Which one, Magna flow, Gibson, or Flowmaster??

2000 GMC · September 24, 2001

I've read some of the post here on exhaust systems and now I"m confused, that's not hard to do

. I know I want dual exhaust but which one? I want a nice deep sound but not loud while driving on the highway, only if I hit the gas,

Are the kits hard to install myself and do they come with everything needed? Any welding or pipe bending. I want the pipes to stick staight out the back, how far will look good and will they clear the hitch?

F'in Bob · September 26, 2001

I had only the Magnaflow muffler added to my stock exhaust and it sounds awesome. It makes a low rumble when idleing around town, but when you mash the gas, it screams. I didn't want the look of duals and the performance wouldn't have made that big a difference either.

chevy4x4trucks · September 27, 2001

I've got a flowmaster american thunder series. Sounds great at low speeds and you can't even hear it in the cab w/ the windows rolled up on the freeway. You can get a daul straight out the back that is essentially bolt on, or a dual that comes out the back at a 45 to the sides. In my opinion the flowmaster is worth the money. To check them out go to www.truckperformance.com I had mine installed at Midas, it was only 50 bucks for the install and it would've been easier than crawiling under the truck in the driveway.

LarryE · September 27, 2001

I have a flowmaster 40, I wish I got the 50 series because I can't stand the roaring of the 40's.

It's a good thing I have a stereo system in my truck, or I would have pulled my hair out by now lol

NeXuS1 · September 27, 2001

what about borla ? seen a lot of fast camaros and firebirds with it.

quadcab4x4 · September 28, 2001

Quote from 2000 GMC, posted on Sep. 23 2001,11:08

I've read some of the post here on exhaust systems and now I"m confused, that's not hard to do
. I know I want dual exhaust but which one? I want a nice deep sound but not loud while driving on the highway, only if I hit the gas,

Are the kits hard to install myself and do they come with everything needed? Any welding or pipe bending. I want the pipes to stick staight out the back, how far will look good and will they clear the hitch?

Just to confuse you a little more, have you thought about Borla? They make one of the better systems out there

I have the stainless on my 2000 and really like it. If you go to my site you'll see I have a 9 picture install of the system. It might help in some of your questions.

lyonsd · October 1, 2001

What good is exhaust unless all you're concerned about is sound?

I crawled under my 2001 Suburban today to have a look at the exhaust system.

Starting from the engine, each bank goes into an exhaust manifold, then a pipe and is measured by an O2 sensor. Then through a cat, and another O2 sensor. Then both sides come together in a single pipe about 2½" in diameter (didn't measure it - it's just a guesstimate).

Now the rest of the exhaust is the same diameter, into a muffler and out the side.

OK, so if you get one of these cat-back systems, I don't see how they're going to release any extra torque/power unless that stock muffler is a big restriction.

Increasing the pipe size won't do any good because the exhaust gases still have to pass through the stock size merge after the cats.

Now if the muffler is the biggest restriction, then why not just replace it instead of a complete cat-back system?

Seems to me that if you want to do any exhaust mods to increase power, you'll need to get a good set of headers and ditch the cats.

gmcjoe · October 1, 2001

I have a single Flowmaster 40 (not the delta flow) on my '00 Sierra. It has dual outlets.

I have a .wav file on my webpage if you're interested. I'm very satisfied with it, my truck is my primary means of transportation. With slight cab resonance (I have and ext cab) around 2k RPM, it is not enough to worry about (IMO).

lyonsd · October 2, 2001

I've been doing a little bit of research since before I got my Suburban, and so far, the most beneficial exhaust system I've seen would probably be from Gale Banks.

Why?

Because all the others are "cat-back" systems. That means the stock Y-pipe is used, and everthing else downstream from the Y-pipe is replaced.

This is significant because most of the restriction is in the Y-pipe. So if you replace everything after the Y-pipe, you're still leaving the biggest restriction in place.

The Banks system replaces everything - from the headers to the tail pipes. And it's stainless steel, too.

Awsum00z · October 2, 2001

2000 GMC,

This has been the subject of much discussion lately. Adding a cat back to my truck was the second mod I made after I put the BFG's on my truck. I installed a Gibson dual out the rear system with Gibson stainless steel tips. I love the performance of the system, but I used to have a flowmaster on my 98 Z71 and I miss the awesome America Thunder sound. Judging by your post, a Gibson system like mine might be right up you alley. The Gibson system provides more low end power and is quiter than a Flowmaster American Thunder system, in my experience. And contrary to what some think, it isn't an entry level system. A friend of mine has a flowmaster Force II cat back system, which is also quiter than the American Thunder system, on his truck with a similar set up as mine. His doesn't seem to have the low end pull that mine does, but he's better on the high end.

I installed my kit in about 2 hrs with some help from my wife handing me the components. I'm by no means a mechanic and it went together nicely. I had to cut approx. 5 inches off the end of the pipes to install the tips. The tips have a built in clamp, which make for a easy installation. The pipes clear my Class IV hitch by a few inches. The kit came with all of the pipes and muffler along with clamps & hangers. I ordered the tips seperate. I ordered the kit through www.truckperformance.com. The brand people install is all a matter of personal choice. Flowmaster just came out with the American Thunder system for the newer styled trucks. When I was looking for a system in June of 2000 they only had the quiter Force II system available. The guys in this forum are quite sharp about these things, so take their recommendations and figure out which best suits your needs and go for it. You won't be disappointed.

Rick