I recently picked up a 2011 300C and decided to tune it with the Predator 2 and install a DiabloSport Jammer CAI. After that I’m looking at doing an exhaust upgrade. Any suggestions on what system to go with? I’m fairly new at this (as in completely new) and would appreciate any insight, advice or tips. Thanks!
Exhaust upgrade suggestions
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Guess it all depends on what sound you are looking for. If you just want to raise the volume a little go for the muffler delete. The muffler is the middle section of the exhaust. This will bring out the v8 noise but not get crazy loud. Next would be to modify the resonators in the back. You can delete these altogether or add a small glasspack to replace the resonator. Doing this will will turn up the volume. If you are still using the mds your car will sound like sh*t when in 4cyl mode. I have completely disabled mds via a tune. I started with a muffler delete but quickly realized it was not enough for me. Then basically went straight pipe and while I loved the noise I felt I lost a lot of low end torque. it was slow off the line but once you got into the 3-4k rpms she was a ripper. Current setup is some small glasspacks in the middle of the car and straight pipe from there back. You can get cheap glasspacks to use.
This is my car when it was straight piped. Just removed mid muffler and resonators. Cats are still in place.
This is what it sounds like now with just the glasspacks. A touch less volume but I feel I got the low end torque back.
Also would suggest finding some tips that would allow the exhaust to extend past the bumper. This will help reduce the drone and noise in cabin. I purchased matte back 4" tips from Autozone and they work well. removed the fake chrome tips and added the black ones. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
![175463]()
This is my car when it was straight piped. Just removed mid muffler and resonators. Cats are still in place.
This is what it sounds like now with just the glasspacks. A touch less volume but I feel I got the low end torque back.
Also would suggest finding some tips that would allow the exhaust to extend past the bumper. This will help reduce the drone and noise in cabin. I purchased matte back 4" tips from Autozone and they work well. removed the fake chrome tips and added the black ones. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
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It depends on your budget, whether you're after sound or performance, your tolerance for drone, and whether you live in a state where rust is a problem.
If you're after performance, you probably shouldn't make any changes. There's a great article floating around written by Bill Visnic for Edmunds, where he interviewed one of the original engineers who designed the 5.7 LX exhaust system for D-C. He explains in detail why it's such a great system, and the fact that it's still largely unchanged (except for a few muffler updates) tells you something about how well it works. I doubt you'll be able to improve performance with any aftermarket or modified exhaust.
If you're looking for improved sound, you've got a lot of options. One of the most popular is the "Brylcreem mod", AKA the "tuna boat mod", where you cut out your mufflers and replace them with straight pipes. On the plus side, this will give you a louder, throatier sound, it's cheap and easy, and you're not going to have to deal with hanger and fitment issues the way you would with either a resonator delete or an aftermarket catback. You can Google "charger muffler delete" and gauge for yourself whether or not most folks tend to be satisfied with this mod. There are a few downsides.
First, when you're researching, you'll discover that many people don't know the difference between a resonator and a muffler, so that they'll announce very authoritatively that they performed a muffler delete when it was, in fact, a resonator delete, and vice versa. Keep in mind that in any LX, the resonators do all the heavy lifting. That's why the result of a muffler delete is pretty predictable. For the most part, things just get louder. But a resonator delete is harder to do, since there are some pretty severe bends and hangers to deal with. When you create the new pipes, you usually have to settle for crush-bent, mild steel pipe that won't flow as well as the smooth, mandrel-bent stainless steel factory system, and it will start rusting on the drive home from the exhaust shop. A resonator delete will also result in unpleasant cabin drone, which you'll have to either learn to live with or do your best to mitigate by cobbling together other components like bottle mufflers or glasspacks.
Some people don't like the muffler delete sound. Luckily, you can find plenty of examples on YouTube and decide for yourself, just remember to use "Charger" in your search, there are considerably more of them out there.
