Hey all, new guy here. Been snoopin around for a few days and decided to join up.

I used to own a 98 1500 4X4 with the 5.9. That truck was a beast when it actually worked but most of the time it was in a shop somewhere getting something fixed, ie. transmission, axles, intake gasket, you name it, that truck had a problem with it. So, because of that truck, I kind of shyed away from buying Dodge products for a long time. Fast forward several years, I recently convinced myself to give Dodge another chance. Last week I purchased an 07 1500 Quad Cab with the 4.7. So far, I really like the truck. I hope Dodge makes a believer out of me this time!!

Now to my question. The first thing I would like to do is make it sound good. I dont drive long distances and I dont pull or haul heavy loads so performance isnt a big issue for me. That being said, I dont want to hurt the performance at all and better gas milage would be welcomed allthough thats not the goal. My first thought was to put a Flowmaster series 40 on this thing and make it scream but after reading multiple threads, I see Flowmaster isnt very popular around here. I'm not a brand loyal guy, at least when it comes to mufflers so please tell me, what do I have to do to this thing to make it sound good? I'm looking for the deep rich grumble sound more than the cackle. I want loud, not obnoctiously loud but loud enough that when I step on it, I wanna hear it. I'm looking for something with a dual exit out the rear. Thanks guys, I look forward to your responces!!

 

First off, welcome to the forum. I went from a 00 Ram with 5.9 magnum offroad with straight duals to an 04 hemi SLT. I haven't been very loyal to any brand as I used to buy on looks first, comfort second, and everything that should matter was a distant 3rd. I've owned Jeep, Chevy, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Honda, Ford, and so on. My 04 is the longest ownership of any one vehicle I have ever had.

Enought about that. You are probably going to get about as much consensus with this post as you would doing a search and reading all of the other previous, similar posts here on the subject. The beauty of the sound of a dual exhaust is in the ear of the beholder. What I have been seeing, most recently, is "look/listen to cherry bomb".

I like the sound of my Gibson. But I didn't want loud - I got over loud with my previous RAM. But I did want something a little throaty that had just a bit of a bark when I wanted it. I wanted a tone as well - not some uncontrolled, loud for the sake of loud, cackle and rattle sound like most of the kids around here seem to be into.

The only thing I'm don't like is how my pipes are too close to my spare tire. I'm thinking about going to a shop and getting new pipes rerouted to a dual rear exit with enough clearance to keep them away from my spare.

 

I had a 99 1500 with the 5.2 i had a magnaflow on that and it was quiet when just driving around and when I stepped on it, it was pretty loud. Now I have an 03 hemi slt and I have a cherry bomb vortex I love the sound of it and when i step on it, it really screams. It is a dual side exit. I would recommend that, they aren't too expensive either which is nice.

 

I had a '98 1500 5.9 4x4, bought new off the lot. Lifted it, put 35" meats on it & a true dual exhaust. Put 68k miles on it before selling it and it never once saw a warranty repair (or any other one not caused by me off-road). Only thing I can complain about was the single digit average fuel economy.

You didn't say if this '07 QC 4.7 was a 4x2 or 4x4. If a 4x4, IMO it's a bit heavy for the 4.7 and the Hemi (especially the MDS in '06+ models) usually sees a bit better fuel economy. But the 4.7 is a good engine - provided you take good care of it. It does have a couple of "special needs" that if neglected will spell trouble.

I had a Flowmaster 50 on my Hemi, VERY RESTRICTIVE as all chambered mufflers are. Flowmasters also tend to drone like hell on the MDS Hemi, not sure of the 4.7. They sound good, but performance suffers. At almost 45 years of age, I still want LOUD and went with a Cherry Bomb Extreme. VERY deep and throaty. But surprisingly, at idle and cruising it's actually quieter than the Flowmaster I had, but hit the gas and it'll turn heads. Other popular mufflers that perform, sound good but are not obnoxious are the Aero Turbine, Magnaflow and Gibson as well as the Cherry Bomb Vortex...

 

So, I spent some time on youtube listening to various mufflers on the 4.7 and I think the Cherry Bomb Extreme is the sound I'm looking for. That thing sounds great!! I found just the muffler on line for around 60 bucks and found the whole system (muffler, tail pipes, clamps, hangers, etc) with everything except tips on Ebay for about $210. Not knowing what a muffler shop might charge to bend the pipe if I just purchased the muffler, does anyone have an idea which is the better route to go?

Hammer, its a 2 wheel drive. I'm pretty good about maintenance but do you care to elaborate on these "special needs"?

 

I have no clue as to what a shop charges, I've been welding since I was 13 and have always done my own. But if you are only going to clamp it (which I am not really a fan of) then do it yourself and save the install fee.

The 4.7 has two glaring flaws, but both are avoidable. 1st, it tends to suffer from oil sludging a bit more than average, especially for those who normally run on short hops and never let the oil heat up enough to burn off condensation. I'd recommend using a synthetic oil and not pushing it for extended change intervals. Secondly and most importantly, it has aluminum heads which are VERY prone to warping even after a mild over-heat. Once you let it over-heat, it's a certainty you'll blow the head gasket minimum and pretty likely you'll lose the heads - so cooling system upkeep should be high on your maintenance list.

Aside from that, it's a pretty stout engine. I personally know two people with over 225,000 miles on their original 4.7 and 545rfe transmissions and they still run strong...

 

I'm not a fan of clamping either so it will definately get welded. I have a little flux core welder but I'm not skilled enough to weld material that thin without burning holes in it. Either way, I will still be going to a muffler shop so I guess making some calls to get pricing will get my answer.

Thanks for the heads up on the "issues". I never let my oil go past maybe 3500 miles. I try to do it every 3000 but sometimes I get busy and it dosnt get done right away. The coolant issues, I'll have to pay attention to. Thanks again!!

 

What I have on my ram that I absulutely love but never hear mentioned is the flowmaster 10 series. It has a really aggresive sound.... so much so it says for offroad use only. Installed mine on my ram about 3 months ago and love it. It is flowmasters version of the tin can they call cherry bomb.

 

Actually it is a clone of the CB Extreme. Flowmaster started producing it almost to the day that the 7 year patent period of the Extreme expired. Same dimensions, same wing plate in the same location. Both mufflers are rated as an "off-road use only" muffler because they do not comply with CARB standards and are illegal for road use in California.

The FM10 is actually one of the few Flowmaster mufflers that doesn't rust out quickly as they are stainless which is the only difference between it and the CB Extreme, which has a ceramic based red coating, which is applied in the same way as powdercoat. The coating turns gray with heat and becomes a barrier against rust. The coating on the CB acts the same as coated headers by helping to expel exhaust gasses faster through the system as well as keeping areas surrounding the muffler cooler.

The FM10 is also a viable solution...

 

Good information there hammer. Thanks