Certainly a tempting price -- but I don't care for the design that gives up the front recovery point. I have already used it enough.

 

So, exhaust!

The way the exhaust routes under the rear axles is a touch maddening to me. I do understand however, since this is independent suspension, what ARE you really going to do?

Well, mine is already a little dented up from rocks -- and that's only going to get worse. So, I decided to act for 3 reasons:

1. Exhaust being dented will eventually collapse and choke out a side of the exhaust.
2. The exhaust will have to come down when I pull the rear diff for the ARB locker. It's in my way!
3. It's a 4.4L V8 Engine. It sounds like a Toyota Prius. I'm not looking for insanity here, but how about some grumble to even slightly match the truck?

So, I looked into what's there. The truck has FOUR (4!) mufflers/silencers. There is no way that's efficient for an engine of any kind. I'm not interested in putting a cat-back on it for $1500 or whatever from magnaflow or whoever - that too is retarded.


My first thought, chop out the first muffler and the turtle and replace with a nice quality muffler, and continue to use the last silencers out by the rear of the truck. This would have left me with the same denting issues, but probably achieved a sound level that I would like.



Well, that's a lot of work, if something doesn't work to plan, and I really wanted to do something with it prior to the offroading weekend I was heading toward in 2 days.


I ended up deciding that if I chop it right after the first muffler - I can always redo it if it sounds terrible or whatever. Have welder, exhaust is a non issue, and frankly, even if it didn't sound amazing, I could tolerate it for the weekend.

FYI, all emissions devices are in full operation. The 4 o2 sensors are all in front of and behind the two cats, which are in front of the first muffler.

So I trimmed a small section out after the first muffler.



I cut it as close as I could to the turtle -- to give plenty of length to put on whatever I wanted after this muffler.



I have seen how hot exhaust is on the highway -- having melted a bushing in my jeep that was over a foot away -- it's gotta be pointed at nothing or it will do damage! I opted to point these down and toward the driver side to be away from the gas tank as much as possible.

Couple of cheap 2 1/4" turn downs and a couple of clamps from the local parts store worked a treat!



I could have welded them, but I wasn't sure if I'd be happy with it, so I didn't want to do anything permanent just yet.

Now, for offroad -- well, I'd say that's some tucked up exhaust!



I actually did this whole event in under 1 hour. BiMetal blade on the sawzall and razor knife for the rubber hangers and I was off to the races. 10 yr old rubber hangers -- might as well replace them if I was to do anything else. Turns out I did feel a bit bad -- they were still in very good shape!

After doing this, I went inside and had breakfast. I didn't even start it up. I was kinda concerned that this might be horrible. Boy was I wrong!

This is the way every LR3 should have been from the factory!

Now, for the part I'm sure you're all interested in. How's it sound?


It's the tires humming you hear on deceleration, fyi.

In all situations, it does not annoy me at all. It's not "droney" on the highway, it's not too loud if I take it to work early in the morning to annoy neighbors... it really is perfect to me.

Now, it is chopped under the truck. I have driven it quite a bit, offroaded in the woods with it at very slow speeds and I'm not smelling exhaust at all more than normal. I drove it all day wheeling on my big event this year and had no issues at all.

I'll probably pick up one of these soon just to see how it is in the truck. Thankfully, you can usually smell exhaust anyway -- but better safe than sorry.


Next up however, is these have to get installed!

 

I did the same for all the same reasons, but mine is after the turtle and right in front of the rear axle. I also welded flanges on the stock pipes and turn downs tips so I could easily swap it back if state inspection gave me grief. The sound is so subtle that no one (including the wife) noticed, but that low rumble does makes me smile too.

 

Aren't you worried about Co. In the cabin, most states require exhaust to extend past the passenger compartment for this reason, just sayin

 

As long as the cats are still inplace there is no where enough CO to be dangerous. Audi used to run ads that the exhaust is cleaner than the L.A. CA air going into the engine. But they were probably cheating the EPA test too.

 

Crazy, that whole attach a hose on your exhaust and route into the car to kill yourself thing is a myth. I knew it. Im going to try it now.

 

Ha! Well, I have considered buying a carbon monitor:
But I'm not sure where exactly I'd put it.

The exhaust is pointing down and outside of the truck, not directly to the ground. I have yet to feel tired or have my eyes burning from it. I'm pretty sensitive to exhaust, a minute or so running in the garage if I'm working with something and even with the doors open my eyes will start to be itchy. I'll be able to tell if it's getting too much.

I know, I know - "It's odorless and you can't tell before you're dead!" -- I've heard that line before, and it's true for simply carbon monoxide -- but general combustion engines always have scent.

I've spent many days out in the woods for hours at a time so far. Some days windows all down, others, windows all up with the AC on, and idling while the next guy attempted an obstacle. They're pretty air tight trucks, especially the door seals!

And the real reason of why the exhaust must go past the passenger compartment is because we've turned into a weak society. It needs to extend past the cabin because there were enough stupid people that knew their car stinks inside when they ran it (from exhaust ending under the car, with rust holes or drain plugs or just general ****ty build quality of the bottom of the car) and simply ignored it. So now, we have laws, because we are against natural selection.

For what it's worth, my old Jeep TJ was WAY worse with emissions.

Dave

 

Many states require exhaust to exit body no sooner than the rear wheel. Techs in a scenarios for on or off-road require the same. I would be more worried about the heat build up and the snagging of something on backing up and water egress when fording.

 

FWIW I tried the exhaust cut-off just before the turtle for exactly the same reasons this summer. I was tired of hanging on those low pipes and I've read plenty of stories of others who've done it so sawzall here I come.

I now have the stock exhaust back on.

First, I didn't care for the sound on the highway. Drone-y around 65-70 mph. I've had plenty of loud bikes and cars over the years and enjoy the sound of a good motor but this just sounded like what it was - a motor with the exhaust cut off. Not really loud, but not a 'good' sound either.

I probably still would have done it for the extra clearance but problem number 2 was rather more serious. On the first wheeling trip, onc a 90* day, the hot exhaust melted the intake and exhaust tubing leading to the compressor. The exhaust outlet proved to be the killer as it meant I couldn't lower the truck; it was stuck in 'up' mode (though only in the rear to start) while the front dropped to the bumpstops. Made for an interesting ride home.

After replacing the hoses I tried wrapping them in heat shielding and sealing up the stock shielding a little better, but I had the same problem again. So I gave up and put the exhaust back on. At least it wasn't an expensive experiment, and I'd still like to find a way to get rid of those low-hanging pipes, but at least in the California summer simple turn downs ain't gonna cut it for me.

 

You need to cut off BETWEEN the "turtle" and rear axle. I had flanges welded on so I could switch back if needed. I never have in 2 years. When cut off there, I can barely hear a difference when sitting in the garage with the windows down, there is no way to hear them at highway speeds. Nothing like the my audi with a borla.