DG208
Junior Member
Thought I would share my recent experiences following a few exhaust/muffler swaps. So following a lift, tires, rims and a few other mods I started feeling as though it was time to make my 2018 Big Horn (1500 Hemi) sound a little more aggressive. Unfortunately, not really having anyone close by that I could benchmark against I had to rely on online reviews and clips to make a decision. I decided to go with a Borla Cat Back. I was leaning towards the S Type but ultimately settled on the Touring after reading a number of reviews where guys claimed that the Borla was too loud. I was really surprised after having the Touring installed at how quiet the system was and although I know a lot comes down to personal preference I can’t understand how anyone would think it’s too loud. In my opinion it’s a barely noticeable change from stock. Yes, it does have a better sound at start-up but the handful of people I showed it too all said they could barely tell the difference. After start-up virtually no difference at idle or when driving. I had a pulsar installed at the same time and in performance mode the truck really moved and when I hit the pedal you could start to hear that rumble and then as quickly as it started died off leaving me wanting more. Nice sound but too low and over too fast. I didn’t take any readings when the stock exhaust was on but I did use a sound meter after. From tailpipe height 5-6 feet away, a cold start on the touring (80-85 degrees outside) typically registered 85-86 decibels. A warm start a few minutes ran around 81 and then it idled in the 60s. While driving (not WOT) I got readings in the 50s – basically standard road noise. (in fact general background noise seems to register 50-60) On one hot day I got a 89 reading at cold start. However, I started a new F250 (stock muffler) next to it and it read 86. So after 1500 - 2000 miles I figured I would take a shot on swapping out the muffler alone before I decided on buying the S type (since Borla won’t sell the muffler alone). I installed a Flowmaster Super 44 (relatively cheap swap). Huge difference (some good, some bad). At cold start under similar conditions I seem to be registering around 102-103 decibels (every 10 decibels is roughly double the volume) after a minute or two it settles down and idle reads around 75 decibels. (Reading in the cab at idle is in the 60s – noticeable but not overbearing). Overall love the sound on the Flowmaster at start – deep and aggressive although probably a little too loud (its on the catback pipes not the stock system though) and has some volume at idle unlike the touring. On the road it’s a little choppy and can get a little annoying on the highway but not overbearing. Overall I think I prefer the tone on the Borla but it lacked in volume and consistency. Where the Borla really seems to excel is in performance. Honestly I didn’t think there would be much of a noticeable difference but punching it in Performance mode it’s a very noticeable difference with the Flowmaster. Apparently the chambered muffler and the back pressure it creates really does impact the performance. So maybe an S Type is still on the horizon. Does anyone have a decibel reading on the S Type or any other mufflers they care to share? Anyways hopes this helps someone make a decision.
Also seems to be getting worse gas mileage on the Flowmaster than with the Borla.
Also seems to be getting worse gas mileage on the Flowmaster than with the Borla.
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