I am in need of a new exhaust from the turbo back to the tail pipe.  I have been looking online at exhaust kits that appear to assemble with clamps.  Or I could spend a little extra money and pay a muffler shop to put on a custom exhaust with not need of a segmented system.  Are the do it yourself kits worth it?  I worry that they may be more prone to coming apart and creating more problems.  I like the idea of having an exhaust that is welded together, however, I don't have access to one.  I wouldn't mind putting it on myself especially if it saved me money, but I don't want to be doing this every other year.

 

Thoughts/Recommendations?

The previous owner of my truck put a cheaper clamp together 4" turbo back on it. Its been on there for about 4 years and the only thing ive had fix is the pipe started to crack around the welds for the exhaust hangers. Other than that no issues.

I put 5" FloPro on mine and it fit pretty good. The clamps are good quality and the fit was good except I had to hammer a spot in so it didn't vibrate against the crossmember. I wasn't crazy about the tail pipe section at first because it's straight out the side instead of going back, bending and then going out but it's grown on me.

Edited February 18, 201510 yr by 98whitelightnin

I put a 4" stainless steel Magnaflow exhaust on mine in 2005 by my self. It bolted right in from the turbo back with no problems. There is nothing wrong with the original exhaust system and it's sitting in storage.

Clamps are the way to go, welding is the enemy if you want to take apart or adjust or anything else you are screwed. I really like and use a lot of the form a seal clamps in certain areas where one doesn't need a hanger clamp. They do not deform the pipe they seal up the exhaust and it allows things to come apart or make adjustments much easier down the road. Go with a simple cheap mandrel bent aluminized system to keep weight and cost down. Definitely go with a resonator mounted as far forward as possible from FTE diesel to eliminate drone in the cab 30" if extended cab and if added quiet is wanted go with a muffler

I put 5" FloPro on mine and it fit pretty good. The clamps are good quality and the fit was good except I had to hammer a spot in so it didn't vibrate against the crossmember. I wasn't crazy about the tail pipe section at first because it's straight out the side instead of going back, bending and then going out but it's grown on me.

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  threadjack

What tires you running??

 

I'd price  a  complete   custom  one piece   down at your local  bender..   see if  you could get  the  heavy stuff too!   ya might be surprised    If you could  supply the down pipe, and  the muffler,  they  couldn't gouge ya  there either.

Clamps are the way to go, welding is the enemy if you want to take apart or adjust or anything else you are screwed. I really like and use a lot of the form a seal clamps in certain areas where one doesn't need a hanger clamp. They do not deform the pipe they seal up the exhaust and it allows things to come apart or make adjustments much easier down the road. Go with a simple cheap mandrel bent aluminized system to keep weight and cost down. Definitely go with a resonator mounted as far forward as possible from FTE diesel to eliminate drone in the cab 30" if extended cab and if added quiet is wanted go with a muffler

are these  clamps  those   band clamps.. about  3-4 inches wide?      interesting!   Are my eyes playing tricks on me.. or is this clamp   being used on a slip joint... 2 different  diameter pipe?

Edited February 18, 201510 yr by rancherman

are these  clamps  those   band clamps.. about  3-4 inches wide?      interesting!   Are my eyes playing tricks on me.. or is this clamp   being used on a slip joint... 2 different  diameter pipe?

 

Yeah... These band clamps will seal up minor differences in slip on pipes.

I put a diamond eye 4" aluminized exhaust system on about 2 years ago and it still looks like new, and I must agree with Bill on the clamps, wherever I can I use the band style exhaust clamps like in the picture in the post above. I get them at the local heavy truck parts place and they are stainless and make taking the pipe apart so much easier if the need ever arises.

Edited February 18, 201510 yr by bjytech

Man,  this  thread  really   enlightened me tonight!       

 

ONE thing  that  has  always  worried me about   running  in rough country... is     scraping   the  exhaust  on  a  dirt berm, or   rocky outcropping..  and   busting the  turbo!  

 

With  these  clamps...  there  could  be  a   'breakaway'  safety net    here!

are these  clamps  those   band clamps.. about  3-4 inches wide?      interesting!   Are my eyes playing tricks on me.. or is this clamp   being used on a slip joint... 2 different  diameter pipe?

