After I got the LS Swap completed and the truck is up and running again it’s time to upgrade the exhaust. I had to add some temporary exhaust pieces to get convert from the 3 inch headers to the old 2.25 inch dual exhaust I previously had installed. After waiting for 8 months now its time to get larger exhaust pipes, x-pipe, and new mufflers.
Parts Selection
I believe the exhaust tone of a vehicle is like a first impression, you want the tone to sound just right. I believe it can make or break the overall vibe and coolness factor.
First I had to choose pipe size and since a lot of my other engine upgrades focused on adding torque, I went with a larger 3-inch exhaust vs 2.5 inch to help a bit more on the top end, even if it means a little less torque.
Then I spent hours listening to countless exhaust clips to figure out which muffler styles I liked and which ones I didn’t. In the end, I went with Borla Pro XS mufflers. I also really liked the Corsa Sport mufflers as well, but their price per unit was just a bit too steep for my budget.
Parts List
- Universal stainless steel 3 inch exhaust kit
- Stainless Straight Pipe – 44inch
- Evil Energy 3.0 V Band Clamps
- Exhaust hangers
- Borla Pro XS mufflers
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Installation
I really wanted to try to tackle this project myself, thought it would be fun to custom fit the pipes and mufflers, make the x-pipe fit near the driveshaft, etc. and thought this would be an awesome winter project. Between our vacation to Australia and working on the seats, the little bit of time I did have to practice I realized it was time to let a professional handle it.
I found a fabricator who was willing to use the parts I already purchased and wrap up the exhaust. I dropped off the truck after the cars and coffee event.
I was starting to get nervous did I pick the right mufflers nearly 6 months later and started watching exhaust videos again.
After watching a few, decided there wasn’t much I could do and figured I had to just wait and see.When my truck was done I went and picked it up, the owner left it on the lift for me to see his work, I should have taken a video and photos at that time, but I wasn’t thinking about it. He did amazing work TIG welding all the joints and it just looks beautiful.
Results
Finally was the moment of truth, started the truck and got to hear it roar. While at an idle, the truck is around the same volume level as my previous exhaust, but the new tone was just what I was looking for. While driving it did add some drone in the cab at certain RPMs and I may look at adding something like a resonator in the future to reduce it, but its a pretty small RPM range. Overall the exhaust sounds amazing here is a short video clip comparing the two.