Recommendations for Tuning. Freektune vs Stratified. Crackle or not.

Discussion in 'Mazdaspeed 3/6 ECU Tuning' started by Dusty, Feb 13, 2021.

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  1. Dusty

    Dusty Greenie N00B Member

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    Hey guys,
    This is my first time ever posting on a forum, so sorry if I mess something up. I’m looking to get my car tuned and am trying to decide between Freektune and Stratified. The only thing holding me back from going with Freektune is the crackle tune offered by Stratified lol. On one hand I’m concerned the crackle tune might not be the best for my car, but I also don’t intend to run the crackles all that much. Any advice or input would be appreciated. Also I am looking at the OTS tunes from each company with 1 revision.
    Thanks.

    My current mods are:
    Cobb SRI + TIP
    HPFP INTERNALS
    Cobb catback.
     
    Dusty, via an iPhone, Feb 13, 2021
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  2. Easter Bunny

    Easter Bunny Professional Engineer Motorhead Platinum Member

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    Both are very good tuners for your mod list. If you were looking to make big power I would suggest freektune.

    Look at price or if the crackle tune is important and make your decision
     
    Easter Bunny, via a mobile device, Feb 13, 2021
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  3. MacheteJames

    MacheteJames Greenie Member

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    Fuck crackles, don't give the platform a bad name. We're better than that.
     
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  4. L337TurboZ

    L337TurboZ World Class Truck Squatter Greenie Member

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    Dont ever put a crackle tune on your car cause it "sounds good" they always will and always do sound like ass. Not to mention how are you going to "not run crackles" all that much? Are you going to constantly flash tunes back and forth whenever you feel like being an annoying ass to everyone around you? Not trying to be a jerk but thats what people will think of when they hear your car popping and farting like it's a prolapsed asshole. It also causes excessive wear on the engine by forcing the motor to run like that.

    Freektune has tuned my car and it runs very well. It is smooth, I get good gas mileage (21-24 mpg on average) even with me going WOT a few times a tank. The only downside to him is turn around time. Sometimes it can take between a week to 2 weeks to get a revision but he hasn't messed anything of mine up yet and others here have said he is good at what he does.

    Welcome to the forum as well. We all help each other out and it is a good community.
     
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  5. StayFrausty

    StayFrausty Frok Greenie Member

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    You will get crackles naturally with exhaust work and a tune. Tap the gas ever so slightly. Don’t even tap it, just touch it at like 4-3k.
    Go freektune and don’t look back
     
    StayFrausty, via an iPhone, Apr 8, 2021
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  6. neganox

    neganox Feline Führer Moderator Platinum Member

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    Just ask freektune to put in crackles if you want them. Prepare for virtual eyerolls tho.
     
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  7. _Mazdarati

    _Mazdarati I just want my car back Greenie Member

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    Please wipe the idea of crackles from you mind. Table rape is not good for the car.
     
    _Mazdarati, via a mobile device, Apr 8, 2021
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  8. Awafrican

    Awafrican Moderator Gold Member

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    Fuck crackle tunes! They're so bad and add absolutely nothing to the car stay the fuck away from stratifieds crackle tunes they're Popping engines consider this your warning.

    Go with Justin @freektune or will @purpledrank and you wont regret it if you really want some pops I'm sure Justin can add something that won't kill your car however I still won't recommend it and just going with a catless Downpipe means you'll get some fun tones


    I've personally been tuned with freektune for over 90k now and cars running great still, couldn't recommend him more, just make sure all your questions and concerns are in ONE email because if you send a follow up email it'll automatically bump you to the bottom of the que.
     
    Awafrican, via a mobile device, Apr 8, 2021
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  9. Duey1083

    Duey1083 Greenie Member

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    Stratified has been good for me, but I've only used them for their flash tunes. I haven't done anything custom with them.

    They're friendly guys and are always available to chat over the phone. A year after receiving one of their flash tunes, I decided to clean my valves and thought it was a good time to install my 3 bar MAP sensor with the manifold off. I sent them an email, Nolan sent me a revised tune within a couple hours; no charge, no questions asked.

    So, they do have great customer service.

    I'm with everyone else though...don't get a crackle tune. They're obnoxious and annoying as fuck and who knows what they'll do to your engine...probably not great for your valves or ringlands, and definitely bad for your catalytic converters (if you're running them).
     
    Duey1083, via a Samsung mobile device, Apr 8, 2021
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  10. Meicalnissyen

    Meicalnissyen Platinum Member

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    snap-crackle-pop.jpg
     
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  11. Sleepy_Pat

    Sleepy_Pat Silver Member

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    Freektune, purple drank, drama tune. All are good and two of those three have expressed to not even ask for crackle tunes lol. Just delete the cats and get a proper tune. I’m sure you’ll be satisfied with that route
     
    Sleepy_Pat, via an iPhone, Apr 10, 2021
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  12. Duey1083

    Duey1083 Greenie Member

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    Fixed.

    Dramatune is no good.
     
    Duey1083, via a Samsung mobile device, Apr 10, 2021
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  13. Easter Bunny

    Easter Bunny Professional Engineer Motorhead Platinum Member

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    Do not use dramatune.
     
    Easter Bunny, via a mobile device, Apr 13, 2021
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  14. Wannabemekanik

    Wannabemekanik Greenie N00B Member

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    I have been with stratified for the last 2 years on my Juan, after recently receiving a terrible basemap and customer service for revision I decided to switch to Dizzy tuning. Proud to say that I will NEVER be returning to stratified..

    EDIT: The quality of tune and customer service from Dizzy is remarkably better than Strat... Tuning forms, datalogging and replies from tuner were so simple and straightforward, leaving you with every detail you needed on your tune, and answered any further questions you had.
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2021
    Wannabemekanik, via a mobile device, Apr 13, 2021
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  15. Meicalnissyen

    Meicalnissyen Platinum Member

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    that really is a business? wow, my dumbass thought it was a blanket term for fly by nites
     
  16. ajkulish

    ajkulish Greenie Member

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    Why is this?

    I have been running a drama tune for years.
     
  17. Enki

    Enki Motorhead Platinum Member

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    index.jpg

    Edit: There's a whole thread here about them.
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2021
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  18. Easter Bunny

    Easter Bunny Professional Engineer Motorhead Platinum Member

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    Fuck dude worse than Cobb ots?
     
    Easter Bunny, via a mobile device, May 3, 2021
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  19. Enki

    Enki Motorhead Platinum Member

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    Man some of the shit he said to his users and myself. Hilarious.
     
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  20. Theoretics

    Theoretics Greenie Member

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    I had a full custom tune done by Stan over at Stratified in 2017.

    My car doesn't crackle at all and their customer service was wonderful to work with. I had a tendency to drop off the map for several months at a time for work but as long as I told them about it they were alright with it. The tune has been pretty great for my setup but I only have the Cobb OTS maps to compare it to.

    I guess a lot can change in that time.
     
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