Performance exhaust without the sound

[BigIron53]

This is an odd request which is why I’ve started a thread. I’ve searched where I could and was unable to come up with anything solid. I have a supercharged 02 4Runner 5VZ with the 7th kit, a 2.2” pulley and Doug Thorley headers. I’m looking for a high performance (high flow) muffler that doesn’t have the performance sound like a magnaflow, flowmaster, or Borla does. I like the sleeper aspect of my runner and would like to stay close to a stock sound. Thanks in advance.

 

[hugo2go]

Maybe look into getting a stock muffler from a newer model Tundra. They might have the 2.5 piping needed to have good flow, and keep the noise down.

 

[Battle Born Offroad]

MBRP! Know for making some pretty tame systems

 

[4rFrog]

Flowmaster 50 or 70 series.

 

[T4R2014]

Stock muffler with larger pipes. Unfortunately the aftermarket fails miserably at understanding this concept without making a muffler that rusts out in a year.

 

[White Stripe]

I would be surprised if the stock muffler blocks any power. I would start with just a high flow cat. Run it off just the cat and exhaust disconnected vs with stock exhaust and high flow cat. I doubt their will be a power difference.

 

[gamefreakgc]

This is an odd request which is why I’ve started a thread. I’ve searched where I could and was unable to come up with anything solid. I have a supercharged 02 4Runner 5VZ with the 7th kit, a 2.2” pulley and Doug Thorley headers. I’m looking for a high performance (high flow) muffler that doesn’t have the performance sound like a magnaflow, flowmaster, or Borla does. I like the sleeper aspect of my runner and would like to stay close to a stock sound. Thanks in advance.

Unfortunately a straight-through muffler, which all those listed are, is the only way to gain performance over a baffled muffler like what comes stock. That's why they are so quiet, they use the baffles to make the sound waves cancel each other out. Once you switch to a straight-through type, you get more noise, no way around it.

Can only have performance or sound suppression, not both.

 

[T4R2014]

I would be surprised if the stock muffler blocks any power. I would start with just a high flow cat. Run it off just the cat and exhaust disconnected vs with stock exhaust and high flow cat. I doubt their will be a power difference.

I decided to be a smart ass thinking a stock muffler and high flow cat would be the perfect combo. Turns out a high flow cat is just a cat with less material. Basically a smaller unit. It sounds legitimately good from the outside but highway speeds result in this obnoxious drone focused around the driver area. My third gen exhaust experimentation is officially over. Can’t beat the engineers.

 

[BigIron53]

Well, hell. I appreciate all the input. Looks like I’ll be rolling stock. Not sure the minimal power gain would be worth the expense and the drone.

 

[T4R2014]

Your best bet IMO. If marketing was honest, a high flow cat would be a low filter cat. My 4Runner's exhaust has a nasty sulfur smell now too.

 

[White Stripe]

I decided to be a smart ass thinking a stock muffler and high flow cat would be the perfect combo. Turns out a high flow cat is just a cat with less material. Basically a smaller unit. It sounds legitimately good from the outside but highway speeds result in this obnoxious drone focused around the driver area. My third gen exhaust experimentation is officially over. Can’t beat the engineers.

A local guy here dyno tested his 3Rd Gen supercharged 4runner before and after a high flow cat. He gained about 10hp at the wheels.

 

[T4R2014]

A local guy here dyno tested his 3Rd Gen supercharged 4runner before and after a high flow cat. He gained about 10hp at the wheels.

I’m talking N/A. It’s useless at that point. Plus at what RPM is that? If you lose power at the low end it’s a flop to me. Frankly I find the whine of the supercharger loud enough, so I think I would accept the 10hp loss anyway. These just aren’t meant to be loud.

 

[BrianSD_42]

My setup has worked pretty well for me. I have a flowmaster, CAI and in the exhaust I had added a Tundra factory resonance silencer. You cannot buy it but you can cut one off a Tundra exhaust.

My truck sounds like a truck and has near 0 highway drone.

:fishing:

 

[T4R2014]

Few more factors that play into this:

Youtube videos are never accurate, and aftermarket sound deadening can greatly affect what you hear while driving.

Also, a V6 3rd Gen does not sound like every other V6 3rd Gen. A 99-00 CA emissions tends to be quieter due to dual cats, and the 01-02 build on this with altered sound deadening on the firewall. Even my 1998 Limited sounds different from my 1996 SR5 because the 1998 manifolds are different while cat and muffler are the same.

 

[turbo8]

From what I remember, The 4runner was rated at 183hp stock and a Tacoma was rated at 190hp. The difference was the muffler, Toyota wanted the 4runner quieter so they stuck a bigger muffler under there.

Maybe try a Tacoma muffler?

 

[BigIron53]

So I just pulled the trigger on a cherrybomb vortex muffler. I’ll get some increased flow with as good of a sound (close to stock with a throaty truck sound) as I could without breaking the bank. I’ll update as I proceed, thanks to everyone for the input.

 

[BrianSD_42]

Let us know how the drone is at 60 - 70 mph

 

[StreetCreeper]

I need to find a new muffler too. I just put on a new cat and now I sound like a fartbox on wheels with my flowmaster. I will say the extra pep from the new cat is nice though. I’m sure I lose a little “umph” also if I switch back to a normal muffler but I can’t take this frigging noise anymore. The old cat apparently was keeping all the extra fart noises all bottled up after nearly half million miles.

 

[White Stripe]

I’m talking N/A. It’s useless at that point. Plus at what RPM is that? If you lose power at the low end it’s a flop to me. Frankly I find the whine of the supercharger loud enough, so I think I would accept the 10hp loss anyway. These just aren’t meant to be loud.

Its been a while since I saw the dyno graph. I don't think it lost any power though at lower rpm. I like my quiet exhaust too, so I've never replaced the muffler or cat.

 

[gamefreakgc]

I need to find a new muffler too. I just put on a new cat and now I sound like a fartbox on wheels with my flowmaster. I will say the extra pep from the new cat is nice though. I’m sure I lose a little “umph” also if I switch back to a normal muffler but I can’t take this frigging noise anymore. The old cat apparently was keeping all the extra fart noises all bottled up after nearly half million miles.

A layer of roofing material (cheap sound deadening) or a vinyl layer on the rear cargo area only goes a LONG way on getting rid of the majority of that noise.