Talk to anyone who has owned a diesel for more than five minutes and the name Banks Power comes up. The Monster Ram bolted to half the 6.7 Cummins trucks at the local sled pull. The Ram Air intake on every clean 6.7 Power Stroke at the truck show. The iDash glowing on the dash of every tow rig that knows what it's doing. Banks didn't earn that real estate by marketing. They earned it by engineering — and they've been doing it longer than most of the rest of the diesel aftermarket has been alive.

If you're new to the diesel game, this is the brand to know. If you've been at it a while, you already know. Either way, here's the no-fluff guide to what Banks actually makes, why their stuff works, and which Banks pieces belong on your truck. If you'd rather just have us spec the bundle, send us your build.

Who is Banks Power, and why does the diesel world respect them?

Gale Banks Engineering — better known to the truck world as Banks Power — has been engineering performance for diesel and gas vehicles since 1958. Sixty-plus years of dyno time, of real-world miles, of the kind of R&D budget most of the aftermarket doesn't pretend to spend. Their reputation isn't built on hype; it's built on the fact that when you bolt a Banks part on, it actually does what they said it would do — measured on a dyno, with the numbers published.

That matters in the diesel space, where there's no shortage of companies selling boxes with bold horsepower claims printed on the side. Banks publishes their data. They engineer for the platform, not for the catalog. And every part they sell goes through the same testing process — which is why their stuff fits, lasts, and delivers.

The Banks Power lineup, decoded

The Banks catalog is deep enough to confuse first-time shoppers. Here's the cheat sheet on the parts that actually matter for your diesel truck.

Banks Monster Ram

The most iconic single part Banks makes. The Monster Ram intake elbow replaces the restrictive stock intake elbow on a Ram Cummins with a high-flow, low-restriction billet piece that ends years of "wow, that air path is a disaster" frustration. It improves airflow to the head, reduces EGTs under load, and looks fantastic doing it. Pair it with a Banks Ram Air intake and you've got the cleanest, best-flowing air side on a Cummins, period.

Iconic doesn't usually mean "actually does something." On the Monster Ram, it does both.

Banks Ram Air Intake

Banks's cold air intake system — sealed housing, high-flow filter, optimized tube routing. It's Banks's answer to the broader cold-air-intake category and it competes head-to-head with S&B and the other major names. The Banks version tends to be particularly well-developed on Power Stroke and Cummins applications, with platform-specific kits that fit clean and deliver real, dyno-proven airflow gains.

If you're weighing intake options, our broader S&B cold air intake guide and the cold-air-intake worth-it deep dive cover the general topic. Banks's Ram Air slots right in as one of the brands worth comparing.

Banks Derringer / PedalMonster / Big Hoss

The tuning side. Banks builds in-line power modules (Derringer), throttle response controllers (PedalMonster), and full tuning suites (Big Hoss / Six-Gun heritage) that let you dial in power, throttle response, and shift firmness without resorting to sketchy unsupported tunes. The Banks tuning ethos is the same as their hardware ethos: published numbers, real-world supported, designed to live with daily-driver behavior intact.

If you're shopping tuners more broadly — Banks vs Edge vs EZ Lynk — we cover that in the broader buying-guide territory.

Banks Monster Exhaust

Stainless-steel, mandrel-bent exhaust systems for diesel trucks — turbo-back, cat-back, and DPF-back configurations depending on platform and year. The Banks exhaust philosophy is: bigger isn't always better, but smarter and smoother always is. Lower EGTs, better turbo response, and a tone that sounds the way a diesel exhaust is supposed to sound (without being obnoxious).

Banks iDash

The iDash SuperGauge is Banks's gauge/monitor solution — and it's one of the best pieces of cockpit hardware in the diesel aftermarket. Reads any PID your OBD-II can serve up, displays them on a clean color screen, and integrates with the rest of the Banks ecosystem for full-system monitoring. If you tow, you need a real gauge. The iDash is the right one.

Banks SpeedBrake / BrakeMaster (exhaust brake)

For trucks that didn't ship with a factory exhaust brake — or whose stock brake isn't enough — Banks's exhaust-brake products give you serious controlled descent capability. Long downgrades with a heavy trailer are why this exists. If you tow steep country, an exhaust brake isn't a luxury.

Banks PowerPack bundles

Curated stacks that pair Banks parts in proven combinations — intake + exhaust + tuner + monitor, etc. — for owners who want the whole package without piecing it together one part at a time. The PowerPack approach is the easy button for shoppers who want everything to work together by design.

