the base hobby -shop, put it on a lift, and used their 5ft pry bar and it came right off.
2) Directions recommended pulling the entire tailpipe / resonantor off. Well that's like 4' of pipe, I just loosened it all the way, took some bungees and supported it's weight and installed the new muffler and then tightened everything back up.
3) Remove the old muffler's 2 clamps, retain the stock rear bank clamp that attaches the tailpipe to muffler, install new muffler using the mufflex provided front band clamp/hanger and the rear horsehore pipe clamp/hanger
4) Install the front band clamp on the muffler, slide front into the exhaust pipe hand tighten the clamp, insert the hanger into the rubber mount.
5) Install the rear horeshoe clamp on the rear of the welded SS pipe that Mufflex welds onto the MagnaFlow muffler, slide into the tailpipe, insert the horsehoe's rods into the rubber mounts, tigheten the horsehoe clamp around the Mufflex SS pipe, tighten the band clamp on the exhaust pipe.
6) Alternate tightenging front and rear band clamps till super tight.

[adeluca73]

Are you ordering from them directly through their Pennsylvania warehouse? That was the only place I could get mine from since I had no local dealers that could get them (Too expensive, imagine that) and that was the prices I got over the phone.

Stickman--YES, I ordered direct from them, talked with Jodan, good dude.

[vanished]

So is that pretty PW going to be hanging out in Huber Heights area next week? I'll be out that way for work... Would like to check out one of the new wagons (unfortunately I'll be in a rental car!)

Copy---I live just north of Huber. Let me know when you'll be in town and we can link up.

PM sent...

[azracer]

I wonder when they started using the butterfly valve? That sure is a potential problem area for performance once it seizes due to rust.

[14PowerWaggy]

How are you liking the muffler? Is it really loud? I want to do a muffler on mine but I don't want the in cab drone that gets annoying on long trips...

[14PowerWaggy]

How are you liking the muffler? I want to do one on mine but don't want anything really loud...

[adeluca73]

How are you liking the muffler? I want to do one on mine but don't want anything really loud...

[adeluca73]

Pics of the new vs old muffler.

Sound is awesome at idle--deep & throaty. Moderate sound through acceleration from stop to speed. Light drone at 55-65 mph. It's bordeline annoying--have to increase radio from 11 to 13 for same level of listening. Drone is gone at 70mph. My fuel economy decreased by about 0.4mpg. Power band has chAnged, computer had to relearn shift points. Seems like it's drawing out the RPMs between shifts over stock. Still deciding if I'm going to keep it or put the stock muffler back on. The difference in weight is substantial. The mufflex is about ½ the weight of stock.

I took sound pressure readings from inside the cab at idle, 55, 65, 70mph. I'll post the db level & the FFT of the location of the frequency of the first mode later.

[JBM Power Wagon]

Pics of the new vs old muffler.

Sound is awesome at idle--deep & throaty. Moderate sound through acceleration from stop to speed. Light drone at 55-65 mph. It's bordeline annoying--have to increase radio from 11 to 13 for same level of listening. Drone is gone at 70mph. My fuel economy decreased by about 0.4mpg. Power band has chAnged, computer had to relearn shift points. Seems like it's drawing out the RPMs between shifts over stock. Still deciding if I'm going to keep it or put the stock muffler back on. The difference in weight is substantial. The mufflex is about ½ the weight of stock.

I took sound pressure readings from inside the cab at idle, 55, 65, 70mph. I'll post the db level & the FFT of the location of the frequency of the first mode later.

Did you keep the resonator that sits towards the end of the tail pipe next to the spare tire on? I loved my Magnaflow on my 2011 so was planning on putting one on my 2014. When you say the power band has changed can you elaborate?

Thanks for being the guinea pig!

[adeluca73]

I spoke with the Mufflex designer of the 2014 6.4L replacement and he offered two recommendations:

• No matter what muffler option you choose, theirs or another, DO NOT REMOVE THE RESONATOR--it will be unbearable
• The straight through option they offer is too loud at all speeds and RPMs

The power band, from my calibrated ass gauge, seems to have changed. The back-flow pressure built-up with the stock muffler seems to provide a bit more "launch and punch" from about 20-30 mph at 1/4 throttle accelerating to 1/2 or greater throttle.

After about 120+ more miles, the gas mileage seems to have recovered back to pre-mufflex.

Here's the avg SPL db reading results:

• Idle, Fan @ 1, Windows up: 49.5db, 345Hz 1st mode.
• Idle, Fan @ 1, Windows down: 54.2db, 129Hz 1st mode.
• 55mph, Fan @ 1, Windows up: 65db, 388Hz 1st mode.
• 65mph, Fan @ 1, Windows up: 68.2db, 388-410Hz 1st mode.
• 70mph, Fan @ 1, Windows up: 69.8db, 380Hz 1st mode.

10 * log10 (2x pwr increase) = +3.01 dB
3 dB increase is, by definition, a doubling of input power over the baseline measurement.
Good rules of thumb:
+3 dB = twice the acoustic power, or sound intensity, a calculated value
+6 dB = twice the voltage intensity, or sound pressure level, a measured quantity
+10 dB = twice the amplification or perceived volume, which is the subjective loudness nearly sensed using a psychoacoustics survey

So the change from Idle w/ windows up to 70mph is about +16db. 16db/6db = +2.66x change in sound pressure level. 16db/3db = +5.33x increase in acoustic power, and 16db/10db = 1.5x louder.

