zoned019

Now I know most of you are thinking that this is pointless without a sound clip...and well, yeah, it kind of is, I will try to get one soon, until then FU. lol. smile.gif

Sooo, after not having my tib for 4 months, I finally get it back and finally have a chance to put my new exhaust on.



This exhaust consists of:


OBX Headers



ARK 2.5" stainless steel mandrel bent exhaust



2.5" Magnaflow catalytic converter



2.5" Magnaflow XL 3 chamber muffler



Oval tip:




My overall impression is that it sounds VERY nice. Deep, throaty, and very SMOOTH. Surprisingly, this sounds much better than my MBRP + maganflow cat. However, I was under the impression that the 3 chamber muffler would quiet things down. It hasn't seemed to do much for the loudness, but I can definitely tell it has tuned the exhaust a little, making it sound much nicer.

Anyway, I LOVE the way it sounds, but it's just a little too loud for me. What else can I do to quiet it down? I don't think a glasspack would help, since the current setup is like this:
flex pipe --> 4" straight pipe --> cat --> ARK's resonator --> bend around gas tank/axle --> muffler.
There is no room for a glasspack, unless I take out the ARK resonator/mid section and replace it with a cherry bomb. But will that really quiet it down that much? The ARK resonator can't be that inferior to a cherry bomb..Do I get another different muffler?

xtremeskier

My setup is as follows: ebay header obx or some cheap brand, magnaflow cat, motoria exhaust, cheap ebay muffler...(straight through). I got the exhaust shop to cut out the motoria resonator, and i got them to weld in a 31" thrush glasspack. My exhaust is not that loud. It sounds very nice and i get nothing but compliments.

I'm pretty sure a glasspack would do you good. I can't say for sure because i haven't heard your exhaust, but i'm sure it would help somewhat. Personally i don't think changing the muffler would do a whole lot. I hope that helps... fing02.gif

optimoprime

i think you might try switching the mid pipe to this

flex-->cat-->28"resonator from anywhere--->gastank bend,etc

then sell your ark unit to someone on here, i'm sure pleanty of people would be intrested. go from there but thats how my set up is and its nice and quiet at idle but gets nice and throaty in the high rpm's

Ericy321

so you dont have the ark axle back? that thing is great. soundslike a pretty good setup. one thing that should quiet it a little and tone it a little better is good headers but noone really spends $400 on headers anymore

REDZMAN

I wish ARK still had exhausts.

01tibby

ill let you know how much a thrush quiets things down. im about to replace the "stock" resonator on my super old (i think) obx exhaust. i'm guessing the resonator is nearly identical to the one you have on your ark, louvered and what not. the thrush is a perforated one. i also have a similar 4-2-1 header.

Role Reversal

some sort of resonater will make a lot of difference.

optimoprime

yea i forgot to say you need a preforated resonator so the flow is still straight thru but the vibrations and noise is picked up by the preforations . DONT GET ANYTHING LESS THEN 24"

zoned019

Don't think I'll have room for 24". Looks more like 20..

So you guys think the problem is in the resonator? I was going to say muffler, but I don't know which other muffler I would get..I thought the 3 chamber would quiet things down a bit..?

Anyway, on the exhaust, it honestly wasn't put together that well. The MBRP was constructed better, imo. Even though the ARK fit the CAR better, it didn't fit together very well. When you put the flanges together, there is like a slight gap between them. Even if you use an air gun to tighten the bolts down, its like they don't fit together. Also, I don't think it even looks like stainless steel. It has that "polished" look, kind of like a coating, like what you see on those cheap ebay headers, instead of actual stainless. We'll see how it looks after I've driven it for awhile I guess though. The muffler was definitely stainless, we had to saw it off to put the new one on, and there was no doubt. It sounds really mean, but it's just too loud for the highway. Probably because 75 mph in the tib is like close to 4k rpm..

Side note, the catalytic converter and the new muffler did seem to eliminate my header buzz. I don't get that buzzy bumble bee rumble at around 3-4k anymore. It sounds really smooth and deep. Just too loud.

Also, Redz, I got the LAST ARK exhaust available in the US. nana.gif

zoned019

Soo, there's no way I can get a glasspack with a body longer than 18". There just isn't enough room. The reason is because the flex pipe doesn't come off of the headers perfectly straight, the exhaust shop actually custom made like a 6" pipe with a 5 degree bend in it, otherwise the exhaust would line up slightly off.

Soooo..what do you guys suggest? Try finding yet another muffler? Would something OEM from a car with a bigger engine, like maybe a WRX or Pathfinder or something work and not be that restrictive?

Or, should I try out a shorter 18" glasspack first? You guys really think 18" will quiet it down that much?


This whole thing sucks. I researched sooo much and looked so hard for the parts and finally got EXACTLY what I wanted, and its too loud. I thought this thing would be quiet...I read that the ARK was quiet to begin with, I got a 3 chamber muffler, and a hi-flow cat, and even the poly exhaust mounts to stop some of the vibration...damn.