Alright, I have an 03' Screw and i just ogt it lifted..now i need my exhaust. I really have no idea what to look for, which brand is the best, however, i am leaning toward flowmaster or magnaflow. I want a low rumble, not a higher scream and i want it to be smoothe. A friend of mine has a flow system(dont know which one) and it has that "backfire sound" like on a lawn mower haha. I dont want that! somebody help me out! what kit should i get?

 

You have no idea, but you just opened up Pandora's Box. So strap in, put on a pot of coffee and get ready for some input. In my experience Flowmaster tends to be a little higher, raspier sound. My buddy has a Magnaflow on his truck, not sure which size muffler, but it sounds awesome. Low grumble but gets loud when you get on it.

 

heres the best piece of advice that I can give ya.. find yourself a local muffler shop perferably part of a chain.. and ask them the same questions you just asked on here.. i'd say get the series 40 flowmaster which is what i have.. but i also have a 2005 SCAB with the 5.4L so.. its damned nice at idle or when at a stop light and really roars at 1800 rpms.. the notes stay seperated up until 1800 past that it kinda drones.. but there could be other factors that cause it.. like i said. find yourself a muffler shop and tell them what your after im not partial to brands persay.. but my flowmaster has made me quite happy..

 

i have had flowmasters on just about all my vehicles and i love the sound, never had any backfire sound(poping) and it sounds better than any magnaflow IMO but sound has to do with tast so i would find somebody who has both so you can hear it and make your own desision, good luck

 

again, I have the magnaflow and very happy with it, the sound is deep. it also depends on your tips too, they give you some of the sound also.

 

I like the Magna Flow I recently had installed. I wanted a deep sound but not overwhelmingly loud. The Magna Flow worked great for this. Also Magna Flow is stainless v. a steel Flowmaster, so if you live in an area with snow, that might be a factor. Both brands are great products, it is just going to be a matter of finding the sound you like! Good Luck!!

 

Pandora's box for sure. There are guys who feel strongly for both Magnaflow and Flowmaster.

They both sound different. The Magnaflow will be quieter, but deeper. The Flowmaster makes a 5.4 sound like a V-10 to me. Kind of whiny. It will be louder, though.

The biggest factor for me is quality and fit/finish. Magnaflow offers a top-notch T-304 stainless cat-back system with 2.5" or 3" mandrel-bent pipes, polished stainless tips and muffler. That bolts on yourself and eliminates the need to take your truck to a muffler shop and have them hack together a system with sloppy welds and small-diameter, crush-bent, aluminized tubing.

Flowmaster offers a cat-back system but very few people use them, as they don't come with the desired muffler, anyway. Their systems don't have the fit/finish of Magnaflow, but are better than what Joe at the muffler shop will do.

Look at both, listen to both, and make an informed decision based on what is important to you.

 

I tend to disagree. Magnaflow to me has a higher, more prone to pop sound than flowmaster. Most of the time when I have heard a popping on a flowmaster, its been due to a misfire. The flowmaster tends to have a deep, throaty sound whereas the magnaflows I have heard have a higher, raspier sound. Spending the money ona stainless system to me is a waste of money unless you live in a high salt on road state, like NJ or NY or MT. Who gives a chit enough to crawl under and inspect your exhaust? And when people say it will rot off in 2 or 3 years, thats BS. I have never had a flowmaster system rot off, and I have had several for 5 years or more

 

Just FYI I live in southern Kansas and we may only get a snow or ice storm 2 or 3 times a year, but they put down alot of salt. Now they even pretreat with a salt brine that is active for 10 days or so if it doesn't get washed off. They may salt the same road 2 or more times a day. That can't be good for anything metal.

I don't think you have to live that far north to be effected.

 

I had a flow 40 on a truck that I still have, and I live in TN, so only a few times a year do the roads get salted. I had the flow for about 2-3 yrs on the truck, had a minor accident, and had to get the pipes replaced only. Well, the muffler shop inspected my entire system and told me my flowmaster had a pinhole in it, dead center, and that over time it would continue to get bigger (obviously) and that it would effect the sound. I looked for myself and sure enough it did. So yeah, the mufflers can rust in shorter than 5 yrs. in most any conditions apparently. I replaced that one at that time. Metal is going to rust, and salt speeds that process tenfold, so if I lived where the roads get salted frequently, I'd pay extra and buy a stainless muffler (and I can be a real cheapo sometimes!) But for where I live now, I'll never buy a stainless muffler.

 

Yeh, I'm torn between then two. However, salt is not a problem unless its sea salt because i live in florida but anyway its all in the sound. Once i find the sound i want, should i go strait bolt on or should i just buy a muffler and have custom fabricated pipes? Anyway, thanks for the imput, some great info on these boards!

 

That depends on several things. Mostly, how picky are you? Do you have a good muffler shop? Most muffler shops will hack everything together with sloppy welds and small-diameter, crush-bent pipe. Does it really make a noticeable difference, in performance or sound? Probably not. Personally, I like everything on my truck to be nice and neat with top-notch parts, whether it is always on display or not. I used a Magnaflow bolt-on system because the fit and finish is neat and clean. The pipes are 2.5" mandrel bent high-quality stuff.


Some will argue that your exhaust doesn't need to look nice because it is under your truck. If you have that mentality, by all means go to a muffler shop and have custom pipes bent.

If you think like me and want everything nice and clean looking, your best bet is a bolt-on system.

 

Yeh, Brian i am pretty much that way as well. It doesnt make a difference to me where the exhaust is on my truck, I have to know its high quality and looks equally as good. I just got a lift and tires put on it and now need exhaust. I have been leaning toward bolt on since i first concidered exhaust. Another quick question, will an exhaust system help or hurt your gas mileage.

(webmaster note: for security reasons, link removed that directed to gallery admin, not actual gallery)

 

Everything else being equal, a good exhaust system will help fuel mileage, but only marginally.

However, you will most likely have your foot into it more so that you can hear it on the first tank, thus making mileage go down. If you drive normal, you should notice about 1mpg better. Some claim more improvement, but all the cars/trucks I have ever had modded exhaust on only improved marginally. I'll take all the extra mileage I can get!