Magnaflow drone... Input please!

[ddd269]

Hello everyone!

I was curious about exhaust drone after intalling cat-back magnaflows. I expected the system to have a hearty sound, no question, but at certain rpm the drone was too much.

At about 1800 to 2200 rpm (this is when most of the shift is done during street driving with my V8 5 speed) the drone is almost a rumble and can feel echoing through out the cabin. The sound is ok before and after that rpm range... Actually, it's awesome. The drone is almost nauseating. It almost feel like I'm in front of a subwoofer sending out a constant up-down frequency. What's worse is that at about 70mph the rpm is right about 2000. If I want the cruising speed to stay at 70, it's a constant drone. :awais: When I let go of the gas, it's like I'm in a church. lol

I called Magaflow and they said to give a few weeks to "break-in" the exhaust, which could lower the sound level and also mentioned that some people install dynamat above the exhaust system, on the floor panel, to lessen the vibration (at $200 for most dynamat kit, that's expensive). How does this material do with heat anyways?

Has anybody experienced this?

Any advise?

 

[Falls]

My Runner has a stock exhaust , but have had 2 magnaflow system's on my Stang's as far as drone goes.......welcome to Magnaflow !!

One thing you might want to check with MF to see if you can get a longer muffler and put in place of the one that came with the kit. People have done this with their stang's because of drone.

 

[Casper]

any performance exhaust for the 4runner is going to drone, its really just a matter of how sensitive ones ears are to it. The exhaust will break in but honestly, over time the exhaust will get louder although at the beginning it might become somewhat quieter.

The open space, in being an suv, causes tuned resonance area for the exhaust to magnify and hence why the exhaust resonance is there and not with trucks.

 

[ddd269]

So, does this mean, all you guys have the same drone about the 1800 ~ 2200 rpm range?

I just wanted to know if this was normal with magnaflow and 4gen 4runner.

When I had a flowmaster in my suburban, the drone wasn't like this even with a k&n intake. That's why I was asking.

Thanks.

My wife is complaining because it's "too" loud for her. I told her it sounds manly and since I'm a manly man, it's very fitting. This is what she did to me. :bash:

 

[Casper]

tis a effect of any exahust on the 4th gen Ho'runner.

 

[Koz]

I don't have that drone, I guess just lucky. You may want to loosen the clamps and re-hang the exhaust so that it is centered on all the factory hangers and is hanging freely, then re-tighten the clamps. It's worth a try!

Koz

 

[iFORCE]

Let it settle in first. When I installed my TRD exhaust last week, it sounded like a big semi truck..... but now, It sounds awesome. It's alot quieter now than before.

btw... V8 + exhaust = AWESOME!

 

[ddd269]

Let it settle in first. When I installed my TRD exhaust last week, it sounded like a big semi truck..... but now, It sounds awesome. It's alot quieter now than before.

btw... V8 + exhaust = AWESOME!

Yeah! It sounds great... except at the 2000 rpm range. lol

I'll have to wait a few weeks to settle down, I guess.

Thanks for all the input guys.

I love t4r.org!

 

[4RunnerRon]

I'm really sensitive to the drone and definitely heard it when I first installed my Borla exhaust, but after having it on for a month or so, I don't really notice it. It's most noticeable when cruising on the freeway or holding a speed up hills and keeping the RPMs around 2k. This is just due to the V8 and the design of the exhaust. There's not much we can do about it, and to be honest, as anal as I am about this kind of stuff, I've grown to love my exhaust. It sounds great and the truck hauls a**. The Magnaflow may have less of a drone so you might want to go that route, but either way, if you're a performance loving guy, you'll appreciate the difference and get used to any minor sound difference.

 

[OUTRNNR]

I too have the 1800-2200 rpm drone. It has gotten louder since I've had exhaust too (about 6 months now). It is definitely noticible and loud; loud enough to interrupt normal conversation. At highway speeds its not too bad because all of the noise from the highway and passing air drowns out the drone. My solution is just to downshift to get it out of this range if I'm trying to have a conversation, or hungover, or don't feel like hearing it. Or I simply turn the stereo up...

All that being said, I still love the Magnaflow exhaust and the beautiful sounds it makes as the engine works it way up the rpm range.

 

[ksneubec]

I have the drone too, but in a lower range- 1500-1900 or so. Maybe that has something to do with having the V6. I definitely notice it, but like others, I am happy enough with the product over all to live with it.

 

[Ele'ele]

I made a post long ago about my magnaflow installed. I also had the drone about 1700 rpm and thought I could take it. But after 2 weeks I took off my cat back and put the stock system on. I just could not live with that constant drone, especially since I was always driving in the 1700- 2000 rpm range. What I did do was take my magnaflow system to a muffler shop and had them weld on just the double end tips onto the stock toyota muffler. Cost $50 but I have this great little rumble when I accelerate and coast. You can notice that rumble both inside and outside of the car. so I am stuck with this beautiful stainless steel magnaflow muffler but I have the double tips on and it looks and sounds great. Perfect.

Clint

 

[Bobster]

I would try to install a resonator in front of the muffler.

 

[Fins_UP]

I have a question for you guys with the V8 Magnaflow (Koz and others)...