Banks platform by platform

Ram 6.7 Cummins

The Banks lineup is at its deepest on the Cummins. The Monster Ram intake elbow + Banks Ram Air intake combo is the gold-standard air-side upgrade for the 6.7. Pair it with a Banks Derringer in-line tuner and an iDash, and you've got a truck that breathes, makes real power, and tells you exactly what it's doing. Add this to the rest of your 6.7 Cummins build — our first 5 upgrades guide lays out the order of operations.

Browse the rest of the Cummins parts selection to round out the build.

Ford 6.7 Power Stroke

The Banks Ram Air intake on a 6.7 Power Stroke is one of the cleanest, most-recommended air-side upgrades available — the stock airbox is famously restrictive, and Banks's kit makes a meaningful, measurable difference. Add a Derringer or PedalMonster and an iDash and you've got a tow rig that responds the way you want and tells you what the engine is actually doing.

Pair with the broader Power Stroke parts lineup, and don't skip your CP4 disaster prevention while you're spending money.

GM L5P Duramax (and earlier)

Banks's Duramax coverage is solid across the LB7 to L5P range, with intake, exhaust, monitor, and tuner products specific to each. The L5P specifically is a platform where the Banks ecosystem (Derringer + iDash + Ram Air) really shines — engineered for the platform's specifics rather than a one-size-fits-nothing approach.

Browse the matching Duramax parts selection.

Why Banks engineering is actually different

Most of the diesel aftermarket isn't really "engineering" — it's "we put our name on this part somebody else made." Banks is the opposite. They have their own dyno cells. They publish their test data. They actually CFD their intakes and exhaust paths before producing them. That's why their stuff fits like OEM and performs better than parts that cost twice as much.

What that means for you as a buyer:

• Their numbers are real. When Banks publishes a horsepower figure, it's on their dyno, on a calibrated baseline, repeatable. Compare that to the catalog companies whose "+150 HP" claim came from a hopeful marketing meeting.
• Their fitment is dialed. Banks parts go on cleanly because they were engineered around the truck, not adapted afterward.
• Their lineup integrates. A Banks tuner, Banks intake, Banks exhaust, and Banks iDash all play together by design — not by accident.
• Their support is real. They actually answer the phone. They actually update software. They actually have technical depth behind the catalog.

None of that is free. Banks parts aren't the cheapest in the catalog. But they're the parts we recommend to customers who want it done right the first time and never want to revisit it.

Stacking Banks with the rest of your build

A Banks package isn't an island. It works best as part of a coherent build alongside the other names you'll see across our catalog:

• FASS lift pump to feed everything clean, pressurized fuel — see our FASS guide.
• S&S Diesel CP4 protection on any 2011+ CP4-equipped truck — see the disaster prevention guide.
• Fleece Cheetah turbo on the 6.7 Cummins side — see our Cheetah guide.
• Hamilton Cams flat-tappet on 2019+ Cummins — see the Hamilton conversion guide.
• Quality injectors from our injector lineup when you're pushing real power.

The whole point of a stack like that is each piece supports the others. Banks's stuff was engineered to be part of a system; that's exactly how to use it.

What a Banks-anchored build actually costs

Real-talk on the budget — Banks isn't bargain-bin. Rough numbers on the headline pieces:

For that, you're getting parts that will outlast the truck and a system that's been engineered to work together. The dollars-per-smile ratio is excellent for owners who value quality and longevity over chasing the cheapest part on the marketplace.

Install: a weekend for the basics, more for the full stack

Each Banks part is a friendly install — they're famous for clear, complete instructions and good hardware. Rough difficulty:

• Monster Ram elbow: a couple of hours, hand tools, easy DIY.
• Ram Air intake: Saturday morning, basic tools.
• Derringer / PedalMonster: plug-and-play once you've located the connector — usually under an hour.
• iDash: 30 minutes once you've decided on mounting.
• Monster Exhaust: a half-day with a lift.
• SpeedBrake / exhaust brake: takes more time and care — half-day minimum.

If you want it done bundled with whatever else you're adding — and to make sure the air-side, fuel-side, and tuning all play together — drop it off with us. Our techs install Banks gear constantly.

Banks vs the catalog brands: where they actually differ

This is the question we get every time an owner is comparing options. Without trashing competitors, here's the honest read on where Banks separates from the pack.

