RK Sport Carbon Fiber Ram Air Hood

[JeepLab]

Something was missing....

I knew Black Betty was mean, 37s, supercharged, but I didnt get the "stop the presses" attention i thought she deserved.

Enter the RKsport Carbon Fiber Ram Air Hood.

1. Its their carbon fiber model, wich is good because you wouldnt paint it, and its marine carbon fiber so it wont yellow over time.

2. The look is very agressive. Makes the truck look like its snarling at you.

3. FUNCTION - this should probably number one. Its a ram air hood, so my RIPP supercharger breaths cold air while the channels inside the hood keep the air moving and water out of the engine bay.

Im very impressed with it so far. The packaging was the sprayed in foam, so it was locked in place, and the finish on the hood was fantastic.

The underside of the hood is fiberglass, so its very rigid, but not a whole lot lighter than the stock hood, about 8 lbs. Thats the cost of the excellent design.

Carbon Fiber hoods are really normally very light, but also flimsy. This is more of a carbon fiber shell top on top of the channel system thats made of fiberglass.

[JeepLab]

Here's how it looks coming out of the box. Well packaged and held in place with spray foam

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[JeepLab]

Here it is out of the box.

The resin is marine grade so it wont turn yellow. It really is very cool up close. Here it is unpacked.

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[JeepLab]

I know what your thinking.... Sure the carbon fiber looks good on a black truck, but what about my Dozer? or Rescue green?

The RK sport people have other options, that are cheaper, and have exactly the same function. You can get an all fiberglass model, that you'd paint for almost half of what this full carbon fiber model costs, but then realize that your adding the cost of a paint job.

They also have a middle grade that has the outer area of the hood all fiberglass, and then blister in the center still carbon fiber. That'd be a cool look on any truck. - Body paint matched hood with a REAL carbon fiber power dome on it. Really cool.

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[JeepLab]

Here's how it looks on black betty.

Really mean looking.

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[Pete]

Hood looks awesome. I was wondering if your air filter will get wet when you are driving in the rain?

[Rexx19]

That garage floor looks awesome too. What is that?

[JeepLab]

Hood looks awesome. I was wondering if your air filter will get wet when you are driving in the rain?

The air filter is protected by baffles inside the hood. So air goes in, and thru, but in order to get to the intake, it goes, over one half wall, and under another to keep water out, but let air flow in.

[JeepLab]

That garage floor looks awesome too. What is that?

The floor is Pure Metallic Epoxy.

Its a military grade epoxy floor. Storm cloud base coat, with House of Smoke effects.

Very cool. and TOUGH.

[Snarf77]

Those hoods look like they'd be useful during the summer to get rid of some heat in the JK's engine bay. I'm switching to the metalcloak aluminium inner fender liners and metalcloak says they are good for up to a 30 degree heat reduction. I bet if you combined them with a hood like this (I like the color matched!) the air allowed in with the more open fender wells would vent up through the hood when idling and then in the front of the hood when moving.

[JeepLab]

Those hoods look like they'd be useful during the summer to get rid of some heat in the JK's engine bay. I'm switching to the metalcloak aluminium inner fender liners and metalcloak says they are good for up to a 30 degree heat reduction. I bet if you combined them with a hood like this (I like the color matched!) the air allowed in with the more open fender wells would vent up through the hood when idling and then in the front of the hood when moving.

That is cool. For the most part the hood is closed except right over the intake. I would like to see those finder liners, Please post pics when you can.

[Snarf77]

That is cool. For the most part the hood is closed except right over the intake. I would like to see those finder liners, Please post pics when you can.

Here is how they work. With the Metalcloak Overline fenders (overland as well), you remove the plastic liner and replace with some precision bent aluminum pieces shown here in red:

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I've powder coated mine matte textured black and they should be installed in about two weeks. I can get some better pics then. They seem like they'll keep the mud/muck out where needed while concurrently adding a ton of airflow.

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[JeepLab]

Here is how they work. With the Metalcloak Overline fenders (overland as well), you remove the plastic liner and replace with some precision bent aluminum pieces shown here in red:

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I've powder coated mine matte textured black and they should be installed in about two weeks. I can get some better pics then. They seem like they'll keep the mud/muck out where needed while concurrently adding a ton of airflow.

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from the pic, it looks like theres a space where mud can splash thru. Do they overlap?

[Snarf77]

No, they don't overlap. They simply cover the open areas that lead to the engine bay and components. The places they leave "open" are where the mud/gunk/salt will hit other surfaces like the tub, frame, etc. Not as much protection as a giant plastic bowl of a stock fender liner but better for air movement, access, etc.

[JeepLab]

I think those inner fenders from Metal Cloak would be good for heat reduction, but im not sure about how much heat is going out of the channels of the RKsport hood.

The hood takes the air and forces it down to the intake, which is fantastic for cold air, but for helping hot air escape im not so sure. The perhaps at high speeds, the hood would force the hot air of the engine bay out thru the inner fenders, and at low speeds, the hot air may escape through the intake to the rear vents.

My meaning is, you can see the large vents in the rear of the hood. You'd think they were great for heat reduction, but they are not directly open to the engine bay. They are connected to channels that lead to the nose, and to the intake.

[Rexx19]

So the difference between this RKsport hood and Deola's Heat Expulsion hood is that one sucks air in on purpose, and the other spits it out on purpose?

[Snarf77]

IT seems like it would have the same effect while driving with the fender liners. While air is heading in and down to the intake, the hot air that it displaced would have more freedom to exit the engine bay.

I could see how, at idle and while not moving, the heat may not have a way to to up and out of the hood through the scoop. But still, that scoop isn't doing a damn thing to bring in air when you're not moving forward anyway. Right?

[Snarf77]

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What are the vents to the left and right of the carbon fiber scoop for, if not to allow air in/out? Very curious. This hood looks amazing to me and I must get one for Jesse's girl eventually!

[JeepLab]

What are the vents to the left and right of the carbon fiber scoop for, if not to allow air in/out? Very curious. This hood looks amazing to me and I must get one for Jesse's girl eventually!

The vents in th rear are channeled to the nose. So there is only a 6"x6" hole (my guess) over where the intake would be. The rest is sealed.

[Snarf77]

The vents in th rear are channeled to the nose. So there is only a 6"x6" hole (my guess) over where the intake would be. The rest is sealed.

I think i really just need to see a picture of the underside of this hood. It would probably make a lot more sense to me.

OK so I found one:

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I wonder how the heck the ram air works with a snorkel that has a sealed air box?!?

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[JeepLab]

Well done. Do you see what I mean about the channels?

[Snarf77]

Well done. Do you see what I mean about the channels?

Oh I'm with you on the channels. I'm guessing those side vents allow the air rammed in the front to escape the hood to keep cool air flowing over the intake. Still baffled on the snorkel pic.

[JeepLab]

Still baffled on the snorkel pic.

Must be a sealed system. There are baffles in between the intake in front of the hood and the rear vents, so no water is getting in that way.

We haven't submerged ours however.

[Pznivy]

Must be a sealed system. There are baffles in between the intake in front of the hood and the rear vents, so no water is getting in that way.

We haven't submerged ours however.


Do not submerge it.....unless you have a hemi laying around....6.4 only.

[Rexx19]

Is there a 6.4 L Hemi coming?


.....is this how rumors start?


(get a hemi, I want to see it up against the stable of SCs. AND THE TURBO.)

[JeepLab]

Focusing on the turbo right now. Maybe there's a future hemi coming.