62Blazer
Senior Member
Just installed the Flowmaster 817709 exhaust system on my '16 Ram 2500 this weekend. This is a stainless steel cat-back that uses a 3.5" in an dual 3" outlet 50HD series muffler with dual exits. You can either go straight out the back or side exits.
Install:
Removing the factory exhaust system is by far the most time consuming part of the job. My '16 is pretty clean and low mileage but has lived in the midwest and took some time to get all the pipes apart. The directions tell you to just cut the pipe after the muffler to make it easier but I wanted to take it apart at the factory connections in case I reinstalled the factory setup.
Once the factory system was removed the Flowmaster setup went on pretty quick. Starting at the front and working the way back with just tightening the clamps up enough to hole everything together until adjusted. If you line up the factory hanger locations it really wasn't hard to get it aligned and only spent a short period of time making some adjustments. I went with the straight back exhaust exists for now but will play around with the side exits to as it's a pretty quick switch. As of right now I think the chrome tips stick out just a hair too far IMO but that's an easy fix. Also seriously considering not using the chrome tips and getting some 45 degree turn downs and keep it tucked back behind the bumper. After a couple of heat cycles I will go back under the truck and tighten up all the clamps.
Overall sound it not super loud by any means. Cold start it rumbles pretty good for a few minutes but once the idle goes down it doesn't sound much different than stock from the sides or front of the truck, but more rumble from the rear. During acceleration you can definitely notice it but not crazy loud.
Drone on the highway was my biggest concern. 50-55 mph cruising there is a drone under certain conditions but it's not horrible. Freeway about 60 mph and it's pretty quiet in the cab....I think the 35" mud tires make more noise. I will probably experiment removing the tips as they can make a difference in the drone mentioned above. May also buy a pair of resonators for $70-$80 and play with them replacing the tips...plenty of room to put them on the tailpipes and may even be worth it to just install them when going on a long freeway trip.
I should also say that I got this system brand new for $400 when it normally retails for $900-$1,000...never would have paid full price for it but at $400 thought I would try it. Heck, even just the muffler delete pipe is $200.
Install:
Removing the factory exhaust system is by far the most time consuming part of the job. My '16 is pretty clean and low mileage but has lived in the midwest and took some time to get all the pipes apart. The directions tell you to just cut the pipe after the muffler to make it easier but I wanted to take it apart at the factory connections in case I reinstalled the factory setup.
Once the factory system was removed the Flowmaster setup went on pretty quick. Starting at the front and working the way back with just tightening the clamps up enough to hole everything together until adjusted. If you line up the factory hanger locations it really wasn't hard to get it aligned and only spent a short period of time making some adjustments. I went with the straight back exhaust exists for now but will play around with the side exits to as it's a pretty quick switch. As of right now I think the chrome tips stick out just a hair too far IMO but that's an easy fix. Also seriously considering not using the chrome tips and getting some 45 degree turn downs and keep it tucked back behind the bumper. After a couple of heat cycles I will go back under the truck and tighten up all the clamps.
Overall sound it not super loud by any means. Cold start it rumbles pretty good for a few minutes but once the idle goes down it doesn't sound much different than stock from the sides or front of the truck, but more rumble from the rear. During acceleration you can definitely notice it but not crazy loud.
Drone on the highway was my biggest concern. 50-55 mph cruising there is a drone under certain conditions but it's not horrible. Freeway about 60 mph and it's pretty quiet in the cab....I think the 35" mud tires make more noise. I will probably experiment removing the tips as they can make a difference in the drone mentioned above. May also buy a pair of resonators for $70-$80 and play with them replacing the tips...plenty of room to put them on the tailpipes and may even be worth it to just install them when going on a long freeway trip.
I should also say that I got this system brand new for $400 when it normally retails for $900-$1,000...never would have paid full price for it but at $400 thought I would try it. Heck, even just the muffler delete pipe is $200.