Questions about my exhaust

[thekevin]

Ok, I have some stupid questions about my exhaust. I am wanting to give my truck a little rumble, I want no cracking or popping at all, just a little growl. The cat's are staying on and I am just wanting to put a new muffler on and a stainless tip. I am going to use all my factory pipe and exit in factory location. My question is when I measured my pipe on my truck it measures 2.75" across so do I need to buy 2.5" or 3" stuff to work right with it.

I am thinking either a round Magnaflow or a Hooker Aero Chamber will be the muffler I buy.

Oh, and my truck is an 07 GMC 1500 Classic CCSB z71 4x4 5.3

[Tweaks]

Leaving the cats on and avoiding decel from very high rpms tends to prevent cracking and popping so whichever muffler you choose, you should have no issues will ill side effects.

Stock pipe diameter is indeed an odd-ball 2.75 inches. Since the new muffler is more free-flowing that the stocker, you can go with either a 2.5 inlet/outlet or the 3 for the aftermarket muffler. Most go with a the 3. Either way, you will need to get 2 reducers. One to expand the diameter going into the muffler, and one to reduce the diameter after the muffler, if you go with a 3 inch inlet/outlet. It would be the opposite if you go with a 2.5 inlet/outlet.

Your stock pipe is primarily stainless steel and will last a long time, so I encourage you to shop for a stainless steel muffler to ensure it doesn't become the corrosion weak spot of your exhaust system.

[thekevin]

I will do the 3", and I am for sure going with the Hooker Aerochamber. I am going to crawl under it after it quits raining today and see if I need to buy offsets or center/center.

[viper919]

I think you'd enjoy the sound of the magnaflow, has a nice rumble but isn't overly agressive

[thekevin]

Which style of Magnaflow, the round tube ones, or the turbo style.

[viper919]

I've only ever heard the turbo style ones. Do some research on magnaflow to make sure you get the correct part number. They make exhausts that are mellow, but they also make some loud/aggressive exhausts. Typically you'll want a larger muffler if your going to a mellow tone.

[16_w/_lic&truck]

Go with a thrush exhaust there much cheaper and with the same result.

[thekevin]

I had a thrush turbo on my jeep and it sounded completely stock. I guess I need to youtube some videos and see how they sound with the 5.3

[Tweaks]

I had a thrush turbo on my jeep and it sounded completely stock. I guess I need to youtube some videos and see how they sound with the 5.3

Thrush and Dynomax are the same thing and for a while we have been using a Dynomax super turbo cat-back on my brothers 97 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 5.2 v8 and aside from a nice throaty rumble upon start-up, it is exactly as loud as stock. So our observations are on par with yours when it comes to those super turbo mufflers from either Dynomax or Thrush.

The Aerochamber gets lots of positive reviews, so that's a good sign. I've never used Magnaflow, but I have heard that they are one of maybe 2 aftermarket muffler manufacturers who offer a direct fit muffler for that goofy 2.75 pipe diameter.

Unless GM changed things between my year of truck and yours, it should be a center in, offset out muffler. That's what I used with a Corsa muffler to splice into my stock exhaust pipe and create the system I have had for the past couple of years.

[thekevin]

Well I went to the muffler shop today and spent $65 on a used 40 series flowmaster installed. It isnt even noticeable at idle, but man does it sound good when you give it gas. No weird pops or cracks when shifting, just smooth flowmaster sound. I left my cat's on.