Which exhaust mod: Headers, High Flow Cat System or Cat-Back Exhaust?

[gp500e]

Considering performance and price, which exhaust mod is best?

[Deep Lava]

Originally Posted by gp500e

Considering performance and price, which exhaust mod is best?

Considering the synergistic nature of the mods, try to do them all at once. Doing one without the others will not show to much performance gains. If you have to choose, I'd go with the cat-back first. The headers and high flow cats won't do much with the restrictive stock exhaust. Plus the you get visual and audible enjoyment with how the cat back looks and sounds

[srt8danno]

Many on the forum start with the Cat back system and go from there. Depends on how much you want to spend and how soon.

[Johnnyvav]

I started with Borla Cat Back about $850 + $150 to install. Then Mopar Headers (came with Free flow Cats) for about $1000 + $500 (i think) for install.

The car sounded great and felt pretty good But then I pulled out my "drop in K&N filter" and replaced it with a DUB Cold Air Intake.

That really pulled the whole exhaust system together in both sound & performance. You can get a CAI for a couple hundred to a few hundred and it's an easy DIY install.

A complete system will make each part really perform. It doesn't really matter what order, just keep in mind you need:

1) Cat Back
2) Headers
3) Free flow cats
4) CAI (cold air intake)

Some more good bang for the buck, that you may consider starting with:
A stage 1 chip or (and preferred over the chip) a Superchips Flashpaq tuner.

[DanRealtor]

Originally Posted by gp500e

Considering performance and price, which exhaust mod is best?

IF you have any warranty concerns, I would start wth the Cat Back's first, then go from there. CAI's, most make promises, but don't deliver. Coupled with a complete exhaust system it could be beneficial, by themselves, CAI's look cool, sound cool but offer little or no performance gain (let the flaming begin). High flow cats, or cat deletes do add some measurable HP gain when used with catbacks. Headers also add measurable gains.

Also, someplaces like the Peoples Republic of California can be less than user friendly about "Exhaust Mod's" on the roadside or at inspection time. So you may wsh to keep your original equipment in case you ever need to go back to stock for whatever reason.

[MoePar]

Originally Posted by DanRealtor

IF you have any warranty concerns, I would start wth the Cat Back's first, then go from there. CAI's, most make promises, but don't deliver. Coupled with a complete exhaust system it could be beneficial, by themselves, CAI's look cool, sound cool but offer little or no performance gain (let the flaming begin). High flow cats, or cat deletes do add some measurable HP gain when used with catbacks. Headers also add measurable gains.

Also, someplaces like the Peoples Republic of California can be less than user friendly about "Exhaust Mod's" on the roadside or at inspection time. So you may wsh to keep your original equipment in case you ever need to go back to stock for whatever reason.

Peoples Republic of China, huh. You do have a laerge territory.

[Johnnyvav]

Originally Posted by DanRealtor

IF you have any warranty concerns, I would start wth the Cat Back's first, then go from there. CAI's, most make promises, but don't deliver. Coupled with a complete exhaust system it could be beneficial, by themselves, CAI's look cool, sound cool but offer little or no performance gain (let the flaming begin).

I was very skeptical about the addition of a CAI, especially since I already had a drop in K&N filter.

I have found a different experience with my CAI than DanRealtor, however, I don't believe the installation of the DUB CAI would of made as much of an impact without having headers, Free Flow cats, & Cat Back system. If I would of installed the CAI first or second I don't think I would of realized the power gains that were specific to that mod. With the other exhaust mods in place, my bottleneck was getting the air in.

PS NO Flames!

Also, a good CAI is sealed off from the engine compartment as with the DUB or Volant & a few others. You will see many that have a cone shaped filter that sit in the engine compartment and pull the hor air in from under the hood. These systems may be less restrictive then the stock filter box but at least the stock filter box is sealed off from the engine compartment and pulls in cooler air from down below. I can understand why many people do not see a performance gain if they buy a CAI that pulls hot air from the engine compartment. In that case, you would be better off with a drop in k&N filter that pulls in cooler denser air from down below.

This pulls hot air from the engine compartment:

This is sealed off from the engine compartment and pulls cool air from below:

this is also sealed from the engine department and pulls in cool air:

[SMK HEMI]

For me all of them are best. The only question is, "Which manufacture has the best performing product?" From there it is a matter of order. I have decided to start with the Corsa system then CAI, headers and high flow cats.

Then it's, hit the peddle and have some fun!!!!

[NYC_SRT8]

I can't tell you whats the best because that can be subjective unless your speaking about hp gains and no one have done a dyno test with all the available setups on the same dyno to my knowledge.

My setup started with the airhammer. Great throttle responce, way better than the k&n cai I had originally. You can feel and hear the difference.

Next up was the corsa exhaust. With those 2 installed (corsa and airhammer) the car was a different vehicle. The hp gain is insane. The sound is very mellow at cruise but at WOT it sounds like hell is coming out the exhaust tips (just how I like it).

This weekend I will be installing my dynatech headers and free flowing cats. I can only imagine what this combo will do to the car.

I will keep you post on my seat of the pants results after the install.

[Deep Lava]

Originally Posted by NYC_SRT8

...This weekend I will be installing my dynatech headers and free flowing cats. I can only imagine what this combo will do to the car.

I will keep you post on my seat of the pants results after the install.

Trust me, you'll LOVE the results but your tires won't!! Hope they've got the O2 extensions issue fixed