Loud deep exhaust for a 2003 tahoe?

[James417]

Hello all again if you read my last few post you can see my ramblings about my 2003 Tahoe and it's condition. Currently sense its just sitting around I removed the stock fatback exhaust to start cleaning and undercoating around where the muffler and pipe was so now I have a super loud open exhaust I can't run for too long without worry of over heating valves. I love the sound of a loud throaty deep exhaust that sound great at idle as well as wot. What would you suggest for this truck cat back? I'm interested in some long tube headers I'm getting soon but Its a 5.3l vortec. Stock headers and cats. I don't want to do to much modifications and I'm not sure of dual exit behind both tires because its the stick single exit and doesn't have hangers for dual. Thanks for any input in advance.

 

[tx tahoe z71]

It's going to get MUCH louder after long tubes. Put the headers on first, then plan your exhaust. I added a second muffler, Magnaflow 7" round, after I put my headers on because it was so loud with just the 22" big body Magnaflow.

 

[Sasquatch]

Any half decent exhaust shop can do a dual side exit easily and if you prefer to install one yourself there are a few companies that make them. Just make sure you get a stainless steel one. I had a flowmaster catback that wasn`t stainless and our wonderful new york winters rusted it away in about two years.

Now i have a custom bent SS catback with a flowmaster 50 series muffler and it has a nice deep sound but so does magnaflow if you prefer them.

 

[James417]

It's going to get MUCH louder after long tubes. Put the headers on first, then plan your exhaust. I added a second muffler, Magnaflow 7" round, after I put my headers on because it was so loud with just the 22" big body Magnaflow.

Any half decent exhaust shop can do a dual side exit easily and if you prefer to install one yourself there are a few companies that make them. Just make sure you get a stainless steel one. I had a flowmaster catback that wasn`t stainless and our wonderful new york winters rusted it away in about two years.

Now i have a custom bent SS catback with a flowmaster 50 series muffler and it has a nice deep sound but so does magnaflow if you prefer them.

Yeah I've heard the videos of long tube headers and they sound really deep and rich. Like a true v8 exhaust should so I'm definitely going to get them. I'm just not sure of what brand or what ones to go with as I want the best quality without breaking the bank also do longtube headers require any sort of modifications or removing and lifting engine and stuff to mount?. And holy crap that is horrible. NYS winters are awful I hate the rot they cause. Thanks for the heads up on stainless to prevent rot. What exhaust would you recommend? I love the sound of flow master but I would like a pretty aggressive sound without spending to much. I'm thinking the 40 series or super 10. I would like to avoid severe droaning but I do want it to really come to life and roar while accelerating but have a nice noticeable loud idle.

 

[James417]

It's going to get MUCH louder after long tubes. Put the headers on first, then plan your exhaust. I added a second muffler, Magnaflow 7" round, after I put my headers on because it was so loud with just the 22" big body Magnaflow.

Any half decent exhaust shop can do a dual side exit easily and if you prefer to install one yourself there are a few companies that make them. Just make sure you get a stainless steel one. I had a flowmaster catback that wasn`t stainless and our wonderful new york winters rusted it away in about two years.

Now i have a custom bent SS catback with a flowmaster 50 series muffler and it has a nice deep sound but so does magnaflow if you prefer them.

I have seen videos of the long tube headers on the 5.3 and it definitely sounds better than stock. But I may go with just short regular race headers because I don't want to have to lift the engine up or remove tons of stuff to get the new long Tube headers installed. I may even have to leave the original factory headers and cats with factory y pipe for now because I may not have the money or time to install all of this before winter hits and I want to get a nice underside river coat on before the snow and salt. Anyways I'm thinking a 10 or 40 series from flow master but I can't find anything cat back for the Tahoe unless I buy the downpipe and and everything separate from the muffler. I can only get the mild sounding 50 series or 44 series for the cat back already assembled. Any ideas on what I should do? I would love the found of long tube headers and high flow cats with big y pipe but will installing these require a lot of tearing down the engine or lifting the engine? Also what brand do you recommend that's cheapest? I'm trying to do this in a budget without buying stuff that will rot. I found a few cheap cat back aluminized that where really cheap but I dont know about aluminized vs stainless as I've heard stainless is much better. To tell you the truth if NY wasn't so strict on exhaust laws I would just straight pipe it and be done with it.lol

 

[James417]

It's going to get MUCH louder after long tubes. Put the headers on first, then plan your exhaust. I added a second muffler, Magnaflow 7" round, after I put my headers on because it was so loud with just the 22" big body Magnaflow.

