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'19 Cherokee Trailhawk Performance Chips/Programmers

17K views 30 replies 11 participants last post by  Flybynightcru 
#1 ·
If I were to install a performance chip into my '19 Cherokee Trailhawk, which chip would you #1 recommend for me? I am brand new to all of this stuff, so I'll use all the help I can get.
 
#2 ·
You can't just install a performance chip into these vehicles. 2019+ has zero tuning options right now.
2014-2018 3.2 V6 Is supported but its not as simple as just plugging something in. It's a long process

 
#4 ·
I would like to do this too but I still have 2+ years of powertrain warranty. So I will be waiting. If you are willing to spend $5000 you can probably get something.
 
#6 ·
211587

Take your Cherokee to the Bonneville Salt Flats and see how fast it will go. Then decide what performance route you want to go with, tuned transmission for faster shifting or maybe higher gears for faster top end.
 
#9 ·
Eh my tires can't take over 99mph so I'm really just looking for more torque. I would like to hit about 330lbft.
 
#8 ·
I always ask the people who "want more power," how often they actually have their car over 4,000 rpm's? If you hardly ever use the upper half of the rpm range, you're wasting your time and money until you find out what your car can actually do.
If you do often run it over 4,000 rpms and it's "not enough," I dearly hope you're running on race tracks somewhere. I did, with a couple of different cars, and it's pretty surprising what a stock vehicle can do when you learn how to really drive it near the top of it's performance envelope. :)
Once you start chasing speed, don't forget about stopping, turning and traction. ALL those parts need to work together or very bad things can happen very quickly!
 
#11 ·
Don't forget about buying a spare TCM and ECM at a minimum and then getting the ECM unlocked.
 
#13 ·
What you can do is install a throttle delay eliminator. I have a 2019 Cherokee TrailHawk (not elite) 3.2L V6. I purchased a Sprint Booster in April and it does make a big difference. It plugs into the wiring harness at the pedal. I found it easier to just remove the pedal and plug it in and reinstall. I couldn’t contort myself to get up in there.😂 It has a satellite wire remote I keep in the little compartment under the light switches. I leave it set to 9 (high) always. Why else would I have it? It was only like $300 at the time. I’ve had one before for a Ford Escape and it worked the same way.
211603
 
#14 ·
I disagree, it's a placebo. If you know how to use your pedal you can get the same behavior. I bought the pedal commander and did timed runs and it doesn't affect the 0-60 time at all. However if you are interested in being able to press your pedal say 20% and that 20% = foot to the floor then sure you can get this product. It doesn't make your vehicle faster though.
 
#18 ·
Max, you can chip your trail hawk, but you should first think about giving it the ability to breath better with an intake and upgraded exhaust as a chip can only improve so much with factory equipment. I used K&N cold air intake first which made about 10hp difference then I would also recommend Magnaflow cat back exhaust System not only does it sound better but it again increased hp by about 15hp. Both are very easy for the DIY guy to do themselves. Once you have given your trail hawk a way to make more power then I would add your performa chip, which I used GTE stage 1 performance chip. All in all I went from 270hp stock 3.2L V6 to now I’m around 330hp and love it. Hope this helps. Cheers!
 
#19 ·
No you can't. Have YOU installed a "chip" and got those gains? The PCM is Locked to a hard limit of 295/ft/lbs, the TCM is locked to a hard limit of 295ft/lbs. Anything you do to try and increase the power will have the PCM and TCM pulling back engine timing and in turn power.



You can throw out all the numbers you want but you didn't get 330hp from your mods, in fact you didn't get 60hp from your mods you maybe got 10hp but without a dyno sheet or track times you really can't prove anything.

I used K&N cold air intake first which made about 10hp difference
You didn't even get that because the K&N Intake does not replace the intake resonator which is the greatest restriction in the stock intake system. Only the AFE and Flow master intakes replace the entire intake system

I would also recommend Magnaflow cat back exhaust System not only does it sound better but it again increased hp by about 15hp
Wrong again. The magnaflow system is overpriced and introduced MORE bends to the factory exhaust system flowing less. In fact nothing you do with the exhaust gains any power because the greatest restriction in the exhaust system is forward of the resonator and can't be replaced. If you want to do something with the exhaust its purely for exhaust sound only, no performance.




Here is a flowmaster super 10, no added bends to the system just bolts up to the factory I-Pipe


then I would add your performa chip, which I used GTE stage 1 performance chip
See above, your PCM is locked (unless you have a 2014) but even then the torque limits I mentioned above can ONLY be changed in HP Tuners not some stupid plug in module that does nothing.


I actually did get 50hp from my modifications and weighed my vehicle before racing at the track both stock and modified. Do you have such results?



