I want opinions on ALL the boxes for our trucks.

I am very interested to see what everyone's opinions are on all the boxes available for the 1998.5-2002 Rams. If you have your own experience or GOOD second hand info on some of these units post up your opinion and experience with them. Vote on which box you think is best and make a post on your opinion of it and any others. waytogo

 

A good friend of mine has the Edge Comp box on his 01 SO Dually. He is also running a 5" exhaust and air intake. We noticed a HUGE difference in power after installing it. He used to average 14mpg towing his 6000lb boat and after the box it went up to 17mpg. not to mention the ability to fly up the hills!!

 

Here is what I know, the Comp is identical to the drag version. The only difference is on level 5/5 it continues to fuel to 3200RPM, but only on 5/5.

I am really interested in the Comp vs. the TST Powermax, as these are the two I am personally interested in.

I am also curious to why the Blue Chips Redline box isn't as popular.

 

1) Yes, that is the only difference with the Drag Comp software but has a rather profound effect on top end performance and carries the hp curve MUCH higher.

2) The Comp adds significant dynamic timing control while the Powermax adds none. The stand alone power gain with the Comp has been dyno proven over and over again.....until you start box stacking.....then things really start to change.

3)The Redline box is truely in a league of it's own....it simply is nothing like a typical piggy back fueling module. This is good and bad. For the most part, the upper limit of this box really was never intended for street use.....with no rpm limit and a stand alone engine management set up that doesn't require use of the OEM ECM for the upper limit fueling, smoke and egt control can literally be non-existent for street applications. The other down side is cost.....at double to triple the cost of other safer and more street friendly fueling modules on the market it will simply not sell as well. All out competition is what this box is for and as far as I can tell, there is no immediate competition for it......but street driven trucks should pass on this box.

Edge Comp, Edge Drag Comp - This is the best all around box, IMO and for the most part they are one in the same. You get a lot of control of overall fueling AND independently adjustable rates of fueling at the touch of a button.....not many boxes offer this much adjustability and the power gains have set the standard for all other boxes. Awesome power and control and a reasonable price - it's hard to beat.

TST Powermax3 setup - While it is not quite up to par with the Comp for overall power and adjustability, it has one very distinct advantage over the Comp : Stackability. This has more recently come to light in a big way since the Smarty has come to the masses. Since the Smarty has unprecedented dynamic timing control, the full benefits of it can not be had when matched up with a Comp. The Comp/Smarty stack offers far too much timing and the user is forced to lower the level of the Smarty to setting 8 to ELIMINATE it's ability to add it's timing control....this is not what you want! Dyno testing has already proved the the TST PM3/Smarty stack makes consistently more power than the Comp stack because the TST does not have the dynamic timing control so this enables the user to run the Smarty wide open.

Blue Chips FMS - this is a good box and is underated, IMO.....as always, price is an issue and it does not offer independent rate of fueling adjustments like the Comp.

Blue Chips Redline Box - See #3

Smarty/catcher - The Smarty has created it's own market in which not many others will probably join. The company is located overseas in Italy where the Cummins patents for proprietary software do not apply. They have taken advantage of this by developing a true downloader that does not selectively erase any OEM software - it erases it all!! This allows for all new timing and fueling maps to be developed from scratch. The end result is set up that offers unmatched low end fueling. While the overall power gain is around 60 hp, the seat of the pants feeling is much more since the hp curve is just nuts! With 9 levels of software and the ability to add and remove dynamic timing independently, the Smarty offers tunability that begs for it to be stacked with a fueling module and some big sticks. The Smarty stacked with a PM3 and F1's Mach 4 sticks, power levels are in the 550 hp range with the absolute FATTEST hp curve you could imagine.

Van Aaken Smart box - The comp still beats out the VA for overall power gain and the VA stll lacks independently adjustable rates of fueling....this box still offers a good bang for the buck, though.

Hypertech downloader, Superchips downloader - I'm not a big fan of either programmer....they both have VERY limited power gains and not much adjustability.....money is better spent elsewhere, IMO.

Bully Dog power pup - I have no experience with this box.....it just doesn't seem to be popular around here.

 

GREAT post CTD nut!

One thing I haven't been able to find is the actuall power the Red line box provides over stock. I'd really like to know this, for fun and my own personall knowledge.

