I chose a Fram Air Filter....and why

[outrun]

I despise Fram for their poor oil filter design.

I despise Castrol for their hare brained Group III synthetic re-definition.

However I have used German Castrol as I felt it was an excellent product.

I just choose Fram Paper Air filter the number pleats it had were much more than the Purolator.

My reasoning was more surface area meant more area to trap and hold particles.

Was my customer reasoning sound?

 

[XS650]

I'm not aware of any problems with Fram air filters.

It it looks good and has lots of area, it should be OK.

I don't think the Frsm oil filter people are allowed to contaminate the air filter designers thought processes. Or, maybe because air filter elements are out in the open and fuly visible, Fram decided to not cheese out as much on their air filters.

 

[Razl]

Fram air filters are well made paper filters. They use the scrap pieces of paper from making the air filter to make their oil filter end caps.

[ December 15, 2004, 12:39 AM: Message edited by: Razl ]

 

[T-Keith]

It's hit and miss. Some Fram filter seem decent others are no where near OEM quality. I've also seen them vary on materials, for instance using paper in a "fuzzy" Toyota element application.

Comparing price I've found them equivalent to a more trusted brand(wix or purolator) so I went with that instead. I'm not sure why we need to justify buying another brand. With Fram's reputation I think we need to justify buying the Fram.

-T

 

[haley10]

Fram may have some good air filters, but I don't know if the reasoning is sound. I have a Purolator now and was concerned as you were. I may do a used oil analysis just to check it out. The Purolator was made in USA, but didn't have near the pleats as the STP's I was using. I got scared and bought an AC Delco, but I may give the Purolator a used oil analysis first. Better media might be superior over strictly the number of pleats.

 

[goodvibes]

I don't think the amount of media will add to how well it filters but may offer longer use. The media is probably more important. More area should provide better flow.

 

[seotaji]

My fram filter is not made by fram, and that's good enough for me.

 

[SpitIX]

While I avoid Fram oil filters, I have no reservations about using Fram air filters.
I change air filters in all our vehicles once a year regardless of mileage. Easy and cheap to do.
Thanks.

 

[wavinwayne]

I'm running a Fram air filter on my VW GTI 1.8T & I'm happy with it. It's suprisingly clean, too, but that's got more to do with where I drive than anything else.

 

[totttalled]

I'd like to use the "triad" design Fram air filters that I've seen, but Fram doesn't make that for my application. For me, it 's the red papered Korean product that's identical to the Wix. To respond to your question, Yes, the Fram Triad stuff looks like it would work very well. But for my application, STP looks best to me.

 

[TC]

Other than ensuring I'm buying a name brand, I probably don't care what brand of air filter I buy -- I'll simply compare pleat counts and depths (to give you a rough approximation of area) and price. There appears to be so much outsourcing and/or subcontracting of air filters that one may not know what they're getting regardless of the name on the package. With oil filters, you can't see what's in 'em unless you cut it apart or view BITOG autopsy photos. So having full faith in a particular brand is key there. But with air filters, everything's exposed to naked eye, so I suspect that a good visual inspection overrides the more usual Brand X vrs Brand Y loyalties. Another issue that's been popping up a lot is the failure of the air filter's seal to seal properly (whether due to size, elasticity, or whatever). With certain rides (but not most), this issue -- seal effectiveness -- may thoroughly trump all other construction features such as media area.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

I tried Fram air filters simply because I remembered to pick one up while at at the store, rather than forgetting to get it altogether.

The filtration has been VERY good to excellent in my used oil analysis on my small Saturn. Hard to argue against low, low dirt ingestion. This positive experience hasn't turned me into a Fram lover, but at least this air filter isn't substandard quality like their bottom-end oil filters.

 

[GT Mike]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Fram one of the pioneers of the dry paper element air filter back in the day? I thought I read that somewhere that they were one of the first manufacturers to develop something better than a oil bath air cleaner that had been on top of most carburetors before that.

 

[Bagger_Matt]

Check out the Purolator web site. They claim to be the first oil filter makers, so maybe they made the firdt air filter too? Myself, I like fram products. I've used them for years with no ill results.

 

[RF Overlord]

I think this says it all:

"The brand's strengths have long included sophisticated advertising and promotion, as well as sales and marketing efforts."

(from FRAM's web site)

 

[Vstrom]

quote:

---

Originally posted by GT Mike:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Fram one of the pioneers of the dry paper element air filter back in the day?

---

Could be but who cares? Fram has changed hands and has probably long since run off all the experienced tech staff they once had anyhow

I get puzzled when companies advertise they were the first at something. Means nothing to me, first doesn't mean best, in fact it is usually someone else who perfects it

All that said...I also use Fram air filters, wouldn't touch a Fram oil filter though

 

[TheFuror]

quote:

---

Originally posted by outrun:
I despise Fram for their poor oil filter design...I just choose Fram Paper Air filter the number pleats it had were much more than the Purolator.

My reasoning was more surface area meant more area to trap and hold particles.

Was my customer reasoning sound?

---

I believe that Patman, for one, has used Fram Air Filters with good success and he is known for doing a great job of taking care of his vehicles.

My $0.02 is that they are fine.

Bob W.

 

[Donald]

I think the quality control for Fram is not what you get in an OEM filter. The seal of the filter is very important and that is where the quality control problems may be. So looking at the filter media and pleats is not enough. The silicon in my used oil analysis is higher than it should be and 11K of 14K for this oil change have been on a Fram air filter. So while I need to hunt around the air intake and vacuum lines for leaks, for now I blame the Fram ait filter.

 

[y_p_w]

Some Frams I've seen have a large excess of foam material where the media should be. I mean - I saw a big 'ol glob about 1/2" wide. In other Frams (made by Fram) I've used, I've cut myself on the metal mesh screen because the foam was too soft and I cut myself open on when the mesh poked through. I've never had any similar problems with AC Delco or OEM filters. The AC filters either used a harder rubber or foam surrounds, and were backed with a stiff wire mesh screen (like a screen door).

One of my cars (95 Integra) had a unique design, and pretty much any aftermarket filter from any distributor was made in either Korea or Thailand. The Fram was no different from a Purolator, Wix, STP, etc because it was simply relabelled.