Magnaflow muffler or cat back?

[Z400Pilot]

I'm planning on getting at least a Magnaflow muffler installed tomorrow but I might go ahead and get a complete cat back. I have two questions.

1. Does the Magnaflow mufflers have a drone/resonance at certain speeds (like some of the flowmasters I've had)

2. Is it worth spending more on a cat back vs just the muffler? Either performance, fuel economy, or sound quality/volume?

This will be for a V8.

Thanks for any input.

 

[SnookMan]

My buddy has a 4.6L crown vic, and he just installed a factory H pipe and dual magnaflows dumped. The car sounds amazing. In fact, it has a low growl at idle, hardly noticable and then a deep throaty sound when at WOT. Definately in my opinion the best sounding exhaust I've heard yet on a 4.6L. The magnaflows sound nothing like a flowmaster, they are quiter. I just bought an 02 V8 earlier this week and will be installing them ASAP. Right now I'm looking into a set up similar, but looks as though it would require a custom H pipe to be made, so I might opt for a cat back.
I also installed a magnaflow on my ole mans Dodge durango 5.9L V8 and again, sounds incredible. His I just did the muffler swap, keeping all the resonaters and it is EXACTLY the aggresive throatiness he was looking for. You'll be happy with the Magnaflow, they give you the growl without that raspy LOUD overkill like a flowmaster.

 

[dennis67]

I had magnaflows on my '96 Mustang GT 4.6.. sounded great, but DID drone and I hated that. Nothing like taking certain family members out for a ride in your new car and have them ask, "what's wrong with your car?"

 

[bigapple]

installing an entire catback system and changing out the muffler or getting a dumped (turndown) muffler will pretty much all give the same horsepower results (this includes gas mileage)... i put a flowmaster 40 in where my stock muffler is and used the stock tubing and its worked fine... i will say if u want no highway drone to look elsewhere from the flow 40... it has a quite wide-open style inside that basically adds minimal backpressure to insure no engine damage, while making sure the gains are noticable... if u want a muffler that u know is there when u need it, but is fairly inaudible at idle and cruising speeds, ive heard good things about the flowmaster 50... now whether or not u get a turndown or run it to the back wont change performance much, but the turndown may take a greater toll on ur eardrum, especially with a V8... good luck to ya

 

[JCUZ]

I have a Lukey turbo muffler on mine - pretty similar in design and construction to the Magnaflow. I would recommend a rear resonator as well, just to keep the noise down to acceptable levels. No real need for a cat back, as the ideal is really a single 2.5", which is not much different to the single 2.25" currently on it.

 

[SnookMan]

I had magnaflows on my '96 Mustang GT 4.6.. sounded great, but DID drone and I hated that. Nothing like taking certain family members out for a ride in your new car and have them ask, "what's wrong with your car?"

Curious as to what size pipe you ran and whether or not you installed a H pipe. My buddies Crown Vic has no drone whatsoever, and the exhaust is much quiter even than my 98'SOHC XLT with a dynomax. Now that truck has some drone!!

 

[dennis67]

Curious as to what size pipe you ran and whether or not you installed a H pipe. My buddies Crown Vic has no drone whatsoever, and the exhaust is much quiter even than my 98'SOHC XLT with a dynomax. Now that truck has some drone!!

Everything was as it came off the showroom floor. Stock mufflers and one set of cats removed, new magnaflow mufflers popped on, done.

 

[Z400Pilot]

I decided on a full catback, so now I have a Magnaflow muffler with all new pipe out the back with a chrome tip coming out the stock location. It sounds sooooo much better. It is mellow at idle but gets more aggressive proportional to your right foot. The best thing for me is the no drone while cruising. I had that with a fox body mustang for 10 years.

 

[bigapple]

I decided on a full catback, so now I have a Magnaflow muffler with all new pipe out the back with a chrome tip coming out the stock location. It sounds sooooo much better. It is mellow at idle but gets more aggressive proportional to your right foot. The best thing for me is the no drone while cruising. I had that with a fox body mustang for 10 years.

sounds like a good choice... sound clips soon?

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

yeah do u got sound clips of it

 

[Z400Pilot]

I'll try to take a video this next weekend and post it, the weekdays are too busy!