Should You Change The Exhaust On Your New Tundra?

Toyota's new Tundra is powerful. It is a capable hauler and tower, and it's as fast as many sports cars. But does your new Tundra's exhaust need modification? For instance, do you want to hear that V8 rumble or are you trying to get more power?

Fortunately, the factory exhaust system is efficient and doesn't require much modification. The new Tundra comes with a 4 into 2 into 1 exhaust manifold, which has been found to be most efficient for moving exhaust gases quickly. The exhaust manifold is also made out of stainless steel, which is light and resistant to rust. And, the exhaust manifold has equal length exhaust tubes making it as good as most products available after-market. In short, the exhaust manifolds on your new Tundra don’t require any modification.

After the manifold, the exhaust passes thru two (2) catalytic converters. Unless you intend to race this thing off-road, there’s no good reason to remove your catalytic converters. First of all, it’s illegal to do so. Second, it’s bad for the environment. Third, and most significantly, they really don’t result in that much of a hp loss. Today’s designs are fairly performance friendly.

After the catalytic converters, the exhaust gases from each side of the motor cool somewhat and meet-up at the muffler. Again, the factory system is pretty good. You won’t see a significant hp and torque gain by replacing the factory muffler (3-5hp, 5-10ft-lbs at the most), but you will HEAR the truck better. The rumble that you'll hear if you do this is intoxicating, but there are about a hundred different mufflers to choose from to help you get the rumble you want. TRD, Borla, Flowmaster, Gibson, Edelbrock, Magnaflow, etc all offer quality products. While brand is important, it’s more important to know what you want.

First, do you want to hear the exhaust ALL the time? In other words, when you drive down the highway, is a little exhaust drone OK? If not, make sure you choose a muffler that's not described as being loud. If you ask your local muffler shop or visit websites like www.tundraheadquarters.com or www.tundrasolutions.com you can find a good muffler.

Second, in terms of noise, how much can you stand. If it's too loud, your neighbors will be awake when you start your truck. If it's too quite, you won't be able to hear your exhaust unless under hard acceleration. Most mufflers aren't too loud, but to make sure you avoid the loud mufflers, stay away from descriptions that mention "racing only" or "glasspack".

You also need to decide if you want a single or dual exhaust? In terms of performance, you usually see the best increase by copying the factory system but upgrading the components. On the Tundra, that would be a single exhaust. But since you’re not going to see much of a performance difference either way, dual exhausts do look and sound better, and that would be my suggestion.

Stainless steel or aluminized steel -- that's what you'll be asked when you're choosing your new muffler. While stainless looks cooler, that's not really a good reason to buy it. After all, how often is anyone going to be looking under your vehicle? The best reason to choose stainless is resistance to rust. If your local geography has salt water or high humidity, stainless steel is a good idea. Otherwise, save some coin and go with the less expenisive galavanized or aluminized steel.

Article Source: http://www.articlemonk.com

About the author: Jason Lancaster has worked in the auto business and with the Toyota Tundra for almost 10 years. Get more Tundra Info at his website, www.tundraheadquarters.com.
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