I've never really understood why people enjoy noisy exhaust systems so much? In some cases it's a result for racing applications because there is very little restriction and baffling on ...

I've never really understood why people enjoy noisy exhaust systems so much? In some cases it's a result for racing applications because there is very little restriction and baffling on purpose for tuned performance results. Otherwise, people will just slap stuff on an engine and it might even produce less power as a result, but they do it anyway.

Loud isn't powerful, loud isn't fast! Silence can be deadly!

Discuss?

I agree some what. On a sports / muscle car it should be loud. On a truck I don't like so much. Another thing I hate about after market exhaust on trucks is dual straight pipes out the back. It just doesn't do it for me. Maybe others like it and that's fine. I'm not saying I'm against exhaust on trucks. I just prefer a slight rumble with the single tip in the correct place.

Plain and simple, it's a personal choice. And I hate to tell you that pulling off a factory 40 lbs muffler with ton's of baffling and insulation and replacing it with a 5 lbs straight through design muffler has to do something other than take away horse power. I do agree that most aftermarket cat backs don't do much more than swapping in a high flow muffler since most of the factory exhausts are mandrel bent now but they do give you a high quality, stainless piped (most of the time), thought out exhaust that exits were you want it and can easily be installed in your driveway.

But like I first said, it's just a personal choice and you will never hear me make fun of someone for having a bone stock truck.

rdss wrote:And I hate to tell you that pulling off a factory 40 lbs muffler with ton's of baffling and insulation and replacing it with a 5 lbs straight through design muffler has to do something other than take away horse power.

Absolutely no doubt weight savings can be a massive benefit in some applications. On my race bikes weight reduction can have 15 lbs right off the top on a can swap and with these things the rule of thumb is for every 6 lbs of weight lost, 1 effective hp is gained. A full exhaust system swap with air filter and a power commander (fuel/air mapping system) can net a total of 10-12 hp. That's huge! Still most of the time, this doesn't need to result in being loud. Granted GP style cans are basically not much bigger than an empty beer can and are loud, but also tuned for it.

But it seems (by preference) I see too many people swap out a muffler or full exhause without re-programming or tuning to optimize performance. Cold air intake and exhaust WITH a tune will likely give 20+ish hp on our trucks, but that part sometimes just doesn't happen.

I did notice while installing my step sides my exhaust is the size of a 5 gallon paint can!

Yeah, that thing is a tank. Weight savings on a truck is less effective than a sport bike. I went with an 18" Magnaflow to keep noise down becuase I don't care for excesively loud cars, my Harley is a different story. I agree that you get minimal gains with just exhaust and intake and the tuner brings everything together. Most people have to buy in phases and choose what they want and can afford first, I went with the intake, exhaust and now I'm saving for a Diablo Sport tuner to wrap things up.

For trucks i don't really know how people can claim so much hp but with no dyno sheets, oem manufactures would do it themselves if they could. Some cars it's only for weight purposes, on my m3 I drop 40lbs going to a louder stainless steel exhaust, may of gained 2 hp. Its not terribly loud, just more noticeable. You cant teach class to some people about what is socially acceptable.

It's really all about personal preference. I prefer a more stealthy approach, and don't really want people to know I am coming a block before I get there. Some people want the "look at me" (or. I guess..."listen to me") approach.
To each there own. Let's not start talking about what that represents as far as "classy" or whatever. If we judged all of that, no one would ever mod a truck, because someone would disagree. We are here to enjoy and learn from the differences.

I like the sound of a low rumble, makes the truck sound like a truck.

One of the features of a louder exhaust is that it opens up the sound a lot more, so you can hear just about everything that happens in the engine. I personally love that (the pop after you let off the gas...the deep rumble on an off-throttle downshift...the scream when you drop the hammer...). With the myriad of exhaust choices out there, it's pretty easy to tailor your own unique sound. Plus, there's nothing more American than the sound of a Chevy small-block with a loud exhaust .

I like the sound of a good exhaust and being able to hear the truck react to how I'm driving it. Although it normally causes a drop in MPG's for some reason?...