I need to purchase a new exhaust system. Trying to decide between buying stock pipes from autozone all for around $80, or getting the flowmaster system from jegs for $270 or two choices from lmc trucks. One is dual outlets mandrel bends with muffler for $250 and the other is dual no muffler with resonator tips for $230. I am looking for the best overall value. What performance and mpg benefits can I gain from mandrel bends and no muffler? here is the link to the LMC exhaust http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/de/full.aspx?Page=109

 

well, with louder exhaust you will want to hear it more, so your mpgs will prob drop.....loud exhausts can get old sometimes also and make you wish you had stock exhaust....

 

I would suggest an exhaust with a low rumble at idle and cruising, or else it will get really annoying having to talk over it/listen to it for long periods.
AeroTurbine has a muffler that is low at idle, but gets nice and loud at WOT.
I suggest a muffler, for the sake of your ears and the neighborhood police.

 

a loud exhaust can be annoying , i leave cutout open for open headers with no cats, and its loud a motha f'r . then when i close it its still to loud . i just cant wait to get the x pipe on, im just in to making it sound good now, and loud when WOT . ill be posting new vid today of open headers with cutout open

 

mufflers suck. i just have the stock cat on mine and it still sounds great to me. besides, when you want to save gas all you need to do is cut on the radio.
and i've always heard that mandrel is the way to go. you don't want any bottle necks or sharp bends in the exhaust or it will restrict flow.

 

+1 on Mandrel bent tubing. If it doesn't specify it is? Its probably not. I work with alot of tubing. I cannot tell you how many times so called "chassis fabricators" used a plain bender to make tubes. Just to have it come to me to fix it correctly. Thin wall tubing does bend easier. Using mandrels requires thicker wall to compensate for the mandrel being inserted to maintain tubing diameter.

 

I put this on my truck, Im happy with it. I did put it on myself so I didnt have extra expense for install. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/94-08...Q5fAccessories

 

lol plain and simple.

 

i only spent 100 bucks on my exhaust... i paid 72 for a flowmaster 40 series and then bought just enough pipe to take it from the cat to right in front of my tire with an elbow to turn it out. i may be cheap but it sounds pretty good for a hundred bucks. looks cool having the exhaust come out right there too i must add

 

I might just do that, anyone use the glasspacks? how do they sound?