Trying To Decide On Exhaust Systems

MikeInCtown · March 21, 2009

Not looking to spend $600 on a stainless system so $400 is about my max. I'll probably be doing the install myself and can get nearly anything locally at Summit racing. I already have a CAI and uinless you get on it the noise is minimal to non existant. I'm looking to keep the noise down as much as possible in the cab while still having a nice tone in the back and a little power gain via the free flow 3" pipes. Would like to keep it single side exit for OE appearance.

My choices so far seem to be

An Edelbrock 5700 system. Never heard an Edelbrock muffler but in looking at them in person they seem to be built as well as a flowmaster, if not better.

Banks 48333 A bit more expensive that I would like but I know that with some trucks they are the chit.

Flowmaster 17362 This has the Big Block 50 series muffler for a quieter tone and also a resonator before the muffler to cut cab noise down. Price is ok too.

Summit 685710 I really like the price but think I might want more than just a turbo muffler. I guess I could add in a Flowmaster instead but the turbo is shorter and I 'm not sure there is enough straight section in the pipes to cut and fit in the Flowmaster. The price would certainly be better but I would lose the resonator the Flowmaster has.

If anyone can share experiences and recommendations I would appreciate it.

Mike

Stevens03 · March 21, 2009

I have a friend selling gibson super truck exhaust. I'm not sure if it's all stainless steel but $375 shipped is a good price. I'm a big fan of Magnaflow for the price. Several times I've found it for under $400 and it's all stainless steel. Also a big fan of Borla and Corsa,... Which both are all stainless steel.

If your patient, you can find all of them cheap. I got my Corsa Sport for $450 delivered. It was used, but only 3 months, so to me, it's like new. I will say, I'm not a fan of flowmaster. It does sound good, but on my previous truck (03, 5.3) I lost low end torque and it rusted out in under 2.5" years. To me, it was money wasted.

Good luck.

Steven

Z71 GMC · March 21, 2009

I replaced my stock muffler with a flowmaster or "dronemaster" 40 seires. At 65 it hums pretty bad and yet really isnt to loud when I get on it. It also it made my top end alot slower. Ive heard good things about dynomax bullets.

NFSGamerUSA · March 21, 2009

Here's a MagnaFlow cat-back for $472.45 shipped. I know it's a little more than you want to spend, but it'll last a lot longer than aluminized steel cat-backs. Plus, you know it'll be fairly quiet unless you get on it. A Flowmaster will be quite loud in comparison, even when not on the throttle, and won't flow very well (which results in little performance gain). If you want to keep the stock appearance, you could just get the muffler and use the stock piping.

MikeInCtown · March 21, 2009

Here's a MagnaFlow cat-back for $472.45 shipped. I know it's a little more than you want to spend, but it'll last a lot longer than aluminized steel cat-backs. Plus, you know it'll be fairly quiet unless you get on it. A Flowmaster will be quite loud in comparison, even when not on the throttle, and won't flow very well (which results in little performance gain). If you want to keep the stock appearance, you could just get the muffler and use the stock piping.

LOL, It figures that with Amazon as soon as you see something you like it goes up $50.

With my discounts I can get it from Summit for $500 now. Really not looking to spend that much though. I wish I would have crawled under a truck that I was looking at buying back in January before I went with the truck I got. That thing had such an annoying noise that I would have gotten sick ot it within a week. Oddly enough I had a flowmaster on an S-10 I owned and it made the truck sound so badass and it never really was that loud. It did drone on the highway but it wasn't that bad. I also know there is a difference between the 40 series shorty muffler and the 50 series longer big block design.

I just wish that the stock system was 3" all the way. If I go just new muffler then I need some type of adapters to make it 2.75. I'm sure I could find aluminized or stainless ones though and that may be the way to go to see if I can handle the noise with an aftermarket without spending the $$$. (of course then the turbo Summit brand becomes very appealing.)

NFSGamerUSA · March 21, 2009

Here's a MagnaFlow cat-back for $472.45 shipped. I know it's a little more than you want to spend, but it'll last a lot longer than aluminized steel cat-backs. Plus, you know it'll be fairly quiet unless you get on it. A Flowmaster will be quite loud in comparison, even when not on the throttle, and won't flow very well (which results in little performance gain). If you want to keep the stock appearance, you could just get the muffler and use the stock piping.

LOL, It figures that with Amazon as soon as you see something you like it goes up $50.

With my discounts I can get it from Summit for $500 now. Really not looking to spend that much though. I wish I would have crawled under a truck that I was looking at buying back in January before I went with the truck I got. That thing had such an annoying noise that I would have gotten sick ot it within a week. Oddly enough I had a flowmaster on an S-10 I owned and it made the truck sound so badass and it never really was that loud. It did drone on the highway but it wasn't that bad. I also know there is a difference between the 40 series shorty muffler and the 50 series longer big block design.

I just wish that the stock system was 3" all the way. If I go just new muffler then I need some type of adapters to make it 2.75. I'm sure I could find aluminized or stainless ones though and that may be the way to go to see if I can handle the noise with an aftermarket without spending the $$. (of course then the turbo Summit brand becomes very appealing.)

Sorry, that was the wrong link, here's the correct one.

You should just be able to weld a 3" muffler's inlet and outlet over the factory 2.75" piping. I don't think the gaps are large enough that you'd need transitional pipes.

You can buy just the piping from the muffler back (15463) for $104.47 here, and with the muffler ($99.67) you could have everything sans the mid-pipe, hardware, and tip (it'll look more factory without it, though) for $204.14.

thecraft · March 21, 2009

Ive heard good things about dynomax bullets.

That's what I have, it's very loud on the outside. It doesn't drone at all, but it isn't exactly quiet in the cab either.

There's a link to a sound clip in my sig.

Ranger · March 22, 2009

I like my MBRP...They have an aluminized system for under 400 I believe, but I went with the midrange stainless steel and I love the sound...It's a lot "cleaner" than the fart can mufflers, has a nice rumble at cruising RPMs and at WOT it'll REALLY rumble.