 

Yep these are what I like to use a lot. work awesome, they form to whatever you are clamping them to. they are a straight piece of material but hold things very stable and tight as well. Most jobbers carry them, I always keep a couple on hand in my shop for those just in case times of need.

 

I put a diamond eye 4" aluminized exhaust system on about 2 years ago and it still looks like new, and I must agree with Bill on the clamps, wherever I can I use the band style exhaust clamps like in the picture in the post above. I get them at the local heavy truck parts place and they are stainless and make taking the pipe apart so much easier if the need ever arises.

 

Diamond eye is about as reasonable as one can get and can set them up as needed.

4" MBRP stainless. If I could do it over again, I'd definitely go with a 5" though for the deeper sound. Everything is clamped and nothing has fallen off in over 2 years. 

Wow, this has really helped me as I have no experience with the clamps.  Thanks for the replies...now to be the wife for money.

Remember also the weight of stainless versus Aluminized. I would never run a stainless systems myself just personally as I run too rough of roads and off road regularly, we also do not have quite the caustic stuff on our winter roads like some parts of the country but I have several friends that have had stainless systems who run rough roads or off road on a regular basis and the hanger clamps never hold up trying to hold the extra weight of the stainless systems they are always fixing and re-welding clamps, this with 4" I don't know of anyone running 5 " in these conditions there is absolutely no use for it unless running 800+hp all the time.

I bought a 4" turbo back kit off ebay years ago now...  my OEM system rotted off.  First the tailpipe failed.  I removed the remains so it would stop banging the botton of the truck.  Then the back of the muffler rotted out.  Truck was not even 5 years old.  My  OEM system had a bigger pipe to the muffler & a smaller tailpipe.  Actually I was pissed...  my 84 GMC half ton had a SS exhaust... 

I wasn't going to do this again.  I bought a SS no name 4" kit off ebay.  (Best price.)  It was offered in high polish or not, I bought the not polish.  It included a "muffler" that turned out to be a 12" x 4" SS glass pack.  I had the kit installed when the truck was in a shop with a lift.  The head pipe was a bit tight but did make it.  It was a decent kit & had a good sound running empty...  but the drone got to me towing.   

I later added a SS 36" x 4" FTE swirl resonator.  There wasn't room for the resonator over the cross member.  The shop had to cut the pipe to get it in position.  If I'd known I'd have done it all at once. 

The flat band clamps work fine.   

My SS exhaust is 8 years old & in pefect condition. 

 

I had a headers, pipes,  glass packs, on my Chevy C30/454...  it also sounded good running empty but was deafening towing.  I went to oversized truck mufflers & it worked fine except they required replacing periodically.       

Edited February 18, 201510 yr by flagmanruss

My FloPro is the cheap aluminized 5" and it has the same clamps.

Rancherman, tires are 255/85r16 toyo mt

I put a Farm Boy Performance 5 inch turbo back straight pipe exhaust on my truck a number of years ago. I have been very satisfied with it. It helped solve an egt issue I was having due to some large after market injectors we installed. It is not real loud unless you get on it steady above 10 lbs. of boost.

http://www.farmboysdiesel.com/product/budget-exhaust-fbd-5-straight-pipe-6/

Here is a link to when I had it installed. It came with clamps but I had it welded up and installed the right way so no problems later on.

http://forum.tractorfarmandfamily.com/showthread.php?t=12825

As you can see, the spare tire just barely fits. It is a 285/75R-16. The down pipe from the turbo is not actually 5" the entire length since the outlet at (in my case) at the exhaust brake is smaller, but the pipe gradually tappers up to 5" and remains so to the end.

Here is an example of how one sounds.

I had this system installed 5 almost 6 years ago and it is still going strong.

Both my 1st and 2nd gens' are stock. What do you guys do to get that nice mellow sound, not loud, that only comes out of a Cummins?

Thanks, Mike

Both my 1st and 2nd gens' are stock. What do you guys do to get that nice mellow sound, not loud, that only comes out of a Cummins?

Thanks, Mike

After running a 30" resonator alone on my 05 for a week or so now and towing with it a couple times, I like it the best of all set ups I have had.

It sounds mellow yet you can tell it's a cummins right?

Live Oak, for some reason I cannot get the u-tube link you posted. Just want to let you know, I appreciate it and can go to u-tube and look around. For some reason I always forget to look/ listen on that site for what others have done too.

Definitely nice sounding without the bellar.