5.0 exhaust/suspension question

[corson]

Hi, I'm looking to get an exhaust for my 1998 5.0. Was looking at Gibson but it says "won't work with Reload Leveling Suspension" which I'm assuming is the air suspension, and mine has those. I can't find any other systems and I can't weld, from doing research on here the stock exhaust is pretty restrictive and is one of the first things you want to do. Anyone have any advice if I want a less restrictive exhaust?

 

[Fix4Dirt]

to fully reduce restriction, imo youll need to go custom, such as a wider diameter piping w/ a well flowing muffler, or true duals... personally, i have a borla ProXS on my SOHC

however, the biggest imporvement, will probably be with TMH (torquemonsterheaders.com)

 

[Blown]

The biggest restriction is in the manifolds, then the muffler, the cats and finally from the muffler back. A cat back exhaust wont help much. Headers are key, get rid of the stock muffler, add a high flow 2 into one muffler and find a tail pipe to fit with some minor mods. I kept all the cats for emission testing.

 

[corson]

The biggest restriction is in the manifolds, then the muffler, the cats and finally from the muffler back. A cat back exhaust wont help much. Headers are key, get rid of the stock muffler, add a high flow 2 into one muffler and find a tail pipe to fit with some minor mods. I kept all the cats for emission testing.

thank you for the info, I’ll definitely be getting headers, but assuming I have those a system like the Gibson would be helpful? Also I’m comparing my tailpipe to other 5.0 exhausts and they look pretty much exactly the same, is this what the reload leveling suspension is or am I confused

 

[Fix4Dirt]

imo, the only benefit to cat backs vs just replacing muffler is just maybe SS tubing, but no major performance benefits over stock (the benefits may just be like negligablely less restriction from the pipe bends, but imo that doesnt justify the full price of a catback... imo, i would go with some glasspack like flowmaster flow FX or borla pro xs, they flow realy well! and the only way a catback could be largely beneficial would be if the catback came with increased diameter piping... and i think the reload leveling suspension is the air ride thing, which iirc is basically only a shock difference, as far as under the vehicle... not sure why they say they wouldnt fit, as i dont think theres much difference b etween the air ride vs non air ride...

best bang for buck imo: TMH, /flowmastrer Flow FX/pro xs muffler
best: TMH, hi floo cats full custom true duals w/borla/flowmaster

 

[410Fortune]

Maybe time to ditch the air ride

Installing a good cat back will improve the sound, it will not give you any power gains, why? You ask
Because the stock exhaust manifolds are literally choking the power you can make now. If we think of our engines as air pumps (they are) and the more air you pump the more power you make (it’s true) then you are only as good as your smallest bottleneck
You gain 24 horse power just by bolting a set of tmh headers into a 302 explorer,
Removing the smallest bottleneck.

Anything else you do to the exhaust or intake will change throttle response and the tone the engine makes, but that is all you can change without some headers first

The air ride shocks are huge in diameter and they have air lines feeding them
There is also an air pump mounted back there
Most 97-2001’explorersnwith the air ride would be on their 3rd or 4th set of shocks by now and the air lines get brittle and fall apart. I usually remove the entire system front and back and install some good ol ranchos

 

[Blown]

A cat back does sound better. I like a little rumble. It does sound faster.