Another issue with the muffler delete is the change in your exhaust velocity. You'll find a fair few online arguments about this issue, where someone will post (again, very authoritatively) that the Hemi "requires a certain amount of backpressure" and reducing it kills your performance, or some similar argument. I think the real issue is that altering your exhaust velocity so far upstream, where the gases are still very hot, causes your powerband to shift. I tend to believe that this concern is mostly overblown. I don't think there's any net power loss, because you're likely gaining it back on the upper end. But still, I feel that with a two-ton Charger or 300, I want every bit of low-end grunt I can get, and I'm not willing to lose any of it, so a muffler delete isn't for me. But you might be perfectly happy with it.
If you're looking to spend money..and it sounds as though you are...there are some good aftermarket systems out there. Corsa is one of the best, but they're crazy expensive, which I guess is good if you're looking to throw money at the car. In terms of bang for your buck, the Solo Mach XH is hard to beat. It's the only aftermarket system I know of that includes adjustable J-pipes that preserve the anti-drone functions of your original resonators, so there's some engineering behind it, and compared to other high-end catbacks, it's a little more reasonably priced.
I originally intended to do a muffler delete on my '05 300C, so I bought two 4' lengths of stainless steel pipe. But I came across an all-stainless OBX/Maximizer CR12050CH catback for less than $300, so I decided to go that route. I'm very happy with it, it's definitely louder and throatier than stock, but it's more of a "Touring" exhaust, so if you want something really loud, it's probably not a good choice for you. Also, it's only marketed to fit 05-10 300s, so you would have to do a little work to get it installed on your car.
On my '14 Charger R/T Blacktop, I tried a mod from a user named drex on our sister site, Challengertalk, which he in turn lifted from a Corvette forum. Basically, you modify your resonators for a little more sound. It's perfect for my purposes...I just wanted it to sound like a Hemi and not a sewing machine, which is what the factory exhaust sounded like, to my ears. But that mod isn't sexy, because you don't get to spend a lot of money.
Hope this helps!
If you're after performance, you probably shouldn't make any changes. There's a great article floating around written by Bill Visnic for Edmunds, where he interviewed one of the original engineers who designed the 5.7 LX exhaust system for D-C. He explains in detail why it's such a great system, and the fact that it's still largely unchanged (except for a few muffler updates) tells you something about how well it works. I doubt you'll be able to improve performance with any aftermarket or modified exhaust.
If you're looking for improved sound, you've got a lot of options. One of the most popular is the "Brylcreem mod", AKA the "tuna boat mod", where you cut out your mufflers and replace them with straight pipes. On the plus side, this will give you a louder, throatier sound, it's cheap and easy, and you're not going to have to deal with hanger and fitment issues the way you would with either a resonator delete or an aftermarket catback. You can Google "charger muffler delete" and gauge for yourself whether or not most folks tend to be satisfied with this mod. There are a few downsides.
First, when you're researching, you'll discover that many people don't know the difference between a resonator and a muffler, so that they'll announce very authoritatively that they performed a muffler delete when it was, in fact, a resonator delete, and vice versa. Keep in mind that in any LX, the resonators do all the heavy lifting. That's why the result of a muffler delete is pretty predictable. For the most part, things just get louder. But a resonator delete is harder to do, since there are some pretty severe bends and hangers to deal with. When you create the new pipes, you usually have to settle for crush-bent, mild steel pipe that won't flow as well as the smooth, mandrel-bent stainless steel factory system, and it will start rusting on the drive home from the exhaust shop. A resonator delete will also result in unpleasant cabin drone, which you'll have to either learn to live with or do your best to mitigate by cobbling together other components like bottle mufflers or glasspacks.
Some people don't like the muffler delete sound. Luckily, you can find plenty of examples on YouTube and decide for yourself, just remember to use "Charger" in your search, there are considerably more of them out there.
Another issue with the muffler delete is the change in your exhaust velocity. You'll find a fair few online arguments about this issue, where someone will post (again, very authoritatively) that the Hemi "requires a certain amount of backpressure" and reducing it kills your performance, or some similar argument. I think the real issue is that altering your exhaust velocity so far upstream, where the gases are still very hot, causes your powerband to shift. I tend to believe that this concern is mostly overblown. I don't think there's any net power loss, because you're likely gaining it back on the upper end. But still, I feel that with a two-ton Charger or 300, I want every bit of low-end grunt I can get, and I'm not willing to lose any of it, so a muffler delete isn't for me. But you might be perfectly happy with it.
