I have a 98 f150 4.6, 5-speed, volant intake, 3 in body lift, with 35's and stock gear ratio. I was wondering what would be the loudest and best performance i could get out of an exhaust system. Right now i have is straight pipes after my cats. Its loud but really nasty. It pops when you accelerate hard or reving. Ive tried true dual with flowmaster 40 series and i want it louder. This was my next plan: Gibson stainless steel headers, no cats, mil eliminators, 2.5in pipes, h-pipe, {2 single chamber flowmasters, 40 series, or super 40 series}, out of the side, rear, or turndowns. My next question is how do i level my truck, safely and cheap. I need to raise the front about 2 in.
Thanx, Braulio

 

Dynatech amkes long tube headers and a high flow cat set up for the F150. i am thinking about getting that then coming from behind the cats with 3 inch pipe.

 

Dynatech makes a setup for the 5.4 and it's also like $1,200. Has anyone ever had the 40 series or one chamber flowmaster on a 4.6 without cats?? How would that sound?

 

more like a mustang with an exhaust system. have you been to www.exhaustsoundclips.com that a preatty good site and might give you some ideas.

 

How would my truck sound if I got the gibson headers, took out the cats(2 mileliminators),h-pipe, ran straight pipes out to 2 flowmaster 40 series, then to 4" tips out the back? Would that pop and sound nasty or would that sound good? Would their be lots of interior noise?

 

I have a 2000 4x4 with a 4.6 in it as well and i was looking into exhausts. Your comment on running like a 4 inch outlet would actually do you more harm than good as far as performance goes. Thats what all of the muffler shops around town have been telling me at least and it makes sense. Anything that is bigger than the outlet just draws away from the truck. other than that i wanted to know how you liked that volant intake kit. I was also looking into something like that as well but havent heard anything about that kind. Also how does the 35's fit on your truck? do they rub at all? Well good luck with your exhaust. Keep all of us posted.

 

The volant intake is nice but it doesn't have anything that other cheaper intakes can't offer at highway speeds.

I'd leave the cats alone as they are pretty good flowing, and replacing them is not really cost effective, and removing them creates all kinds of ECM problems.

Check out my gallery for pics on Gibson headers on a 5.4L

 

So you are saying that if I have a 2.25 inlet and outlet on my muffler, my tips should be bigger than that? The air intake is really good it sounds nice. When I bought my truck, it came with the 35's and the 3in. body lift. I noticed that the inside fender walls were cut out. I am going to get my cats taken off. I heard that if you leave the 02 sensors where they are, and just replace the cats with pipe, then it wont throw off any bad readings.

 

i had a super duty with a 5.4 and dual exhaust on it. sounded great with 3 and a half inch tips then when i installed the 4 inch stainless it didnt sound good anymore. it got a little on the quiet side for me. it didnt have a muffler either.

 

anymore then 2.5 or 2.25 and u loose compression with stock heads and stock n/a. if u using f/i then go with 2.5 or 3 pipes. but 2.25 would be best for stock applications its what i have on mine. i have stock cats on mine and imco two chamber mufflers. sound like a mustang GT as is. no popping or nothing, really smooth sounding.

 

I have straight pipes after the cats. When I look underneath my truck, it looks like the exhaust dude reduced the pipes from 2.5 to 2.25. Could my truck have 2.5 pipes stock? I decided with my exhaust, I am getting my cats off, gibson ss headers, 2.5 piping, h-pipe, 2 40 series flowmasters, out the back to 3.5in tips. How will that sound? anyone have that setup, i would really want to hear a clip.

 

no one answered the leveling question. I, too would like to raise the front of my 97 to equal the rear height. How can we do this?

 

Rancho suspension, and others, also make the levelling kit. As for the exhaust, give single 3 inch a try with a high flow cat and high flow 3 inch in and out muffler. Roughly the same price as dual 2 1/4 pipes, has the added benefit of being able to retain your 02 sensors and have them work properly, as well as keeps your exhaust balanced. A single 3 inch pipe flows better than dual 2 1/4 inch does, and works better for street applications. As for loud, 3 inch IMO sounds about right. It has a nice healthy rumble, without being obnoxious. (Your neighbors will thank you) A y-pipe can be fabricated to hook up to the headers, and you might find you really enjoy the snap it provides on the bottom end, as well as the sound it makes.

 

that will sound really good. since you are planning on running a flowmaster i would also maybe consider 3 inch pipe. then out to the 3 and a half inch tips. just something for you to think about.

 

If i use 3in. pipe wont I loose tons of low end. I also want my truck louder than it is now. I have straights from the cats, its loud. I want it louder, deeper, and cleaner. Will my new setup be louder? What type of pipes and muffler will i need for it to be the loudest it could be?