Good evening all.

Before everyone jumps down my throat, I have searched, and am looking for opinions specific to my question.

First off, I drive a 2010 stx with the 4.6 v8.

I am looking to do a minor exhaust modification. I am debating on doing a magnaflow 18" muffler swap or the Gibson swept side "cat back" exhaust.

$100 for the magnaflow, or $300 for the Gibson. Those prices are installed, out the door.

A little bit of info... I drive a 1400 mile trip once a month, all interstate. I pull a 20' boat every weekend. Drone is a negative.

Looking for:
I deep sound at idle, and "mustang" like sound upon WOT. Not a flowmaster 1972 blazer sound.

And I understand, it's a truck with minor modification, not a mustang.

Any opinions as to which way I should lean?

Thank you,
Sam.

 

Hi.

Gibson is baffled, sounds mild, is directional ( but no one there could tell me which way when the stupid 'arrow' sticker fell off, lol) droned, and is not worth the money.

Went with the MangledFlow. It droned too, but at least it was not directional.

Neither offered any gains to at least partially offset the expense - or the headache-inducing drone.

( Subjective) Sound besides drone? Mangledflow was better - to my ears. Although Gibby did sound refined, if muted when not droning. Drone was in the 1800-2200 rpm region - right where you cruise - and much worse pulling a hill and/or load.

Been there, done that. Already had lots t-shirts so I passed.

Honestly - 2010+ trucks already have stellar free-flowing stainless exhaust systems that bolster low-end torque and do not drone.

You will not be improving upon it with either of yer choices. Indeed - you are going backwards.

Yet truck. Yer money. My opinion. From direct experience.

good luck
MGD

 

Opinion appreciated.

 

If you do replace the exhaust and you tow - to minimize drone, reverberation off the trailer, and soot on the boat you want to keep the tailpipe or pipes in the stock location, 45 behind the rear wheels.

You may get the desired effect by replacing the resonator with a piece of pipe.

 

Exhaust exit will remain in factory location regardless.

 

Magnaflow out of the two listed, but I suggest one of the Borla ProXS's to have a nice sound similar to (better than) the Magnaflow, but without the drone. If for no other reason, getting a catback isn't worth the money if staying single in-single out, so a muffler swap and a nice 304 stainless tip is the way to go IMO.

 

A Magnaflow 14" or 18" will drone on a 4.6 2V with two factory cat's. A 24" may or may not drone; a 24" droned badly on my '05 Crew Cab Titan. A 22" Magnaflow will drone at 1800 to 2100 RPM's on a 4.6 2v with two factory cat's.

The factory exhaust is a good flowing exhaust. If you are looking for a different exhaust note, go with a Borla Pro XS. Don't count out Dynomax mufflers, they are a great product.

 

Thank you for the reply.

I am anti "stainless tip". I am not a big fan of putting tips on trucks. I think it is terrible looking. If I were to do a "cat back" stainless is one thing, but a muffler swap will result in "rattle canning" the muffler back in flat black. Factory clean is what im going for.

This truck will have 305/50/20's with a 20x10 with a -12 offset, leveling kit (already installed) and that is it. Clean and simple. I went to town with my last truck... put 110k miles on it (had 70k when I bought it) and that was enough.

Just looking for another clean rig that sounds good.

 

I gotcha, I figured you'd want a tip and anything but 304 SS is gonna rot off and look like poo. I don't like a lot of them though, cause I'm picky with everything. But certainly nothing wrong with only doing the muffler swap! And actually, I can't remember when they changed over, but certainly by 2011, all the factory exhausts were 409 stainless. Your '10 may have it too. It's not shiny though, obviously.

Why go through the trouble of spraying it black though if no one is gonna see it?

I remember your last truck and you did go to town on it, like I've done and will continue to do to mine Your tint was stupid dark with it on the windshield. I really do think that lightly modded looks the cleanest and "best" though. I just can't help myself with some things . . .

What are you thinking about your muffler options now? Any opposition to the ProXS? All Dynomax products are 409, and I've seen a few of them in person, and I think it would look like factory 409 after a few months of getting dirt on it.

 

I have been doing some research and realized that the fact that i have a standard cab could reduce drone?

Is that true?

 

I have no clue, never heard that. I don't really see why a single cab would affect anything? Maybe it's something with muffler placement being different?

 

I don't know.

However, I pulled the trigger today. My girlfriend was off of work so I had her run up to the shop.

18" magnaflow polished.

Sounds fantastic. Deep idle, great noise under acceleration... Best part... Can't hear it at 50-60 cruise. I am going to test at 75+ later today.

 

Glad you're happy with the choice so far!

 

Glad your happy with it; give it a few hundred miles to break in, and then let us know if it drones on the regular cab.

 

I absolutely will.

I'm actually surprised by how "loud" it is.

As of now, no popping/cracking. Sounds very "pure".