[14PowerWaggy]

I spoke with the Mufflex designer of the 2014 6.4L replacement and he offered two recommendations:

• No matter what muffler option you choose, theirs or another, DO NOT REMOVE THE RESONATOR--it will be unbearable
• The straight through option they offer is too loud at all speeds and RPMs

The power band, from my calibrated ass gauge, seems to have changed. The back-flow pressure built-up with the stock muffler seems to provide a bit more "launch and punch" from about 20-30 mph at 1/4 throttle accelerating to 1/2 or greater throttle.

After about 120+ more miles, the gas mileage seems to have recovered back to pre-mufflex.

Here's the avg SPL db reading results:

• Idle, Fan @ 1, Windows up: 49.5db, 345Hz 1st mode.
• Idle, Fan @ 1, Windows down: 54.2db, 129Hz 1st mode.
• 55mph, Fan @ 1, Windows up: 65db, 388Hz 1st mode.
• 65mph, Fan @ 1, Windows up: 68.2db, 388-410Hz 1st mode.
• 70mph, Fan @ 1, Windows up: 69.8db, 380Hz 1st mode.

10 * log10 (2x pwr increase) = +3.01 dB
3 dB increase is, by definition, a doubling of input power over the baseline measurement.
Good rules of thumb:
+3 dB = twice the acoustic power, or sound intensity, a calculated value
+6 dB = twice the voltage intensity, or sound pressure level, a measured quantity
+10 dB = twice the amplification or perceived volume, which is the subjective loudness nearly sensed using a psychoacoustics survey

So the change from Idle w/ windows up to 70mph is about +16db. 16db/6db = +2.66x change in sound pressure level. 16db/3db = +5.33x increase in acoustic power, and 16db/10db = 1.5x louder.

Can't ask for a better answer than that... Would love to hear what you think about it in another 500 or 600 hundred miles... I'd be interested in taking it off your hands if you do decide to go back to stock...

[JBM Power Wagon]

I spoke with the Mufflex designer of the 2014 6.4L replacement and he offered two recommendations:

• No matter what muffler option you choose, theirs or another, DO NOT REMOVE THE RESONATOR--it will be unbearable
• The straight through option they offer is too loud at all speeds and RPMs

The power band, from my calibrated ass gauge, seems to have changed. The back-flow pressure built-up with the stock muffler seems to provide a bit more "launch and punch" from about 20-30 mph at 1/4 throttle accelerating to 1/2 or greater throttle.

After about 120+ more miles, the gas mileage seems to have recovered back to pre-mufflex.

Here's the avg SPL db reading results:

• Idle, Fan @ 1, Windows up: 49.5db, 345Hz 1st mode.
• Idle, Fan @ 1, Windows down: 54.2db, 129Hz 1st mode.
• 55mph, Fan @ 1, Windows up: 65db, 388Hz 1st mode.
• 65mph, Fan @ 1, Windows up: 68.2db, 388-410Hz 1st mode.
• 70mph, Fan @ 1, Windows up: 69.8db, 380Hz 1st mode.

10 * log10 (2x pwr increase) = +3.01 dB
3 dB increase is, by definition, a doubling of input power over the baseline measurement.
Good rules of thumb:
+3 dB = twice the acoustic power, or sound intensity, a calculated value
+6 dB = twice the voltage intensity, or sound pressure level, a measured quantity
+10 dB = twice the amplification or perceived volume, which is the subjective loudness nearly sensed using a psychoacoustics survey

So the change from Idle w/ windows up to 70mph is about +16db. 16db/6db = +2.66x change in sound pressure level. 16db/3db = +5.33x increase in acoustic power, and 16db/10db = 1.5x louder.

Thanks for the great info!!! That's too bad about having to leave the resonator on. I don't like how it looks hanging down in the back.

[14PowerWaggy]

Thanks for the great info!!! That's too bad about having to leave the resonator on. I don't like how it looks hanging down in the back.

I don't like the way it looks either... I wonder if it could be moved back up under the truck? Or is it in that location for a reason? Does it have to be that close to the tail pipe to keep the sound down or did they just run out of real estate with the gigantic factory muffler?

[azracer]

That weighted back pressure butterfly valve could be the reason you lost some punch in the bottom end once the OEM muffler was removed. I'm sure they didn't design that and go to the trouble of putting it into production if it had no effect on performance. I just wonder when they started using those valves inside the muffler. I'm betting it is a 6.4L specific item.



.

[adeluca73]

I spoke with the Mufflex designer of the 2014 6.4L replacement and he offered two recommendations:

• No matter what muffler option you choose, theirs or another, DO NOT REMOVE THE RESONATOR--it will be unbearable
• The straight through option they offer is too loud at all speeds and RPMs

Thanks for the great info!!! That's too bad about having to leave the resonator on. I don't like how it looks hanging down in the back.

Copy-- me either, but I don't think I can handle any louder at all. So it's staying. Comfort wins over looks at this point!

[adeluca73]

Thanks for the great info!!! That's too bad about having to leave the resonator on. I don't like how it looks hanging down in the back.

I don't like the way it looks either... I wonder if it could be moved back up under the truck? Or is it in that location for a reason? Does it have to be that close to the tail pipe to keep the sound down or did they just run out of real estate with the gigantic factory muffler?

The resonator's job is to take exhaust sound waves, and through internal geometry, force the waves to interfere and ameliorating it's effect over a specified frequency range, and the baffling absorbs other frequencies that aren't designed to reflect and cancel. The length of exhaust before the resonator determines the frequency range and amplitude of the exhaust pulses that the resonator sees. Moving the resonator further forward toward the engine changes the amplitude of the waves hitting the resonator. The resonator and muffler were designed to work together to achieve a specific sound at a specific sound pressure level. The stock system does a great job of providing a very unobtrusive cabin level of comfort. The resonator is designed to optimize engine efficiency and performance---I think I may have interrupted the design's intention with my ill-thought, rash MagnaFlow purchase.