...but, is it necessary to have a complete new exhaust installed for power increase, or would it be just as effective (or nearly so) to have a performance muffler put on the stock pipes? im not familiar at all with exhaust.

 

if i could do it all over again i would have just put a muffler where the stock one is. or just put a straight pipe in there. its an exhaust as far as i see it. its not gonna give you a major diffrence in these heavy trucks

 

You can shell out the cash for a new exhaust. But unless you have a poweradder (supercharger, turbocharger, nitrous system) or otherwise extensive engine modifications (ported heads/intake, hot cams, etc...) don't expect it to turn your truck into a hotrod. You'll probably barely notice a "seat of the pants" improvement. For example, dynos have shown horsepower and torque gains from upgrading factory exhaust to a Magnaflow catback (avg cost around $500), but can you really feel 11 HP, or 12 ft-lb of torque? Probably not.

If all you're looking for is better sound, welding in a peformance muffler on your factory pipe will definitely do that, and for pretty cheap. I had a custom exhaust fabricated for about $250. I got the factory exhaust from the y-pipe back replaced with a 3" aluminized steel pipe with a 3" SI/SO Magnaflow muffler, dumped right between the cab and bed. It sounds GREAT, and I sure didn't lose any performance, so a year and a half later, I'm still happy with it. I probably would have been happy with just replacing the muffler, too. But I don't really think the Magnaflow catback, or any other catback for that matter is worth what they ask.

 

well, i went by a local muffler shop on the way home. he told me he would put a custom setp on the truck with magnaflow muffler and stainless tips for 300 bucks. thats 400 bucks cheaper than the magnaflow kit that the guys at the truck shop offered me.

 

at the shop you went to they bend their own pipes.
if you order the kit they come included.
its way cheaper.

 

thats whats so cool. im not sure where i want the pipes to exit, so the guy says "hey, we will put them on diff. ways, and let you see them on your truck before you decide. then, we'll hem them up for you."