Just picked up an 09 ram crew cab w/hemi a few weeks ago, and really wanna give it a better sound. I really want to go with a full system specific for the truck but havn't found any yet.
so the question is what muffler do yall think would sound good that wouldnt have too much drone and interior noise esp for when the MDS kicks in
qtipextra
02-09-2009, 04:05 PM
For what I have heard as of right now, do not TOUCH the exhaust. It is designed to work with MDS, and if you modify it, the exhaust will sound like shit. I dont think at this time however that any current owners on this board have done it yet.
Time shall tell
rotts4u
02-09-2009, 09:48 PM
A friend of mine did a full dual exhaust on his Ram and it was horrible. LOUD and it droned on the highway etc. his wife hated it and so did I. I have the stock dual outlets and plan to leave mine alone.
spunkmtb
02-09-2009, 09:58 PM
My set-up isn't bad with the MDS. True its a 2007 the tone changes slightly with MDS but It isn't that farting sound that everyone complains about. I have a true dual set-up coming back from each cat. The tubing is 2.5 inch and there is an H-pipe right before the mufflers SI/SO for each one. I am running the Magna-FLow performance XL mufflers. At idle it sounds like a speed boat idling. Driving around it has a mellow exhaust tone. If you get on it it's loud with a K&N. I spent $500 to get this custom bent for me. It exits after the rear wheel.
WhoAmI351
02-09-2009, 10:24 PM
Yea, that's what i've kinda heard too...just leave it alone. To me the dual on it sounds good right now. Im just used to the louder exhaust i had on my other truck before the ram and want it back.
spunk...that sounds like a pretty good setup, but as far as the engines and mds go in similarities bw the 3rd gen and 4th gens, are they about the same?
spunkmtb
02-09-2009, 10:48 PM
Besides the horsepower, yeah they should be the same. Look under your truck. There should be a resonator and than a muffler. It's the resonator that masks the MDS sound. The performance XL muffler isn't straight though muffler. It has baffles in it. (I called Magna-flow and picked their brains after it was installed and this muffler is designed for turbo applications). The shop I went to warned me about the bad sound with the straight through design. The owner took me for a ride in his truck and demonstrated to me what the sounds would be like between 8 cylinder and MDS. I mean you can tell the difference in the sounds but it sounds mean at WOT. I haven't looked at the 2009 exhaust but I am gonna guess it's a Y with SI/DO. You could theoretically leave the resonator and install a straight through muffler and add an after market y-pipe. I don't know if that would help. Or replace the whole thing, go true dual, put an H-pipe closer to the cats and run it out the back where your current exhaust is. If you are more interested in my s/u I could get the measurement for my mufflers after I move to VT (Tomorrow I am driving there)
WhoAmI351
02-09-2009, 11:02 PM
yea you're right about the resonator and then the muffler and then it looks like theres also 2 more resonators right near the tips. so if i leave the resonator, are you saying it would be better to get a straight through muffler or not?
basically im looking to just swap the muffler for now, and waiting for a system hopefully specifically with the MDS and all in mind to get for it later
spunkmtb
02-10-2009, 12:58 AM
Pics would help from the cat back or perhaps go to the dealership and have them point out to you which ones are the resonators. As far as it being better? I don't have an answer. I could say yes, but as Forrest Gump once said "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never quite know what you get until you open it up" Some mods work right some don't. It's a chance we take. If it were me I would take the chance. But I am a gambler. Whatever you do have the y-pipe replaced at least even if you leave the exhaust stock. It is very restrictive.
qtipextra
02-10-2009, 10:01 AM
I wonder how it would sound if you removed the cats, put in a less restrictive muffler, a better Y, but kept the resonators and stock piping. (I am talking about the dual setup).
I am new the the whole MDS thing, so I have no idea what it would sound like.
Also, on removing the cats, would it still be possible on the newer engines to fool the computer, by backing out the o2 sensors after the cats, with spark plug foulers?
WhoAmI351
02-10-2009, 02:58 PM
Pics would help from the cat back
i'll get a pic as soon as i can i'll probably have more time to do that than get to the dealership hah
as far as the Y pipe goes i've thought about that too, but like someone said earlier..any aftermarket support as far as engines and all go are so limited. i cant find anything!
STR8_From_Hell
02-10-2009, 07:45 PM
I wonder how it would sound if you removed the cats, put in a less restrictive muffler, a better Y, but kept the resonators and stock piping. (I am talking about the dual setup).
I am new the the whole MDS thing, so I have no idea what it would sound like.
Also, on removing the cats, would it still be possible on the newer engines to fool the computer, by backing out the o2 sensors after the cats, with spark plug foulers?
Yeah the anti foulers will work, it does on most any other vehicle out there and these will be no different.
The factory manifolds and Y pipe are garbage. It looks the same as the previous gen trucks. My crossover pipe for the drivers bank is crushed along the transmission crossmember so it needs to go. I am going to do true duals on my truck but I want headers first. Since the new heads have the SRT(or 6.1) exhaust port it means waiting. I think my SRT's stock shorties would probably actually fit since there is a lot of room under there, but I took them off my Charger for a reason. I like long tubes.
