Maverick

Hey all,

I have a 92 4x4, with a 22re, stock gears, 33x12.5 mudd tires, headers exhaust, performance cam, air intake, and I"m thinking about doing a chip. I know they cost about 425$ or so, and I know performance products in Ca offers a service where you send them your cpu and they install the chip and then send you back your computer, other places you can take your truck to them and in a couple of hours they'll install it for you. Can you reccomend any chips for me? Do they really work? Has anyone done it before, and were you satisified with your gains? Thanks in advance

Godspeed,
Maverick

Nathan Buchanan

Hey Maverick,
I'd say to take that $425 and re-gear. That is going to help your performance loads more than a chip will.

Maverick

Yea, I was going to do that too, but it'll cost around 1500 for everything. So I figured do the chip first, then regear when I have more cash

rimpainter.com

I have had experience with them on other vehicles, and they did nothing except remove the rev-limiter and sound cool in conversation. $425 is way too much $$ for what you get. My understanding of the 22RE is that in order to properly enrich the air/fuel ratio, you have to crack the "black box" at the VFM and carefully adjust the internals. There are some articles on that on the web, just search for them. Another option might be an adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator; but I am not sure how the 22RE would react.

Your best bet would be to dyno the truck and find out exactly where the truck is deficient right now, as is (timing, air/fuel, etc).

Maverick

Ok, I know there is a dyno close by for around 80$ for three runs or something like that. I'll check into the dyno. Thanks

Nathan Buchanan

I was able to re-gear, with a locker, for $450. You are going to feel a boost so much more from gearing than any power upgrade to your motor. Try putting some 235/75 tires on there and take it for a spin. That will be the correct gearing; there is a significant gain in power from it.

Maverick

Never thought of doing that, sounds that that would be and easy way of getting a feel for what the 4.88s would be like right?

Flamedx4

Real chips do work, as do aftermarket programmers. Those inexpensive "chips" you see advertised all the time (say, under $100) do NOT work. A real chip will work with your factory ECM (piggyback) or even replace your factory chip, and will cost a minimum of perhaps $200. It will make a tiny difference, usually only a better mixture on the high end and then only noticeable with headers and exshaust. Not worth the money. The programmers, like Hypertech and Superchip, really do work and usually give you some user-adjustable settings, and cost upwards of $400. But again, to gain a relatively small difference just doesn't seem justifiable. You get way more benefit with headers and exhaust, less restrictive intake, maybe a cam and some headwork if you want to go wild. And, as far as I know, there aren't any chips or programmers out there for the 22RE anyway.

But if there are:
If you've been quoted $1500 run away - that's insane.

GEaring is the single most cost effective and mechanically efficient way to make power for your 4x4. Even if you have unlimited budget, gearing should come first. You'll be astonished at how much power 33s have taken from that 4cyl. Change to 4:88s and you'll be all smiles.

rimpainter.com

Oh, and I agree, proper gearing really helps. I only went from 4.11 to 4.30, and I could feel that. I think gearing is so overlooked these days. But you definitely want to find out whether or not you are running lean. Gearing won't help anything if you grenade your motor.

Maverick

Ok, I guess for my truck chips aren't really the best way to go. I guess what I need to do is save a couple of paychecks and do the gears, and maybe a locker to. Thanks for the advice

Godspeed,

Maverick

Maverick

I put an exhaust system on from LC engineering, from the headers to the cat and back, I also put an efi upgrade cam from LC in to. I have the Kn box replacement air filter, not the complete system. And that's about all I've done to my stock engine. Any other suggestions. I'm going to regear before winter with 4.88s, maybe put in a detroit truetrac or something to. Talk soon.

Godspeed,

Maverick

Nathan Buchanan

You might want to find someone with the 3rd members for sale with the gear ratio you want. Then just put a lockright in or something. You'll be good to go. Of course, my lockright hasn't come yet.... Good luck in whatever you decide to do, though.

RED 85

Gearing is the way to go, after that if you still want a cpu upgrade then i would go with the SDS stand alone system. you will see alot better performance with that but your also talking 2K and it aint easy to put in.

2001Millrunner

I've tried Dinan before and they made minimal difference. This was a 93 integra. I wouldnt do it again.

Flamedx4

Unless you have a diesel the gains from a chip or programmer just aren't worth it, unless it's custom stuff and is part of a total engine package. But then who the heck would do that to a 4 cyl Toyota 4x4?... That LC package is nice stuff, change your gears and you'll be ahead of 99% of all the other 22RE owners. I ran mine bone stock except for a K&N drop-in (Those CAI types are silly if you go off road - see pic below) for 172,000 satisfied miles. I was always gonna do headers and exhaust but never seemed to get around to it. Hard to mess with something that worked perfectly. Imagine THIS
Pic with a ColdAirIntake. Riiiight.

A few years back a customer/friend (with lots o money, we like those...) decided to "do" his Grand Cherokee. He bought a G-tech, and we did Borla headers, Borla exhaust, an intake, and a chip. (Seems like it Hypertech but I can't remember now.) We ran the thing a couple times down the strip with the Gtech between each stage. The exhaust made the biggest gain, and then the intake, the headers quite a bit less gain. But the chip made no difference that we could detect, and his mileage went down bad. We took out the chip and it ran just as well, but his mileage was now better than stock. That's only one example, but I've heard many more stories that the chip wasn't worth it than positive stories, except for diesels.

Maverick

Cool, I've been thinking about it and I think you're right, I'm just going to put in some gears and maybe a rear locker and call it a day. The chip thing, just doesn't sound as reliable enough for me to justify spending 400$ on it. Thanks for the input. Talk soon

Godspeed,

Maverick