JDM's 93 Performance Tune vs 5 Star's 93 Performance Tune

[NJStangersJonathan]

Here's my Raptor Tuning Comparison between JDM Engineering 93 Perf Tune and Five Star 93 Perf Tune:

For the last 7000+ miles, I've been running 5 Star's 93 Performance Tune which I really loved, probably because I wasn't driving the truck as much as I am now to realize a few things (read below). Now for the last 1000+ miles, I've running JDM's 93 Performance tune and loving it.

Here's a few comments on what I've noticed so far.

• JDM's Tune has smoother shifting especially at highway speeds when you want to pass someone. Five Star's tune makes the truck shift so hard (when you mash the gas pedal) that it will get old fast if you do alot of highway driving (like I have in the last 2 months).
• Five Star's tune is definitely is very touchy; it can make driving in parking lots and other tight spots a challenge. JDM's tune is a bit more relaxed and does what you expect it to do when you tap the gas pedal.
• Five Star's tune is definitely fun to drive in the snow, but renders 4wd usability USELESS. JDM's on the other hand, gives you much more control when you need it, especially in 4WD...the power is still there but it won't cause you to wheel hop as much. I'm not sure how it is off-road but too much tire spin could put you in some really bad hairy situations quick. JDM's tune seems to have that under control....
• If you are looking for a performance tune for a daily driven truck then JDM's tune is the one for you. If you are looking for an all-out Go-Kart inspired tune that will have your head and neck hating the harsh shifting, 5 Star's tune is the way to go.
• JDM's tune is definitely a bit more pricer but then again we are driving around in $50k trucks so a tune of this caliber is worth the money for our Raptors.
• For those concerned with MPGs: For over 7000 miles I averaged 11-13 mpg with Five Star's tune. With JDM's Tune (last 1000+miles), I've been averaging 14-16 mpg which is insane especially with my driving patterns. I'm about ready to let my gf drive it around and see what type of numbers she'll get out of it as my lead foot loves to pass people.

My review is based on my driving for the last year with Five Star's Tune and just recently spent over 1000+ miles driving on JDM's tune from Central NJ to Albany NY and various other parts of the state, through snow & rain storms and crappy overall winter weather.

Note: This is just my opinion and hopefully it helps you decide which type of tune would best suit your driving patterns, whether you are daily driving your truck or just using it for pleasure or just looking to try out a tune with smoother shifting. Both companies are reputable tuners and this merely my opinion on how I feel about their 93 Performance tunes.


Anyone else on here running tunes by JDM Engineering?
I knew they were very popular among the Lightnings and Mustangs and I'm glad to see that they know what they are doing when it comes to the Raptor market as well!


Dyno Sheet w/5 Star's Tune:

Dyno Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3d1gd9MxFw

 

[SlimChaChi]

nice review man, sounds like JDM has a nice tune I should try out...I agree with you on the 5* tune, which was a big reason for me swapping out for SVCs. 5* got old quick, I had it on my eco and gave it a shot on the Raptor thinking it was just an eco thing, yeaaaaah, the tune was still rough and not to my liking. JDMs sounds very similar to SVCs, glad you're liking it so far!

 

[Nick@JDM]

Jonathan,

How many MPG!?

I am glad to hear you are happy with the performance of your truck. Tunes from different companies often times reflect on the individual tuners style of driving and what they feel is best at first. Since 2010 we accepted feedback from many 6.2L Raptor owners in order to build a tune file that has the best possible mix of Performance and Drivability.

Some choose to offer multiple tune files that allow you to change how your truck responds depending on how you feel that day. We prefer to offer one file that can literally do it all just like how the truck came from Ford but with performance in mind. Jim Sr. was a Ford calibrator in the past so he is very used to compromise and understands the need for balance. These things are what differ between a good tune and a great tune.