I had a buddy of mine install the system for me since I wasn't quite comfortable doing it myself and he is a mechanic, has a lift in his garage, etc. Anyway, to the point... when we did the install the instructions say to use the *shorter* of the two intermediate pipes for the V8:

http://images.magnaflow.com/07techtips/pdfs/15781.pdf

When we got the stock system off, though, and compared what we had (Magnaflow) to the hanger placement on the truck, the only pipe that made sense (and fit with the existing hangers) was the longer pipe, which the instructions specifically state are for the V6, not the V8. Also, if you look at the L-shaped pieces coming off the pipe, they face different directions based on whether you use the shorter or longer pipe. The stock system pipe from my V8 looked just like the longer pipe. We went with the longer pipe and everything looked and seemed to fit perfectly.

I bring this up partly because I'm wondering if the instructions are wrong or if we were wrong...? :awais: I too have the drone present, and while not unbearable, it is a little annoying. I'll let the system "break in" a little and see how it sounds after a few thousand miles. I'm wondering though if using the wrong pipe would have anything to do with this...

Thoughts?

 

[ddd269]

You are correct in using the long pipe (for the V6 - according to the instruction). I called Magnaflow about this and they confirmed that the two pipes are interchangeable on the V8. I guess depending on production date the pipe setup is different.

I used the longer pipe also.

The drone has nothing to do with the length of the mid-pipe. The exhaust sounds sweet at low (under 1700~1800 rpm) and higher (2200 ~ up). It's that sweet(sour) spot that ruins it for the cabin noice. It kind of feels like that buffeting you feel when only one window is open and messes-up your ears with the fluctuating low sound waves.

I'm going to wait a few more weeks and install dynamat sound insulator pads on the outer side of the floor panel, above the muffler. I'm just worried that it might peel/come off and burn on the muffler. Any ideas on how to hold it in place? Screw w/washers maybe? Are there any electrical wires on the floor that I have to watch out for? How do dynamat do with heat?

 

[Fins_UP]

OK, good, I'm glad somebody else has the long pipe on there V8 too. I figured the drone had nothing to do with that but thought I'd ask anyway. And I agree - the exhaust sounds *great* at low range, but that highway cruising speed drone kills me. Don't know if dynamat would help - I would think so, but it's all a matter of how to install it properly underneath the car. I'll let you look into that, keep us posted on how that works out. I'm going to look into a resonator or something else to help regulate the flow and control the drone. I'll let you know if I find any solution that works. I'm just torn because not only does it sound great, it looks so much better than the stock system as well. There has to be some kind of solution out there...

 

[Bobster]

The resonator should be easy. Use the extra pipe with a flange (probably the short one if you have a V8) and have a glass pack welded in. A muffler shop I went to used old fashioned straight glass packs as resonators and said they work well. I was told that a resonator between the cat and the muffler is the best position to eliminate the harmonic. Your next move would be to replace the magnafloww muffler with a super turbo type muffler IMHO. I don't think the insulating material you are considering will eliminate a harmonic noise but that's just an opinion that's not tested.

 

[lbrunner]

Fact Muffler

I made a post long ago about my magnaflow installed. I also had the drone about 1700 rpm and thought I could take it. But after 2 weeks I took off my cat back and put the stock system on. I just could not live with that constant drone, especially since I was always driving in the 1700- 2000 rpm range. What I did do was take my magnaflow system to a muffler shop and had them weld on just the double end tips onto the stock toyota muffler. Cost $50 but I have this great little rumble when I accelerate and coast. You can notice that rumble both inside and outside of the car. so I am stuck with this beautiful stainless steel magnaflow muffler but I have the double tips on and it looks and sounds great. Perfect.

Clint

I just got back from a trip to VT towing a small utility trailer and I agree with most that the drone is very present and is almost annoying. I had two passengers in back and they commented on how difficult it was to have a conversation(older people w/hearing not 100%). Everytime I would hit a long mountain hill for a few miles, the motor wants to pull right in that zone. Either that or I would have to make it downshift and suck more gas. Was kind of annoying. Love the sound outside though. Strange how it sounds like it would be so loud outside from the inside the truck but it really isn't that loud outside. Got 16mpg towing small trailer and a large aluminum extension ladder on kayak racks@70mph, sometimes 75. Not too bad I guess.

Clint, I was seriously thinking of doing that. So with the MF piping and toy muffler, minus the toy resonator, it still has a nice so?!nd?Wish you had a sound clip. That would help alot! Can you compare the sound to any vehicle? Nissan Armada/Titan maybe? They have a distingishing note stock.

 

[ddd269]

Maybe a solution...

I was doing some research on sound absorbing materials(dynamat, cascade, etc).

I spoke with a tech at Cascade Audio and told me that the drone issue can be solved by installing one of their sound barrier material (VB 4.5). It's a bit pricy (about $300 to do the whole floor) This material would replace the factory padding under the carpet.

I'm going to order and install it. I hope it works. I'll keep you guys in the loop.

 

[Koz]

The resonator should be easy. Use the extra pipe with a flange (probably the short one if you have a V8) and have a glass pack welded in. A muffler shop I went to used old fashioned straight glass packs as resonators and said they work well. I was told that a resonator between the cat and the muffler is the best position to eliminate the harmonic. Your next move would be to replace the magnafloww muffler with a super turbo type muffler IMHO. I don't think the insulating material you are considering will eliminate a harmonic noise but that's just an opinion that's not tested.

Just remember that exhaust systems/components are not all made of the same quality. If you add a plain steel glass pack you can expect it to last approx two years. The Magnaflow cat-back system has a lifetime warranty.

Koz