Any half decent exhaust shop can do a dual side exit easily and if you prefer to install one yourself there are a few companies that make them. Just make sure you get a stainless steel one. I had a flowmaster catback that wasn`t stainless and our wonderful new york winters rusted it away in about two years.

Now i have a custom bent SS catback with a flowmaster 50 series muffler and it has a nice deep sound but so does magnaflow if you prefer them.

OK I see what you are saying. I have heard long tube headers sound better but do long tube header require unbolting the engine mounts and lifting and wiggling the engine and trans to fit the new headers and y pipe in? I heard this from a few people I am not sure if its true. Maybe because mines 4wd? Idk but I'm trying to find a good sounding exhaust in between the super 10 or 40 series flow masters that want rot but can't find much without having custom bent piping and muffler of choosing. But I don't know if I could afford an exhaust shop to do all of that right now and winter is coming and out of nowhere the title is actually on its way so I'm trying to think of something quick. I would love headers don't get me wrong I've dreamed of them but I don't know if I would have the time or cash right this season.

 

[Sasquatch]

I don`t have headers so i can`t really say how difficult the install is but it doesn`t look that bad. The flowmaster catback i had was aluminized pipe and it still rotted quickly. I was actually going to order another one of the same kit but then i got to thinking that it would be cheaper in the long run to just do it in SS once and be done with it.

I found a little shop in north jersey that has a great reputation, He doesn`t have a mandrel bender but he did the whole job for just under $800. 3 inch pipe from the cat to the muffler and 2-1/2 inch tails with 3.5x 18 inch polished SS tips. It`s been on there for close to three years now with no problems.

If you want to avoid drone i would stay away from a 10 or a 40. The drone will drive you crazy. My 50 is pretty loud and the only time i have drone is towing a heavy load up a steep grade.

This is my visually horrible video but the sound will give you an idea what the 50 sounds like. http://vid139.photobucket.com/albums/q281/Sasquatch769/MVI_9341_zps559c76ef.mp4

 

[hoe]

Loud and deep does not belong in the same sentence. Shorter the muffler the louder. Longer the muffler the quieter but deeper.

Therefor you need a mid length size and you need to increase flow. Long tubes with no cats is a good idea. Go for 18" or so on the muffler size

 

[James417]

I don`t have headers so i can`t really say how difficult the install is but it doesn`t look that bad. The flowmaster catback i had was aluminized pipe and it still rotted quickly. I was actually going to order another one of the same kit but then i got to thinking that it would be cheaper in the long run to just do it in SS once and be done with it.

I found a little shop in north jersey that has a great reputation, He doesn`t have a mandrel bender but he did the whole job for just under $800. 3 inch pipe from the cat to the muffler and 2-1/2 inch tails with 3.5x 18 inch polished SS tips. It`s been on there for close to three years now with no problems.

If you want to avoid drone i would stay away from a 10 or a 40. The drone will drive you crazy. My 50 is pretty loud and the only time i have drone is towing a heavy load up a steep grade.

This is my visually horrible video but the sound will give you an idea what the 50 sounds like. http://vid139.photobucket.com/albums/q281/Sasquatch769/MVI_9341_zps559c76ef.mp4

Loud and deep does not belong in the same sentence. Shorter the muffler the louder. Longer the muffler the quieter but deeper.

Therefor you need a mid length size and you need to increase flow. Long tubes with no cats is a good idea. Go for 18" or so on the muffler size

I'm thinking I am most likely going to get the muffler I want in a cat back kit and have it installed for the extra hangers with the dual exit. I don't really mind drone because I have driven cars with a loud leaky exhaust and got used to it. Lol. But I do know nys has a bad habit of ticketing people with an exhaust thats loud. Even though I hear lots of loud exhausts anyways. I would love to do long tube headers and y pipe while this was all taken apart but I'm having trouble getting the money for a y pipe with high flow cats and headers with the exhaust before the winter. I need cats because nys does a visual inspection of the car and looks for cats.

 

[hoe]

Get dummy cats or high flow. As long as the computer is tuned should not be a issue. Have your own y pipe built with dummy cats that look real. The dummies are like 40$ Each. Just buy the long tubes. And fab the y pipe. Be sure to tune for no cats!