Custom exhaust questions

[Michigan]

Ok so I just had both cats removed on my 04 z71 4x4 since they failed

Now that I started messing with the exhaust It got me wanting to do a custom exhaust. Few questions

I have my mind made up on flowmaster, Single in dual out


Not sure if I should go with with a pre bent flowmaster system like this one
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/flo-17419

Or go with a custom made one from an exhaust shop.

If I have the shop make me a custom one I’m also not sure if I should go with super 40’s Or super 44’s

And one last thing, where do you guys prefer to set the tips? Coming straight back out or to the sides? I’ve read if you have them placed going out the sides then they get dirty from the tires.

When I called one exhaust shop he said he preferred not to do the custom exhaust because of all the gas lines and hoses off to the left of the truck. And it would be hard to mandrel bend the pipes. The other exhaust shop I plan to take it to said they have no problem doing it

I’ve watched lots of videos and looked at pics.

I think I’m leaning towards going with custom 3” and having the tips come straight out. Not sure between super 40’s and super 44’s

 

[SUBURBIAN]

Why the flowmasters?

 

[Michigan]

I just like them. I’ve had them on most of my vehicles and never get tired of their sound.

Only other aftermarket muffler I’ve had was magnaflow but didn’t like it. I’ve heard corsa and borla.

I think my second choice would be borla if I went away from flowmaster

 

[SUBURBIAN]

Fair enough. What are the shops that can mandrel bend quoting? More or less than the catback kit you linked?

 

[Michigan]

I’ve talked to three shops about custom.

Two of them quoted 400.00
One quoted 550.00

They said about 150.00 in labor if I brought the pre bent bolt on system to them.

If the pre bent system is better I wouldn’t mind paying the extra 150.00.

I’m just a little worried with the custom, will they mandrel bend the pipes good and will the flow and sound perform well opposed to pre bent.

 

[Sasquatch]

I had that flowmaster catback and it rusted to nothing in about two years. I live in southern new york but i almost never use my yukon in the snow or rain and if i do i clean the salt off before it goes back in the garage and it still rotted away. I would go the custom route because of that alone and if you`re set on 40 or 44 series you had better like drone because that`s exactly what it will do.

I have a 50 series delta flow with a three inch pipe from the cat to the muffler and dual two and a half inch tails with four inch tips and it is pretty loud but there is almost no drone.

 

[swathdiver]

Ok so I just had both cats removed on my 04 z71 4x4 since they failed

Now that I started messing with the exhaust It got me wanting to do a custom exhaust. Few questions

I have my mind made up on flowmaster, Single in dual out


Not sure if I should go with with a pre bent flowmaster system like this one
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/flo-17419

Or go with a custom made one from an exhaust shop.

If I have the shop make me a custom one I’m also not sure if I should go with super 40’s Or super 44’s

And one last thing, where do you guys prefer to set the tips? Coming straight back out or to the sides? I’ve read if you have them placed going out the sides then they get dirty from the tires.

When I called one exhaust shop he said he preferred not to do the custom exhaust because of all the gas lines and hoses off to the left of the truck. And it would be hard to mandrel bend the pipes. The other exhaust shop I plan to take it to said they have no problem doing it

I’ve watched lots of videos and looked at pics.

I think I’m leaning towards going with custom 3” and having the tips come straight out. Not sure between super 40’s and super 44’s

Love the sound of Rustmasters but they can drone you out of your mind, especially the small 2-chambered ones. 3" is a little big. I like side exits myself and if in your shoes, would go the kit route. I'd also go 70 or 80 series! LOL

 

[Michigan]

Hmm, you guys got me thinking. Lol

I might hold off, it is a daily driver so don’t want to go nuts with drone.

I had a 2010 camaro ss with the american thunder flowmaster cat back system and loved it. It did drone some but not too crazy. That was a whole different animal though and not a daily of course

 

[Michigan]

The more videos of borla exhaust that I listen to on the 5.3’s the more I’m starting to like them.

Never had a borla and not really familiar with the different models like I am with flowmaster.

 

[SUBURBIAN]

Other members in here spoke for me about flowmaster's droning; they're notorious for it. Thanks guys. It's the chambered/baffled/wingplated design. They're good at muffling out the high pitch exhaust notes, but not great at preventing drone at sustained cruising RPM from about 1500 to 3000 RPM. They get a little better as they age from carbon buildup, but there are much better choices, which also give more benefit in the flow/performance departments. Think straight through design instead of what you see on a cutaway drawing of a 40 series.

Also consider that you ran one magnaflow, and just like flowmaster, they offer literally piles of different mufflers, from mild to all out race applications. Same with all the other aftermarket manufacturers, Borla included.

I would not spend $700 to $800 on an exhaust system, but that's just me.


ETA...you deleted the cats, have you or are you going to work on the pcm tune for the missing O2 sensors?