The Comp is going to go by by. I talked to Edge today, bugging them about the Juice that is supposed to be out for our 2nd gens. He said the new Juice is somewhat identical to the Comp (his words were that they basically modified a Comp to work with the attitude). He said they will eventually discontinue the Comp with the Juice out and there will be a Hot version to replace the Drag.

I guess I better hurry and get a Comp ordered!

 

I personally am doing some reading on the SMARTY and it looks like the ticket for me. It seems to be very versitile and can not be detected by dealers once flashed back to stock.

Hopefully this summer I am going to be able to save up some cash and get a SMARTY so I don't have to worry about my warranty.

I had alot of experience this winter driving my truck on ice and I can say even stock with the torque of the CTD it wasn't alot of fun, and I was very worried about putting a Catcher on the truck with the huge throttle response gains at low RPM. Now with the SMARTY I can reprogramm back to stock when the weather gets icy.

Harley

 

For Competition a Redline stacked with a van Aaken box is the top dog. For somebody that drives on the street but still wants alot of power a comp/drag comp, Bluechip, or TST are all very nice. For towing I like the van Aaken R box and for stacking or adjustability I like the Smarty. They all have there good points. Also Bullydog doesn't make a downloader for the VP44 24V so that is probably why they are not to popular.

 

A few weeks ago, I read a thread on TDR about the Edge/Attitude controller for the VP44 trucks. There were a few guys beta testing it and said it had the same programing as a Comp and that it should be out some time around May.

I dont have a subscription so I can't search for that thread, but has anyone else heard anything about this?

 

I have, as I've called Edge 5 times asking when it will get put out for sale (it kept getting delayed).

I will have mine by the first of next week hopefully.
http://www.edgeproducts.com/dodge_ISB.html

 

The modules should be shipping this week. We are currently taking orders for them right now. Let me know if you would like a price or some more information.

 

Yes I would like a price to 07628 please

 

I just ordered mine today, should be here by the end of the week. My warehouse should be recieving 30-40 units tommorrow.

 

I'll have a review to add next week sometime. My father in law is buying my Edge EZ and I'm getting a Smarty from Rip. I'll post separately my impressions, etc when I get it in.

 

I run a smarty on 8 and the drag comp on 5x5 ,they are simply awesome,my turbo and clutch are begging for mercy,I laid a dually patch the other day.I raced a duramax last night and i smoke the entire way ,it does not clean up.i hear the juice will defuel when high egts are encountered,can anyone verify this?Hey CTD nut,you said that the comp has dynamic timing,someone told me it was static.If I were to do it over again I would go tst instead because then I could use the smartys timing.

 

Typically, static timing refers to the base timing setting of the injector pump. Since this is regarded as non-adjustable on a VP44 truck, the terminology may get mixed up between different people and how the interpret the meanings. While the Comp adds timing to the OEM base timing map, I suppose the OEM base timing could be regarded as static since it relies on various sensor inputs to select the appropriate operating parameter from the fixed timing map for any steady state engine condition and does not waiver from that......but I disagree that this would be the definition of static since the ECM is continuously altering timing for just about every variation of any engine operating parameter and condition - this, to me, is the definition of dynamic.....and since the Comp builds a timing map on top of the OEM map, it too, varies the timing with every change in engine operating parameters. Bottom line, while the timing map, itself is fixed, the paremeters selected from that map at any given time vary with the engine operating condition - that is dynamic.

 

Alot of guys love the Smarty, But I never really cared for it my self, but a buddy of mine has a 2001 3500 with edgecomp, that box is awesome so simple and yet so complicated.

 

Ding Ding Ding Ding, thats my future combo! Probably a PM3 comp., a new fuel system, Mach 4's, SP or SPS 66, CON FE. Whoooo hooooo!burnoutburnout

 

Well, I'll be getting my TST Comp (call me crazy) tomorrow, so it should be a good stack with the smarty. Too bad I'll only be able to use a few levels as long as I have a stock clutch and turbo, but it should be a lot of fun.

 

I will give some feedback on the Smarty soon. I ordered it last week and when I get off the road it should be waiting for me on Tuesday. imp:

Harley

 

I am totally loving the Smarty box, it was a great choice for me. You can read about it more in my other post.

Harley