Hello All. I am seeking opinions on which exhaust system I should buy. I have a 2006 SCrew 4X2 5.5' box w/ 5.4L and 3.55LS. My truck is currently stock under the hood, although I am considering a K&N/AF1 type cold air intake and possibly an Edge/XCal2 type tuner.

I want duals with chrome tips (for looks). I want the sound to be a nice low, grumbling growl when I step on it, but fairly muted when I accelerate easily. I don't want to hear it at 65-70mph in cruise control with the windows up and the stereo on. I work second shift and don't want to wake my neighbors when I come home from work at 2:00 am.

I think I understand the si/so, si/do, di/do acronyms, but would appreciate it if someone would clarify. I also want to ensure that whatever I have done will pass North Carolina emission inspection. I live in Wake Co. (Raleigh) where there are more stringent air quality standards than in most other counties.

Also, although the truck is my daily driver, I bought it to be a tow vehicle for the boat I have yet to purchase. I have been told to get duals that exit behind the tires rather than straight out the back in order to keep the boat from getting filthy. For those of you that have duals out the back and also tow, is this a valid concern, or paranoia?

Finally, I can't break the bank on this. I have no welding skills and so will have to pay to have the system installed, and I want to keep it as reasonable as possible.

Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

si/so, si/do, di/do refers to the exhaust pipe; the "in" refering to the pipe coming from the motor/cats and the "out" to the pipe leaving the muffler. Single In/Single Out, Single In/Dual Out, Dual In/Dual Out.

The Magnaflow kits don't require any welding (although some guys on here take them to a shop to get welded after a DIY install), the kits come with exhaust clamps. Also if money is a concern, you could simply do a muffler replacement and have a local shop custom fab the exhaust pipe from the muffler on back. Just another option.

Good luck on your purchase and search this forum for online codes to get discounts on the kits.

 

well for towing and such, I would first off suggest a side exit tip setup to direct the fumes away from whatever you are towing.

Magnaflow or Flowmaster exhaust kits are most prefered. Magnaflow I would say is prefered over flowmaster because it gains more power, quiet as stock until you give it gas, stainless steel piping, and gives highway drone.

Flowmaster has been known to lose some torque so towing and all I wouldn't think thats gonna be good for you, and you cant get a stainless piped setup from Flowmaster anymore. Though it sounds great in every way, idle, throttle, & gives some droning.

So basically, a Magnaflow si/do kit I would reccomend, but, for increased sound for deepness, have an exhaust shop do true duals for ya with two si/so Magnaflow muffers.

 

agreed. i purchased my magnaflow si/do from hottexhaust for around $365 delivered, using the online coupon code. i installed it myself, but had to take it into the shop to get the system to fit w/out interfering with the spare tire and also to have the tips come out symetrical and parallel. i have the dual rear exhaust which interferes w/ the tow package.

the sound is not overbearing, but definitely louder than stock. since i am the only person who drives my truck i have never heard it while standing outside of the cab. my wife says she can hear me pull up the street though. i have noticed that it is loud enough inside the cab that my stereo no longer sounds as good do to the noise of the growl....but hey, isn't that one of the reasons we get these exhaust systems installed....to sound like a truck. i do miss the quite cab at times though, especially when i want to listen to the stereo. however, sometimes i will just turn the stereo off to hear it growl.

 

You can get that quiet interior back with sound deadening. If your willing to remove your seats carpet & door panels & apply the stuff.

 

hmmmm......thanks for the info. i didn't know about that. i am not sure i would be willing to remove the seats, carpet and door panels at this time, but it is good to know i have an option.

i had searched online prior to ordering the exhaust and most people said that the maggie wasn't too loud. my neighbor has a flowmaster on his tahoe and it sounds sweet and that is what inspired me to install an aftermarket exhaust system on my truck. i loved how his truck sounded as he pulled up the driveway. i just didn't realize that it was going so audible inside the cab as well. some people say they can't hear it inside the cab, while others say it sounds just right. it is all a matter of personal preference.

 

WS6 hit the nail on the head. I was a Flow guy, now I'm Magnaflow. I could tell immediately the increased power and throttle response. I also picked up about 1.5 MPG.

 

i lost 2.5 mpg.....not sure if it is just a coincidence, but mpg hasn't been the same since the "upgrade".

 

i have flowmaster 40 series si/so on mine. when i first got it, i was going from stock so it sounded alot louder. but now that i have gotten used to the sound, i hardly notice it at normal speeds. sometimes i forget that i even have it, that is until i step on the gas, and then you can really hear it rumble. i guess it all comes down to preference, but if i was you, i would go with the flow(no pun intended)

 

Hey Dot Dot,

Whatever route to decide to go I strongly reccommend checking out Henry's Mufflers. They did my true dual setup (https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=251057) and I love it! I went with 2 Flowmaster SISO orginial 40's. If you'd like to hear them in person just let me know.


- NCSU