I have a 1995 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 and I am planing on putting a whole new exhaust sytem from the manifolds back. I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on a good set of headers, and a dual cat back exhaust. I want to leave the factory y-pipe for emissions and I was thinking of a flowmaster 40 series dual exhaust. If I put on a good set of headers with good gaskets will I have to worry about them leaking down the road or should I just stick with the factory manifolds. I found a set of stage 8 locking header bolts. Does anyone know if these are worth the $60 and if they will really prevent leaks. Any help would be greatly apreciated. thanks
-Dave

 

I have the gibson shorties and like them, flowmaster dual out exhaust... in original form, it lost too much low end torque and mpg dropped 1.5 mpg or so. I modded it so it would bring back the low end and keep the dual outs. I like the way it runs and sounds now. having a 4x4, I'd look to keep as much low end torque as possible, otherwise your mpg will suffer too much.

 

So I could go with a set of shortie headers and the factory y-pipe with a flowmaster dual exhaust. What did you have to do to get your low end torque back? For the flowmasters should I go with the 40 series or the 50?

 

I got the american thunder kit (dual out if I remember correctly.. had 2 1/2" dual outs... I wanted the dual outs but all the low end torque of the single out. So I crunched the #'s and found that if I reduce the duals down to 2 1/4 I should be just slightly bigger than the single out setup.... so I added a reducer to each 2 1/2 output down to 2 1/4"... works awesome...

 

Thats awesome sounds pretty cool. Thanks for the info.

 

see thats what i dont want either, (to lose any low end) so i was thinking on going with a high flow cat and a good cat back system like the gibson, borla or flowmaster / with dual out pipes( not true dual)

 

I'd keep the same input/output diameters on the cat and pipe to the flow input and go with a setup that will get you 2 1/4 dual outs of the flow... this works for me really well

 

Any time you open up the breathing of the motor you will lose some low end but gain top end HP. There is a certain point that you can open up the breathing to gain HP and keep torque, but that is a field that I have not explored yet. You will get posts about some headers leaking and some not. I think it is just luck. I have contemplated getting headers but shy away due to leakage issues. I also have considered a high flow cat but shy away due to torque issues. If your manifolds are in good shape then just go with the new muffler and duals. Mine has a stock 2.5" main pipe and I dualed it down to 2.25" dual pipes. I definately kept the torque with this option. Put a 3" or 4" tip on the 2.25" duals and it will sound louder if that is what you want. Definately go with the Flowmaster...you will not regret it.

 

Well, depending on your intake, you could do a few things. If you leave the stock intake on, don't open up your exaust too much. But, if you want to do something constructive, go with a cold air kit, throttle body (if you want) then the headers High flow cats and Flows. My suggestion would be to go with longtube headers, highflow or gutted cats, true dual and 2 flowmasters... I know SOMEONE will dissagree with me on the fact that you will lose "low end torque" but what they don't know is that you will GAIN the most torque overall with that set-up, only that the torque power band will be shifted up maybe 200 rpm and last about 1000 rpm longer...
Info taken from bone stock 5.9 liter on the dyno.

 

I want to have a deep sounding louder exhaust so should I go with 2 1/4 or 2 1/2? I didnt know I was getting into switching TB's, maybe an intake and a cold air kit. I just want to put headers and duals on it. What is the M1 intake that mopar makes and what gains in horsepower/torque will you get by buying one?