5th Gen TRD Pro Exhaust Installed on 4th Gen
A little bit of update on my own thread.
Short answer: IT FITS!!
Long version:
It didn't take long until the weld completely separated.
According to my research on the web, there wasn't conclusive evidence that 5th gen exhaust will fit on 4th gen. Probably not many people has done it or tried it. Toyota part number is different for 4th gen V6 exhaust and 5th gen. Upon further observation, the 5th gen exhaust lacks resonator on the tail pipe. I don't know if anyone has noticed different exhaust note between 4th gen V6 and the 5th gen, but maybe they've done something on the muffler to compensate for no resonator on the tail pipe section?
Some aftermarket exhaust lists 4th gen and 5th gen catback exhaust as a same part number. But Gibson for sure includes several pieces of pipe to have same part number to cover 4th gen V8, V6, and 5th gen exhaust. So that wasn't convincing either. Some people said they fitted aftermarket exhaust for 5th gen into a 4th gen without a problem, and there was a person who said they fitted 5th gen stock catback to 4th gen with minor bending of the exhaust hanger.
So I was a little optimistic, a little doubtful, but went a head and got a new TRD Pro exhaust for 5th gen. This exhaust comes stock on 2020 TRD Pro trim. So I was hoping Toyota quality and not too aggressive sound, and maybe a little bit of upgrade in terms of power and torque. They do advertise it for increased low end torque.
Anyway, I also got a new spring, bolt and gasket for that section (right before the muffler). Those are not included in the TRD Pro catback exhaust. And bolted on the new exhaust. It fits without modification, and fits perfectly! I didn't have to bend any hangers to make it fit. And most of install time was spent on torquing the tailpipie section bolts (three of them, stock one has two bolts), because the access is a little limited and I have a thing about torquing the bolts to exact spec.
And aesthetically I think it looks awesome. Goes really well with my black theme. And I like it that it exits to the side. I'd hope it hung a little higher to give some more clearance but other than that no complaints.
However, soundwise, I was hoping it was a little more subtle. During idle you barely notice it. If you listen carefully, there is a little lower frequency rumble to it, but passer-by won't notice it. While driving, you can feel it's presence especially when city driving and you are going up and down the rpm. During highway driving, usually the rpm stays pretty low even at 75-80 mph, so you don't notice much, but when it downshifts, it's noticeable.
I can definitely see why some people will like it and some people won't. If you are a person who likes Lexus like quietness then it's definitely not for you. My wife says, "It gets on my nerves." But some enthusiasts will love some rumble here and there, and giving their 4runner some character. Honestly I don't think it is any worse than any other aftermarket performance exhaust options out there. And if it were just me, I would keep it, but I want happier wife and she spends more time with 4runner than I do. So with that said, I will be putting this up for sale. With less than a week of use, it's still on my 4runner, so if anybody near Minneapolis, MN wants to hear it first hand, you are welcome to contact me.