The 16.34 time is, Flowmaster Muffler and AFE intake
the 15.09 time is HP Tuners Custom PCM and TCM Tune, Pentastar Upgrade Engine (PUG) lower intake manifold, and MMX Ported Throttlebody

Race weight was 4400lbs for both runs. I dropped my 1/4 mile by 1.22s and my ET went up 5.22mph, that's approx 50hp added


Now lets go to another Cherokee Trailhawk
16.2 time is an AFE Intake nothing else.
15.6 time is a custom 91 octane tune via HP Tuners


So doing nothing more than a Custom Tune, dropped 0.6s and gained 2.2mph ET


So to recap IF you want to make power with your 3.2 Cherokee

1. Either get an AFE Stage 2 intake (Or the ST model) Magnum FORCE Stage-2 Cold Air Intake System w/Pro 5R Filter Media
Or the flowmaster intake Flowmaster 615156 | Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk 3.2L Delta Force Air Intake System; 2014-2017

Only those intakes work because when the intake resonator is removed there is a large gain in torque in the lower RPM ranges where you feel it the most, reference this dynochart for proof.


Notice the 20-25ftlbs increase at low rpms, the K&N intake doesn't have those kind of gains because it doesn't replace the intake resonator as shown in these dyno results


2. Installing a PUG lower intake manifold flows more air = more horsepower and torque. It also lowers the torque peak of the engine slightly. This can be enhanced even more by tuning the VVT cam profiles to take advantage of the PUG design and have torque peak at a lower rpm.

3. HP Tuners MPVI2 is currently the ONLY way to tune a 3.2 Cherokee i've documented this in this thread. This also goes for the 9 speed tuning as well. HP Tuners is the only way to get that done, and there is only about 3 people on the planet that know how to tune the 9 speed (i'm one of them)

4. MMX Ported TB 3.6L V6 Pentastar Ported Throttle Body - MMX Modern Muscle Xtreme
This is another good upgrade that gives you a little bit of extra power as well.


So referring to the above mods, you can bolt on all those mods (intake, TB PUG manifold) and not tune anything. Biggest difference is you get better gas mileage on the highway and there is more power but its not an earth shattering difference and the difference is noticeable mostly above 4000rpm. In fact my Cherokee with all the bolt ons but running the stock tune, was slower than the Cherokee with only the intake and a custom tune. The tune is KEY to making more power in the KL platform it's tuned and locked down so much more than any other FCA vehicle that is sold today. I know this because I have spent hours and hours working on every aspect of performance on these vehicles.

I never did get to a dyno because there is none near me but in light of that I made sure to weigh my vehicle at the track before racing stock and modified. Using HP to weight calculators my gains amount to about 50hp. I do have the ability to measure engine torque (At the engine not the wheels) through AlfaOBD and i'll present you some data regarding that.



I'm able to launch my cherokee at 2600rpm (due to tuning the PCM and TCM)

301nm = 222ft/lbs (at the engine) now remember the vehicle is rated at 239ft/lbs at 4400rpm, and i'm almost making that 1800rpm sooner.

If you try and launch a non tuned cherokee (which I also own) this is what you get

110nm = 81ft/lbs

So now talking about torque lets look at the torque numbers during a 0-60 run and see how they compare. Both same vehicles but one is tuned with mods and the other isn't

The 2016 Cherokee with all the mods



Notice the peak torque is 358nm = 264ft/lbs (Stock is 239ft/lbs) Also notice how most of the time its 340nm-350nm = 250ft/lbs - 258ft/lbs

Now we will look at the stock cherokee doing the same test



Torque peaks at 303nm = 223ftlbs and stays in the 290nm range = 213ft/lbs

So what we get from this is that the modified cherokee gained approx 50hp and 40ft/lbs of torque. Again not a dyno result but given the drastic drop in 1/4 mile ET and the resulting 5mph trap speed increase it's a pretty good ballpark figure for what a REAL tuned and modified cherokee will run.

Oh and here's the video of the 2 fastest 3.2 Cherokees around


Yes that's all 4 wheels chirping on a prepped track surface.....
Here's another in car video of the tuned only cherokee showing the difference the PUG manifold and Ported TB makes compared to just a tune


I may come across as a jerk and call out people when they make performance claims but I know bullshit when I see it. Ss someone who has total first hand knowledge of how to make power in these vehicles you didn't post anything of value and in fact could be misleading people with your statements. Now if you have some measurable date to back up your statements i'd love to see it.
 
#20 ·
Thanks Tyler, I'm glad we got that straightened out!!! It's pretty damn hard to argue with fact, documentation, and numbers. It doesn't get any more black and white than that!!!
 
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#23 ·
"deep in the 14's" but you have a timeslip showing a 9.5 1/8 mile track slip and weigh a few hundred pounds less. 9.5 is not deep in the 14's it's 15 flat maybe 14.8 at the best. So show me an actual video and timeslip of a 1/4 mile time. You still have nothing
 
#31 ·
Agreed. Let's see an HP tuners TrackAddict powered video of any Cherokee doing 130. I'd pay money to see that. Downhill in neutral doesn't count...LOL!!!🤔😎
 
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