On my truck I have nothing after the cats until the muffler and two small resonators on the tail pipes. Unlike my mothers 2006 that has a pre muffler resonator I do not have that. I am going to do a 2 1/2" true dual with long tubes( once I can get some) with a DI/DO muffler and then some resonators on the tail pipes. Drone is drone, the problem is that the MDS just amplifies it.
biggestdiesel
02-10-2009, 09:17 PM
I'll be able to provide my opinion on Friday. I'm going with 2.25" dual pipes from the cats into a dual in/dual out Flowmaster Super 40. From there, dual 2.25" pipes, exiting rear passenger after the tire. I expect it to be loud, I expect some drone but I am hopeful it will sound mean too! My last Dodge was a straight pipe diesel so I'm used to noise....
WhoAmI351
02-11-2009, 10:41 AM
I'll be able to provide my opinion on Friday.
Dont forget about that, I definitely wanna hear how it goes! :tup:
qtipextra
02-11-2009, 02:40 PM
I dont mind drone either, in fact I like to hear the exhaust. I just dont want to hear a shitty sounding exhaust. If its loud and deep, great, but if it sounds like a rice burner shit can when MDS kicks in, to hell with it.
WhoAmI351
02-11-2009, 06:45 PM
that's how i am, i like hearing it, but it's the MDS that's got me worried. i hate that retarded rice burner sound. annoys the sh!t outta me.
STR8_From_Hell
02-11-2009, 07:41 PM
I guess it depends on what a person is after in the exhaust. If all you want is sound, well you might get stuck with something you dislike. I am after power, hence headers and 2.5" exhaust. I just want to bring this truck up to what guys all do to 5.7 LX cars. I stated it before and I am still interested in even using the stock suitcase muffler off an SRT8 with some sort of high flow resonators on the tail pipes. If I make this truck sound like how my Charger does, I am happy. I have a friend with a Magnum R/T with the SRT8 factory catback on it and there is no drone at highway speed.......or any speed. Sounds the same as mine since we both have long tubes and high flow cats.
biggestdiesel
02-11-2009, 08:29 PM
I don't think there will be too much to worry about regarding MDS. Here is a video clip of a flowmaster 50 on a ram with MDS. (Listen about 1:09 minutes into the clip) You only hear it for a couple seconds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI9aWrKnX8Q
I could be wrong, but I'll have to live with it if I make a mistake....cause I'm not going back to stock once I get this muffler system installed. I am expecting a good pickup in RWHP as well. That's why I'm going duals and the Super 40. I am quite confident I am getting a significant pickup in flow with this setup. I do not plan on adding a blower or cam/headers so I think this exhaust with a CAI and a tune (down the road when available) will be a good pickup in sound, look and power! I'll know in 36 hours!
cryotek
02-15-2009, 06:46 PM
I replaced my stock mffler with a flowmaster super 44. Had to install a couple extesion pipes since the stock muffler was so huge. I love the sound and it looks completly stock. WHy pay for a whole system when you just need a better muffler. As far as the drone, thats a matter of opinion. I like to hear my truck and at highway speeds i don't notice it. I have not heard any diference with the MDS but I'm not sure when it is active and when its not. Might be just my driving habits(75 on the highway).
Anyone put a set of headers on their Hemi yet??
qtipextra
02-15-2009, 07:32 PM
I replaced my stock mffler with a flowmaster super 44. Had to install a couple extesion pipes since the stock muffler was so huge. I love the sound and it looks completly stock. WHy pay for a whole system when you just need a better muffler. As far as the drone, thats a matter of opinion. I like to hear my truck and at highway speeds i don't notice it. I have not heard any diference with the MDS but I'm not sure when it is active and when its not. Might be just my driving habits(75 on the highway).
Anyone put a set of headers on their Hemi yet??
Are there headers out for the new HEMI yet?
STR8_From_Hell
02-15-2009, 10:14 PM
Are there headers out for the new HEMI yet?
Simply put, no. Much like anything else for these trucks the aftermarket is sitting on their hands apparently. Like it's such a huge endeavour to build them as well. Our trucks frames are the same in the front as the older gen trucks. There is no reason to wait forever to get things like headers built. The only difference substantial enough for a hold up is the fact that the heads use the 6.1's exhaust ports instead of the old 5.7. Old 5.7 headers would work but the ports are shaped differently and you would impede flow with them. I will wait for a bit longer but I said if before. If I have to I will get the flanges cut off my stock SRT shorties I have kicking around and get them welded onto a set of 08 and older long tubes. I am sure I can find a set that are not coated easily enough and I would just coat them afterwards.
Why pay for a whole system. Easy, it's not the muffler that is the problem on these trucks. It's the crappy crimped crossover pipe and shitty cast iron exhaust manifolds that are the problem. Willing to bet much like my SRT the catalytic convertors are extremely restrictive as well. Realistically after you get past the Y pipe you have a 3" pipe feeding the muffler and 2.25" duals out with small resonators. You would probably see more gain from a Y pipe and high flow cat revamp over any muffler swap. Not to mention that the Flowmaster flows about the same as the stock muffler.........just makes more noise. Flowmaster makes one of the poorest flowing aftermarket mufflers out there, and that is shown in any muffler comparo you can find if you don't believe me. Had one that came on my 94 Chevy and I pitched the whole system in the garbage. They don't sound bad, but they are a sound only upgrade. I think the whole system on my truck is a compromise and will just do as I said. Make it like a Hemi powered LX car.
