Long tubes or catback?

[KKell83]

Hi everyone,

I have a 2015 Mustang GT and I'm not satified with my exhaust note. I purchased the car with a quad tip Roush axleback (not a full catback) with everything else stock; even the awful stock suitcase. It sounded okay for a little while with it's pops and bangs on decel but anything over 4k rpms and it goes pretty mute. So to get that extra kick, I instantly bought an x-pipe but once I heard videos online and read how people say it just gave them volume/rasp without a refined sound I hesitated and returned it and went with Magnaflow's Tru-x resonated midpipe. Well... it neutured my exhaust for the first two+ weeks and is finally "opening up" but the note I'm looking for/want isn't there.

So, question, is it worth going with long tubes or just swapping out my entire exhaust system to a nice 3" unit? Mind you I don't want LOUD but I'd like a good overall sound which wont rattle decorations off my neighbors wall 6am in the morning.

I really -really- like the full Kook's setup: headers, x-pipe, and catback but damn it's costly; header wise. And please don't say "you get what you pay for," because I've been there before and I can easily argue that statement.

But with that said, any feedback/suggestions will help!

Thanks,
Ken.

P.S. My car WILL be Procharged soon - just waiting for the kit to be delivered.

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[Cobra Jet]

The question will be - in your State will LT’s pass either the visual or sniffer emissions test(s)?

In many States, LT’s won’t pass either. If your State is one of these, then you have to ask do you want to deal with any hassle of having to get it to pass each year.

If your State doesn’t participate in any such emissions testing, or doesn’t do a visual, then go LT’s without a doubt.

As far as the midpipe, that’s totally user preference. IMO, the X on any Mustang of any year, always sounds raspy and crackly…. High pitched raspy, like exotic “buzzy” sound. IMO, it’s not a classic “Muscle car” sound.

 

[AZ18yote]

The tru x is meant to bring loud exhausts down to stock like levels. They are used with long tubes and are still on the quieter side.

If you want HP and sound instead of just sound long tubes are the way to go. Add those to your existing tru x and you'll find it wakes up a little but still pretty quiet. When you find that volume not enough you could consider dropping the tru x for any other mid pipe, or you could swap the full catback to something that will sound solid with lth, AWE Touring or Corsa Sport or any other number of options.

 

[KKell83]

The question will be - in your State will LT’s pass either the visual or sniffer emissions test(s)?

In many States, LT’s won’t pass either. If your State is one of these, then you have to ask do you want to deal with any hassle of having to get it to pass each year.

If your State doesn’t participate in any such emissions testing, or doesn’t do a visual, then go LT’s without a doubt.

As far as the midpipe, that’s totally user preference. IMO, the X on any Mustang of any year, always sounds raspy and crackly…. High pitched raspy, like exotic “buzzy” sound. IMO, it’s not a classic “Muscle car” sound.

Apprecaite the message. I do live in California so ideally, I can't run long tubes, but within a year I'll be moving to Washington where the laws better - all my family lives there. So the hassle if you will isn't all that bad.

I think you're right about the X vs the H pipe giving off more rasp, luckily this Tru-X prevents most of it (if not all) but I did lose all my low rpm noises.

 

[KKell83]

The tru x is meant to bring loud exhausts down to stock like levels. They are used with long tubes and are still on the quieter side.

If you want HP and sound instead of just sound long tubes are the way to go. Add those to your existing tru x and you'll find it wakes up a little but still pretty quiet. When you find that volume not enough you could consider dropping the tru x for any other mid pipe, or you could swap the full catback to something that will sound solid with lth, AWE Touring or Corsa Sport or any other number of options.

That would have been nice to know before I went this direction, but I'm here now... I would perfer HP and sound, so if you feel long tubes would do just that then that's the direction I should go.

P.S. Do you feel with the addition of catted LT's that the car would sound more mellow than your usual Roush/Corsa exhaust with a straight through mid?

Thanks for the reply!

 

[NGOT8R]

Here’s what my 2019 Bullitt (with catted LTHs, x-pipe and factory AE) sounds like. It should give you an idea of what to expect.

 

[AZ18yote]

P.S. Do you feel with the addition of catted LT's that the car would sound more mellow than your usual Roush/Corsa exhaust with a straight through mid?

If you leave the MF Tru X in place than yes even adding long tubes would be quieter than oem headers and those catbacks mentioned.

 

[Atlas1]

Apprecaite the message. I do live in California so ideally, I can't run long tubes, but within a year I'll be moving to Washington where the laws better - all my family lives there. So the hassle if you will isn't all that bad.

I think you're right about the X vs the H pipe giving off more rasp, luckily this Tru-X prevents most of it (if not all) but I did lose all my low rpm noises.

Where at in Washington? I will say laws in general suck here but when it comes to emissions testing thankfully that is no more. When you pay as much as we do for plates they figured they give us something to not flee the state

 

[KKell83]

Here’s what my 2019 Bullitt (with catted LTHs, x-pipe and factory AE) sounds like. It should give you an idea of what to expect.

That was awesome, thanks! Didn't sound like I was thinking at all. Has a nice low-end growl. Would you change anything on your setup?

 

[KKell83]

If you leave the MF Tru X in place than yes even adding long tubes would be quieter than oem headers and those catbacks mentioned.

Sold. I like that sound of this.

 

[KKell83]

Where at in Washington? I will say laws in general suck here but when it comes to emissions testing thankfully that is no more. When you pay as much as we do for plates they figured they give us something to not flee the state

Funny enough, right around where you are. I have a brother in Everett and another one on Camano Island.

 

[Atlas1]

Funny enough, right around where you are. I have a brother in Everett and another one on Camano Island.

Small world. By the time you get up here I should have kooks long tubes you’re more than welcome to check out

 

[NGOT8R]

That was awesome, thanks! Didn't sound like I was thinking at all. Has a nice low-end growl. Would you change anything on your setup?

I was very happy with the sound of this setup, however, I encountered the dreaded AE wiring harness chafing at the pinch weld on the passenger side, which set off the exhaust malfunction light on the dash. I didn’t like having the light on the dash, so I fixed the harness, relocated the actuators to an AWE bracket and switched to a Steeda straight through axle back.

 

[KKell83]

Small world. By the time you get up here I should have kooks long tubes you’re more than welcome to check out

Cool man. Any reason in perticular you decided on Kooks? I see the price and wonder...

 

[KKell83]

I was very happy with the sound of this setup, however, I encountered the dreaded AE wiring harness chafing at the pinch weld on the passenger side, which set off the exhaust malfunction light on the dash. I didn’t like having the light on the dash, so I fixed the harness, relocated the actuators to an AWE bracket and switched to a Steeda straight through axle back.

Crazy. How much louder did it get?

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