---------- Post added at 10:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:58 AM ----------

nice review man, sounds like JDM has a nice tune I should try out...I agree with you on the 5* tune, which was a big reason for me swapping out for SVCs. 5* got old quick, I had it on my eco and gave it a shot on the Raptor thinking it was just an eco thing, yeaaaaah, the tune was still rough and not to my liking. JDMs sounds very similar to SVCs, glad you're liking it so far!

Hey Slim : )

Just give us a call if you ever want to stop by the shop and have us load in one of our tunes. I am sure the guys on here would love to hear a review from someone who has all 3.

 

[SlimChaChi]

Hey Slim : )

Just give us a call if you ever want to stop by the shop and have us load in one of our tunes. I am sure the guys on here would love to hear a review from someone who has all 3.

Might have to take you up on that, I'm not far from you guys...I'll give you guys a ring after the holidays for sure!

 

[Nick@JDM]

Might have to take you up on that, I'm not far from you guys...I'll give you guys a ring after the holidays for sure!

Sounds like a plan. Have a safe and healthy holiday

 

[cpost6]

14-16 mpg? I had no idea a Raptor could do that! You sure your running that truck hard? Must be a real lean tune. My truck averages 12.5 and my boys 11.9 and we run hard and also do quite a bit of interstate driving also since that is what surrounds Chattanooga, TN.

Your better comparison would have been the 93 5* Daily Street Tune like the ones I have completely evaluated in both of our Trucks. The 5* 93 Performance tune (which I have also ran) was not designed to be like what you are describing with the JDM tune. The Daily street tune is. The Performance Tune is more of an all-out race tune. I suggest that you get a 5* 93 Daily Street tune and do another comparison!

 

[Nick@JDM]

14-16 mpg? I had no idea a Raptor could do that! You sure your running that truck hard? Must be a real lean tune. My truck averages 12.5 and my boys 11.9 and we run hard and also do quite a bit of interstate driving also since that is what surrounds Chattanooga, TN.

Your better comparison would have been the 93 5* Daily Street Tune like the ones I have completely evaluated in both of our Trucks. The 5* 93 Performance tune (which I have also ran) was not designed to be like what you are describing with the JDM tune. The Daily street tune is. The Performance Tune is more of an all-out race tune. I suggest that you get a 5* 93 Daily Street tune and do another comparison!

The better fuel economy is not from a leaner mixture. These truck have wideband AFR sensors and run in closed loop all of the time. During cruising condition the computer will try to keep the AFR at about 14.7:1. Under WOT conditions (higher load) more fuel will come in where it matters most.

Better fuel economy is achieved through modifying the cruising (low load) spark advance tables. Since Jonathan is running 93 octane we can raise these up as well.

 

[cpost6]

Were the conditions for each run file printed at the bottom of your dyno sheet. The date, time, temp, humidity, SAE correction factor. They should be there since run file peak numbers are posted on graph. Would like to see.

 

[ReyLorenzo]

Nice review. I'd love to see the dyno figures with the JDM tune compared to the 5 Star. Did you ever run any other 5 Star tunes other than the performance tune? The reason I ask is because I recently purchased X4 tuner with 5 tunes from 5 Star, and I've been running the 93 octane street (daily driving) tune and it sounds a lot like the JDM tune. At first the shifting was a bit harsh, but after driving it for a couple of days the computer learned my driving style and it shifts smooth with no problems. I did notice a big improvement when passing on the highway. It finds the right gear much faster and you don't have to WOT to pass.

 

[cpost6]

The better fuel economy is not from a leaner mixture. These truck have wideband AFR sensors and run in closed loop all of the time. During cruising condition the computer will try to keep the AFR at about 14.7:1. Under WOT conditions (higher load) more fuel will come in where it matters most.

Better fuel economy is achieved through modifying the cruising (low load) spark advance tables. Since Jonathan is running 93 octane we can raise these up as well.

14.079 (like from factory) for ethanol and 14.639 for 100% pure gas.