I have a 4.6L V-8 that I was thinking about cutting the muffler off and running 2.25" true dual pipes out the back. Anybody done this before? Pros and cons, goods and bads anyone? I'd really like this baby to growl, and have duals, but not loose any HP or Gas Milage. Let me know your experiences and thoughts guys. thank you.

Darren K

 

Every time I hear a truck with straight pipes on it I cringe. DO NOT DO IT!!! It sounds like absolute horse S%@t too. See there is a big difference between GROWL and just sheer LOUD. Growl would refer to a "deep" sound, "loud" is what you get from a four banger with no muffler... plus it really makes your truck sound like it has been rode hard and put up wet. PLEASE for the love of God go with an established exhuast sytem such as flowmaster, gibson or possibly even a fabbed Borla system... you and the rest of the world will be much happier.

 

You will lose substantial low end power and torque due to no backpressure. Read up here on the comparisons between Flowmaster and Magnaflow. Flowmasters are loud and reduce power. Straight pipes will be louder and reduce power more.

 

ive got straight pipes on my 4.6 and its got a more deeper growl and rumble then any muffler system than ive ever heard
Id try it first to see what it sounds like.....add mufflers later if you dont like it

 

It suprise me what people thinks sounds good. I agree with GABoyinTroupCo. straight pipes sound like CRAP! You want a great sound you need to do it right. Straight pipes are a cheap mans exhaust system and anybody that know anything can tell if you have a taken the cheap road. If you want to do it right go with a Flowmaster, MagnaFlow, or Gibson exhaust system and get rid of the Four stock catalytic converters and replace them with two high flow converters. The four converters are what is keeping your truck quiet. Straight Pipes will cause a lose in low end torque, so will just have a nasty loud slow truck!!

 

what kinda cat backs do you guys recommend?

personally I don't think straight piping sounds good at all. Like vtxking said, makes them loud and slow.

 

straight pipes sound just like any other cat-back muffler on the market, only about twice as loud with twice the rumble. It doesnt sound hickish or anything like that.
You want an ignorant hillbilly sound, cut out your cats and put some 12 or 15" glass packs on with 1 3/4" pipe...that sounds like crap to most people.
Stock cats with no mufflers sound excellent on these trucks.....i doubt youve even heard any, so dont discourage them. Ive had straights on my truck for quite a while and i havnt had one person, including girls, tell me it sounds like crap or that it sounds annoying. I highly reccomend it for someone who likes the sound of aftermarket flowmaster/magnaflow/etc catbacks with about twice the sound and rumble.

Oh and i dont believe my truck has lost any power at all. Maybe a touch down low while hauling a load, but not anything horribly noticeable. Just dont use anything larger than 2.5" pipe you should be fine

 

Hey is it legal (for inspection purposes) to get rid of the four cats and replace them with two high flow ones?

 

I have to agree. Haven't noticed any loss in power either.

But...to each their own I suppose.

 

i'm w/ green, not one person i have ever met said my truck sounded bad. i had flowmaster on there and it just wasnt loud enough. my buddy has the same truck i do, except he had glasspacks. he thought it sounded good till he heard mine rumble over his at idle and especially start up. he ended up going straight pipes. id put my truck on the line any day to say mine is louder and deeper than any truck w/ mufflers on it.

also straight pipes dual and straight pipes single exit sound different IMP

if i knew how id post a clip of my truck on here, i promise to God yall would change yalls minds on what you think straight pipes sounded like.

 

I agree. I have a 4.6 and it is just straight piped and dualed. The cats are still on of course but the muffler was just cut off. Technicaly i guess the guy that did it before i owned the truck put a sound blaster on it to lessen the sound when you are cruising along. But when you get on it it sounds awesome. I have had more compliments from guys on how well toned my truck sounds and how it is not obnoxiously loud then any will with the expensice catback exhaust. I know a guy that has flowmasters on his truck and it sounds wimpish. I guess to each is their own. But i love the sound of my truck...not too loud not to soft. PERFECT.

 

Yep. Straight pipes are the way to go!

 

I've heard the growl from a 4.6L without a muffler and I love it!! The only reason I've questioned doing this was the thought of LOOSING POWER. I like the sound of it, but DO NOT WANT to loose any POWER from my truck. Basically what I've learn't, is that the 4.6L is such a small V-8 that it's hard to get that growl with any muffler out there. The fact that theres four converters doesn't help the cause thats for sure. SO DO YOU LOOSE ANY POWER WITH TRUE STRAIGHT PIPES???

Darren

 

This hasn't been the case in my situation.

Not only has it not been substantial......it hasn't even been noticeable.

 

I had a 98 ford that I straight piped. Loved it. If you want your truck to have sound and rumble do this. I had more compliments on my sound than complaints. Actually, I don't think anybody ever complained. Except my dad, he can't figure out where I got the redneck in me, (I have the Good Ol Boys song for my ringer on my cell phone) he says I didn't get it from him. Anyways, if you want good sound, cut the mufflers off and go with duals out the back.