If you're looking to spend money..and it sounds as though you are...there are some good aftermarket systems out there. Corsa is one of the best, but they're crazy expensive, which I guess is good if you're looking to throw money at the car. In terms of bang for your buck, the Solo Mach XH is hard to beat. It's the only aftermarket system I know of that includes adjustable J-pipes that preserve the anti-drone functions of your original resonators, so there's some engineering behind it, and compared to other high-end catbacks, it's a little more reasonably priced.
I originally intended to do a muffler delete on my '05 300C, so I bought two 4' lengths of stainless steel pipe. But I came across an all-stainless OBX/Maximizer CR12050CH catback for less than $300, so I decided to go that route. I'm very happy with it, it's definitely louder and throatier than stock, but it's more of a "Touring" exhaust, so if you want something really loud, it's probably not a good choice for you. Also, it's only marketed to fit 05-10 300s, so you would have to do a little work to get it installed on your car.
On my '14 Charger R/T Blacktop, I tried a mod from a user named drex on our sister site, Challengertalk, which he in turn lifted from a Corvette forum. Basically, you modify your resonators for a little more sound. It's perfect for my purposes...I just wanted it to sound like a Hemi and not a sewing machine, which is what the factory exhaust sounded like, to my ears. But that mod isn't sexy, because you don't get to spend a lot of money.
Hope this helps!
Good data guys. Thanks! Do you know how/if reso and muffler deletes affect performance (i.e. HP)? Some of the aftermarket systems I’ve looked at say that they do boost HP, but from the research I’ve done so far it looks like exhaust mods/upgrades are more aimed at better sound than better performance
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There's maybe 5 HP at play if you get it just right, in terms of performance increase with an aftermarket or modified exhaust. It's mostly about the sound.
As I said, a muffler delete will likely shift your powerband very slightly. Deleting your resonators shouldn't have any effect on performance, since they're so far downstream, where the gases are cooler.
As I said, a muffler delete will likely shift your powerband very slightly. Deleting your resonators shouldn't have any effect on performance, since they're so far downstream, where the gases are cooler.
One last thought. As you mentioned (and if I understood correctly), the stock system is good performance-wise. What do you think about swapping out the mufflers for some Flowmaster mufflers? I’m honestly just looking for a better sound and whatever improved performance comes with it. Also trying not to break the bank. I’ve heard good things about Corsa, but that’s just way over my budget right now.
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I'm not a big fan of Flowmaster. You don't really need much of a muffler though, so I suppose almost anything will do. But if you're looking for improved sound, consider straight-through round mufflers or race bullets. The early Daytonas and R/Ts with R&T package used a unique single-pass muffler with the standard resonators, the sound is a little more beefy without being obnoxious.
But don't expect a huge difference in sound. The resonators will keep it tamped down.
But don't expect a huge difference in sound. The resonators will keep it tamped down.
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Where did you get the glasspacks? I'm also looking for exhaust suggestions, but just want the deep tone.
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How do you like the Jammer CAI? I thought about getting one to go with my i3 platinum programmer and doing putting a tune on it with the programmer.
Thanks for the data!
I definitely like the Jammer quite a lot. I haven’t measure or calculated the performance improvement as of yet, but the engine certainly breathes and sounds much better. I use the Jammer in conjunction with the 93 octane tune on the Predator 2 and they go very nicely together. Definite power increase and improved throttle response.
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For the glasspacks I just did some cheap ones from Summit Racing. 2.5" x 12" i Believe.
www.summitracing.com
![175523]()
Mufflers - 2.500 in. Outlet Diameter (in) - Glasspack Internal Construction - Free Shipping on Orders Over $99 at Summit Racing
Find Mufflers 2.500 in. Outlet Diameter (in), Glasspack Internal Construction and get Free Shipping on Orders Over $99 at Summit Racing!
www.summitracing.com
If you're after performance go long tube headers. There's a lot of improvement to be had in our exhaust system. Note that the only real difference between the lower HP rating of our 5.7 and the higher rating in other cars and pickups is exhaust and intake. Ours is designed to be quieter and is thus more restrictive.
americanracingheaders.com
Chrysler 300
americanracingheaders.com
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