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Exhaust upgrade help

1210 Views 21 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  15SuperSport, 
Allenp434
Looking for some insight. I have currently the ARH headers (1-7/8”) HFC to the 3” long system connected to factory bi modal mufflers.. I think I’m going to drop the stick mufflers for a solo axle back system to free up some air flow as I plan on going to an aggressive cam soon. Anyone done this? Pros and cons? Any insight will be welcome !
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wilkin4
Allenp434 said:
Looking for some insight. I have currently the ARH headers (1-7/8”) HFC to the 3” long system connected to factory bi modal mufflers.. I think I’m going to drop the stick mufflers for a solo axle back system to free up some air flow as I plan on going to an aggressive cam soon. Anyone done this? Pros and cons? Any insight will be welcome !
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You will free up more power with the Solo axleback, but will be very loud with headers.
My exhaust is stock except for the Solo axlebacks, and I like it, and noticed a power increase, and for me not loud, just about right.
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15SuperSport
Allenp434 said:
Looking for some insight. I have currently the ARH headers (1-7/8”) HFC to the 3” long system connected to factory bi modal mufflers.. I think I’m going to drop the stick mufflers for a solo axle back system to free up some air flow as I plan on going to an aggressive cam soon. Anyone done this? Pros and cons? Any insight will be welcome !
Click to expand...
Setup you are considering, with a cam. Cons would be you probably can't be considered a sleeper anymore. Pros are everything else. (y)


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Allenp434
15SuperSport said:
Setup you are considering, with a cam. Cons would be you probably can't be considered a sleeper anymore. Pros are everything else. (y)


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Well then so be it haha the loudness sounds perfect to me! Thanks guys!
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speedrye
Haha, I tried that setup (minus the cam) and had to really reign in my driving as I was attracting every cop within a 2-mile radius. Didn't care for the extra attention, so added the mid-muffler.
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mike929
I want to follow this. Most that go this route seem to change it because it is just to loud. I hope this works for you OP.
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Allenp434
mike929 said:
I want to follow this. Most that go this route seem to change it because it is just to loud. I hope this works for you OP.
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I ordered it today so as soon as I get it installed I will post some videos here!!
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15SuperSport
Allenp434 said:
I ordered it today so as soon as I get it installed I will post some videos here!!
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I tried the ARH into factory ('15) mufflers, thought it to be too raspy for my likes. This setup is perfect for me. I'm not constantly on it, so it has a nice sound to it, great idle, zero drone on the highway and sounds incredible at WOT. I may try to get some video this summer under various conditions. I have seen some add a mid muffler after the fact, but don't think it to be many, and am surprised to hear that most change it. 5 years in with this setup, and I would not change a thing.

Update. Just made you a silly short video from a visit to Scheels today, not for the sound but for the reaction to it. No audio as I didn't want to bore you with talk of ATF approval of an NFA item with my wife :cool:. Of note are the two guys that walk out toward the grass island. Their first reaction is to look past the SS for a hotrod, before realizing where the sound is coming from. They stare and smile as I roll out, with one guy waving and the other giving a thumbs up on my way by. I don't mean to sound pretentious but it's kind of a regular thing with this exhaust setup. In my opinion it sounds wonderful.

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wilkin4
15SuperSport said:
I tried the ARH into factory ('15) mufflers, thought it to be too raspy for my likes. This setup is perfect for me. I'm not constantly on it, so it has a nice sound to it, great idle, zero drone on the highway and sounds incredible at WOT. I may try to get some video this summer under various conditions. I have seen some add a mid muffler after the fact, but don't think it to be many, and am surprised to hear that most change it. 5 years in with this setup, and I would not change a thing.

Update. Just made you a silly short video from a visit to Scheels today, not for the sound but for the reaction to it. No audio as I didn't want to bore you with talk of ATF approval of an NFA item with my wife :cool:. Of note are the two guys that walk out toward the grass island. Their first reaction is to look past the SS for a hotrod, before realizing where the sound is coming from. They stare and smile as I roll out, with one guy waving and the other giving a thumbs up on my way by. I don't mean to sound pretentious but it's kind of a regular thing with this exhaust setup. In my opinion it sounds wonderful.

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I might add, Johnathan's SS is the best sounding, and best stance of any SS I have ever seen, period...

End of discussion....:cool:
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15SuperSport
wilkin4 said:
I might add, Johnathan's SS is the best sounding, and best stance of any SS I have ever seen, period...

End of discussion....:cool:
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Thank you sir.
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willy92
wilkin4 said:
I might add, Johnathan's SS is the best sounding, and best stance of any SS I have ever seen, period...

