i was talking to my friends about getting dual exhaust for my 97 Dodge Ram 2wd. i was talkin about wishin my truck sounded better but i didnt have enough money for dual exhaust. one of them told me i should take the cat. conv. off and it would sound really good. is this true? and if i did this what would happen?

thanks for your input, Adam

 

if you have an O2 sensor downstream of the cat then you cannot take it out or you'll get a CE light. However, if you dont have one after the Cat, then yank it out as long as where you live doesnt have emission laws.

as for sound, I'm unsure as to what it would sound like

edit: forgot to mention that there are ways to trick the computer if you have a downstream O2 sensor into thinking the Cat is still there when it's not. I'm new to Dodge and the workings of the computer so I'm unsure as to how to trick the computer.

 

Emissions laws are federal. If any law enforcement officer finds the cat missing they can instantly fine you $2500. I've heard that tricking the computer is possible, don't know how. But even then, it will cause problems with the function of the other sensors due to lowered backpressure in the system.

If all you're going for is a better sound, put a different muffler on. Turbo style mufflers sound good. I know a lot of people that run Dodge 318's with a cat and no muffler, and they sound really good. That's a cheaper option.

 

Do you think its better idea to just take off the muffler, or get a different one? I wasnt sure what you ment because you first mentioned turbo mufflers, then just said to take it off, which one would sound better and louder. I wouldnt want it so loud that i would get pulled over for it though. But it would have to be pretty loud to do that because i know a kid who has a 97 chevy Z71 with straight pipes off the headers, its extremely loud and he's never got a ticket for it.

 

living in upstate NY i say no to removing the cat, acid rain has damaged enough up here [:@]

instead why dont you think about a high flow cat?

different mufflers will give you a different volume change and different sound effects. your best bet is to find a guy whose truck sounds like you'd like yours to sound. ask him what he has. do that.

 

i dont know anyone who has a truck that sounds like i like besides people w/ dual exhaust, but i was told there was ways of making single exhaust sound like that.

 

I have a custom made Y-pipe with the O-2 senser welded in it. It runs to a 40 series 2 chamber flowmaster with 2 1/2 inch turndowns. Sounds really mean, much quieter than with the 3" crome tips i had dumped previously! If you aren't worried about the law, you will see a big power increase once the cat is off! It may protect the environment, but it acts as a cork in your exhaust system. Mate your exhaust upgrade with an intake and you will be very pleased. Just a suggestion?!

 

Get on ebay or somewhere on the internet and find a glasspack muffler. they are one of the loudest muffler's you can get and they sound good too. you can probably get one for about 30 or 40 bucks plus shipping. put a turndown on it and your good to go.

 

i think ill try gettin a glasspack muffler, i wasnt sure if u could get just one, ive always heard "glasspacks". but what do u mean by turn it down?

 

turndowns are a 90 degree bend in a tip coming directly off your muffler(or glasspack)....sounds louder because it is directed directly toward the ground....the lower the vehicle is, the louder it echoes of the ground....