• Engineering depth. Banks runs their own dyno cells, employs their own engineers, and publishes their own data. Most catalog brands are buying parts from the same overseas suppliers and slapping a name on the box.
• Platform-specific R&D. When Banks designs a Ram Air intake for a 6.7 Power Stroke, it's because they spent weeks measuring airflow at that engine. Catalog brands typically reskin a generic kit and call it a fit.
• Long-term support. Banks has been around long enough that you can buy a part today and still get service support, software updates, and replacement parts a decade from now.
• Published, repeatable numbers. Banks's horsepower and EGT claims are dyno-verified and reproducible. Marketing-claim numbers are not.

That's why we keep stocking Banks alongside the other quality brands — they aren't competing on price, they're competing on whether the part is actually going to do what it said it would. Most of the time, the answer is yes.

Install order: where Banks pieces belong in your build

If you're starting from a stock truck and asking which Banks part to add first, the right order tracks closely to the broader "first 5 upgrades" framework we laid out in our 6.7 Cummins guide:

1. Banks iDash first. You can't optimize what you can't measure. Bolt on the iDash, learn what your truck is actually doing on tow and on the highway, and use that baseline to inform every later decision.
2. Monster Ram (if you're on a Cummins). Cheap, easy, immediately visible improvement. Best dollars-per-impact part in the catalog.
3. Banks Ram Air intake. The natural air-side companion to the Monster Ram (or the air-side upgrade on Power Stroke and Duramax where there's no Monster Ram equivalent).
4. Banks Monster Exhaust. Once the intake side is opened up, the exhaust side benefits proportionally. Order matters here.
5. Banks Derringer / Big Hoss tuning. Now that the truck breathes properly, give it a tune that matches.
6. SpeedBrake / exhaust brake. When and if you tow steep grades, this gets you home safer.

That's a build that grows logically, with each piece supporting the next, and every dollar going somewhere it actually pays back.

Frequently asked questions

Is Banks Power worth the money?

For most owners, yes. Banks parts cost more than the cheapest options in the catalog, but they're engineered, tested, and supported in ways the cheaper alternatives aren't. If you intend to keep the truck and want it done right, Banks earns the spend.

What does the Banks Monster Ram do?

It replaces the restrictive stock intake elbow on a Ram Cummins with a high-flow billet piece. Better airflow into the head, lower EGTs under load, and one of the cleanest engine-bay looks in the diesel aftermarket.

Is the Banks Ram Air intake better than S&B?

Both are quality intakes from companies that engineer their products. Banks's strength is in their integrated ecosystem (intake + tuner + monitor); S&B's strength is in filtration depth and platform breadth. Honestly, either is a great choice. We install both and the customers don't come back unhappy with either.

What is the Banks Derringer?

An in-line power module that delivers added power, throttle response, and tunability without the complications of full ECU reflashing. Designed to integrate with the iDash for monitoring and adjustment on the fly.

Does the Banks iDash work on my truck?

If your truck has OBD-II (essentially every truck this article is about), yes. The iDash reads standard PIDs and integrates with Banks's broader product line for system-level monitoring. Year, make, and engine specifics determine which PIDs are available.

Does Banks make parts for the L5P Duramax?

Yes — Banks covers the L5P with intake, exhaust, tuning, and monitor products specifically engineered for the platform. The Banks Duramax lineup has gotten deeper over the L5P's lifetime.

Can I install Banks parts myself?

The intake elbow, Ram Air intake, Derringer, and iDash are all weekend-DIY-friendly installs. The Monster Exhaust and SpeedBrake are more involved but still well within reach with a lift and decent tools. Ask us if you want any of it installed.

What's a Banks PowerPack?

A curated bundle of Banks parts engineered to work together — typically intake + exhaust + tuner + monitor as a complete package. The easy button for shoppers who want a coherent Banks build without picking parts one at a time.

Why Banks is on the short list, every time

You can build a diesel a hundred different ways. You can pick from a hundred brands. Banks earned its spot on the short list — and stays there — because their stuff works the way they said it would, fits like it was designed to fit, and outlasts the trucks it's bolted to. Sixty-plus years of engineering does that.

Shop the full Banks Power collection at DNR Customs, browse the broader air intakes & filters and exhaust selections, and when you're ready to spec the right Banks pieces for your year, platform, and goals — and bundle the install with anything else the truck needs — request a quote. We'll get you set up right the first time, every time.