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I posted a thread earlier about an exhaust gasket right before the resonator and it got me thinking about removing it all together , can I just cut the resonator out and put a pipe in it’s place with no issues with back pressure?
That's not the resonator, that's the muffler.
The small one in front of the tailpipe is the resonator.
You can remove the muffler. In the U.S, mufflers are not required by law, only catalytic converters.
However, it is at the cop's discretion if they think it is too loud. The tailpipe must also exit the body.
You could leave the resonator and replace the muffler with straight pipe.
But, by the time you put flanges and hangers on the pipe to replace the muffler, you could've bought a stock muffler, around $80 from Lucky8.
Or, there are several aftermarket cat-back/muffler and tail pipes you can buy.
Alex M has ran multiple exhaust combos on his D2, and can give you first hand info on sound/how loud/drone, etc.
If yours is leaking at the coupling in front of the muffler/to the cats/Y pipe, just wire brush it and tighten it down. It's a ball and socket coupling requiring no gasket. Exhaust paste will seal it if you have any sputters.
The rear muffler gasket is about $3
Last edited by Sixpack577; Jun 21, 2018 at 10:25 AM.
When I look up exhaust diagrams online some say the rear silencer is the muffler vice versa
Misprint, typo, or bad info.
Big one in the middle is the muffler.
Small one at the tail pipe is the resonator.
I think I paid $180 for all of it, cat back, from Lucky8.
You can obviously unbolt and remove the muffler easily.
If you need to remove the tail pipe and resonator, also simple.
There is torsion bar about a foot long on the driver side, coming off the differential, nut and bolt on frame side take a 19mm and 21mm wrench/socket.
Remove bolt, bar swings down.
Chock a front wheel, use a jack with a block of wood and jack on driver rear of frame, by the factory shipping container's metal loop, you'll see it.
The tires will stay on the ground and it'll extend the suspension.
Turn and pull the tail pipe from behind and it'll come right out. No need to even get under the truck after removing the torsion bar bolt and it's jacked up.
Quick and easy.
I don't think there's even a gasket that goes there. It's just metal to metal. Cut the rusty old studs out and replace with a couple new bolts. And yes that is your bushy muff. The resonator is near the rear bumper.
Resonator removal