End of discussion....:cool:
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First, I had to figure out who Jonathan was, but, you're probably right.
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15SuperSport
willy92 said:
First, I had to figure out who Jonathan was, but, you're probably right.
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Old fat bald guy with a bunch of guns, scared of his wife.
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SS WOT
Don't leave out the red ball cap when outside ;)
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B
I tried to build the quietest performance exhaust I could. Here is 2" primaries ARH Headers coated, their 3" high flow cats, and X-pipe. (Note their kit is 3" to the midpipes then necks down to 2.5" where it bends out to clear the diff and turns outward.) Then I am using a Magnaflow 12469 dual in/out muffler. This is the largest muffler/resonator that will fit in tunnel. Next is dual Magnaflow 14419 resonators. I used a set of 3" mandrel bends to clear the diff and turn out to the mufflers. I reused a connection from the ARH kit so I can remove the mufflers. From there another 90 bend to Solo Performance QTM12 mufflers. And then finally a set of eBay Trapezoid Tips.

Stock Cam


After installing a cam it was too loud again. I added hemholtz chambers before each muffler which killed the drone at idle. It is still too loud at idle to be a sleeper but the chambers definetely help. I also played around with idle tuning to try and hide the cam. You could lower the idle rpm and tighten up idle control to really let the cam lope if you wanted to. Off idle it is still very quiet driving around town which I am happy with. At idle it still has a low 40HZ bass drum, thump your chest feeling, but the only way I could get rid of that would be to build a very long hemholtz chamber. LOL

BTR LS3 Stage 2 N/A Cam
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indebt
Allenp434 said:
Looking for some insight. I have currently the ARH headers (1-7/8”) HFC to the 3” long system connected to factory bi modal mufflers.. I think I’m going to drop the stick mufflers for a solo axle back system to free up some air flow as I plan on going to an aggressive cam soon. Anyone done this? Pros and cons? Any insight will be welcome !
Click to expand...
There is ZERO need to ditch the bi-modals. You will not free up anything except a few pounds. the Bi-Modals are literally straight piped with the valve open. Trust me, once you put a cam and headers on, it's going to be loud. Solos are stupidly loud and obnoxious.
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Allenp434
indebt said:
There is ZERO need to ditch the bi-modals. You will not free up anything except a few pounds. the Bi-Modals are literally straight piped with the valve open. Trust me, once you put a cam and headers on, it's going to be loud. Solos are stupidly loud and obnoxious.
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Ok well good news I will have both now, I ordered the solo axle back kit but I’m holding onto my stocks just in case it gets too crazy loud, but sound is so subjective what’s ok for me may not be for you. Since this brought up so many different points I’m going to post the videos comparing the two (to the best of my abilities. I’m not a pro videographer) and I’ll turn some miles and really test them out before coming to conclusions. Either way it will make for some garage time and WOT pulls so I’m happy haha
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Allenp434
Alright everyone here it is. AR 1-7/8” long tunes long 3” system with HFC and X-Pipe into a solo performance axle back with 3.5” tips
I just got them on and haven’t driven much I’ll add more later!
https://www.youtube.com/@17SS6MT
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B
Allenp434 said:
Alright everyone here it is. AR 1-7/8” long tunes long 3” system with HFC and X-Pipe into a solo performance axle back with 3.5” tips
I just got them on and haven’t driven much I’ll add more later!
https://www.youtube.com/@17SS6MT
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Sounds great. Way too loud for me. LOL. I love the sound... just not on my car! Do you like it? Any drone?
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Allenp434
brettstoner said:
Sounds great. Way too loud for me. LOL. I love the sound... just not on my car! Do you like it? Any drone?
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I haven’t driven a ton yet, but it is super satisfying to hear it. It can be LOUD but only when you put your foot on it. Just cruising around shifting short keeping the RPMs low it’s not bad at all. Only time I’ve gotten drone is when I was going below 60 and had it in 6th gear (mines a manual). Highway speed cruising in 6th is no louder than stock in the cabin.
the sound is much deeper and raw. I so far absolutely love it, because if I want it to be loud I just step on the skinny pedal a little more otherwise it’s manageable for me!
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Allenp434
Allenp434 said:
I haven’t driven a ton yet, but it is super satisfying to hear it. It can be LOUD but only when you put your foot on it. Just cruising around shifting short keeping the RPMs low it’s not bad at all. Only time I’ve gotten drone is when I was going below 60 and had it in 6th gear (mines a manual). Highway speed cruising in 6th is no louder than stock in the cabin.
the sound is much deeper and raw. I so far absolutely love it, because if I want it to be loud I just step on the skinny pedal a little more otherwise it’s manageable for me!
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Maybe a little louder in the cabin but it’s not bad at all. I rode with the sunroof down and the radio on 14 and can barely tell a difference in my opinion
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