Exhaust Opinions

[blaze1808]

Hey guys,

I have an 08 3.5 A/C and I was wondering what exhaust would be best. It is still my daily driver and I will have to take longer trips in it so I do not want something that drones while at regular highway speeds. With that in mind, what do you suggest would be best? Axle back or cat back? and what brand/specifications? Thanks Guys

[SanoSuKe]

Borla axle-back is what you're looking for!

[b.mccorm11]

Yea I agree with Sano! I recently put Borla's axle-back on my 3.5. There was very little drone out of the box (could only be noticed if driving without any music on), and now that I've broken it in there absolutely isn't any at all. Just a clean growl at take off, you'll definitely love it!

[blaze1808]

Thanks guys! i was looking at that and was wondering is there a place/site that offers those at a good price?

[fyarf]

I "designed" my own, and its great, same year/model as you, '08 3.5SE. Racingline Y-pipe, 2.5 inch from the Y-pipe back to a 2.25 inch splitter to magnaflow 2.25 in-out offset 5" x 8" oval mufflers with magnaflow tips. Amazing in the high revs and takeoff, close to no drone with the big dual mufflers. Love the sound. Multiple compliments from coworkers who drive Z06's, GTO's, 302 Boss mustangs, etc on the sound, and no complaints about it from the wife. Win-win!
http://imgur.com/a/UB8kg
http://imgur.com/YFHcZ5j
I had the Y-pipe added later as this was a legit custom fabricator who wouldn't do a cat delete. Best part was he made it a "bolt on" system, so I can put the stock one back on just like any purchased bolt on kit.

[andremike]

I have a 2010 3.5SR Coupe.. I was looking at the Stillen Cat Back and the Borla exhaust. Which one would you guys recommend and why? why doesn't Borla offer a Cat Back? Which one will give me more HP? Which one sounds better, but not too loud? Which one could I install myself?


I wish the factory tips were a little longer and bigger.. What if I just had new tips put on? What does that cost? anyone do that?

[fyarf]

I have a 2010 3.5SR Coupe.. I was looking at the Stillen Cat Back and the Borla exhaust. Which one would you guys recommend and why? why doesn't Borla offer a Cat Back? Which one will give me more HP? Which one sounds better, but not too loud? Which one could I install myself?


I wish the factory tips were a little longer and bigger.. What if I just had new tips put on? What does that cost? anyone do that?

All tips would do is give a different look. You could go this route, but my tips were about $50 a piece. They are 4" angled tips with eccentrically reduced interiors. Thats $100 plus labor just to look different. Borla will replace your 1-in 2-out stock muffler. The Stillen will replace your midpipe as well as the muffler. If you read my post above, I paid less than the Borla cost to buy to have a full custom exhaust that looks and sounds exactly like I wanted fabbed and installed.

On HP, apparently the Borla is ranked as one of the highest, but again you can build your own with some research and maximize it with a custom tune after. You won't see maximum gains unless the engine is tuned to take advantage of the mods. all in with intake and exhaust, don't expect more than 10-15 HP for any setup without a tune.

In fact, for HP gains, get a y-pipe from racingline first. Opening up the airflow by removing the unmonitored cat will do as much or more than an exhaust.

[andremike]

I think the y pipe is out if a muffler shop wont install it.

What is the advantage of going cat back vs axle back?

Why doesnt borla offer catback?

The stillen offers 2 exhausts and the borla 1.

The 2 exhausts is similar to the custom job you did with the magnaflow.. what parts from magnaflow didyou use? And that was cheaper then the catback from stillen? With all the custom work you probably needed.

[fyarf]

I think the y pipe is out if a muffler shop wont install it.

What is the advantage of going cat back vs axle back?

Why doesnt borla offer catback?

The stillen offers 2 exhausts and the borla 1.

The 2 exhausts is similar to the custom job you did with the magnaflow.. what parts from magnaflow didyou use? And that was cheaper then the catback from stillen? With all the custom work you probably needed.

Mine was $600 all done. I bought all the parts myself, then took them to the shop to fab. I took it to a local oil and lube and they installed the y-pipe for $50, so $650 for a full job from the headers back.
magnaflow tips: 35121
magnaflow muffler x2: 14235

custom 2.5" midpipe. (shop fabbed)
one 2.5"in-two 2.25" out ysplitter (shop fabbed) <-- both of these were included in the above cost

The stock midpipe is 2.25" if I'm not mistaken, so that is why stillen offers 2. Open its up to breathe some more, but with a naturally aspirated motor you don't really want to go up to 3" or you won't have enough back pressure.

The muffler shop said it was a breeze to work on. The mufflers I got had offsets for the in/out, so minimal bending was needed, and its one long pipe from the cat to the y splitter into the two mufflers. plus there's plenty of room under there.

The stillen cat-back has a resonator in the midpipe as well, I don't, but compensated by putting bigger cans for the muffler. Bigger can=quieter sound. At highway speeds or light acceleration, you can tell its not stock, but when you get on it, it sings. Plus with the stillen you still wont have the y-pipe, it will be additional. Find the right shop, and they might fab that for you as well. I'd recommend the racingline one though, it bolts directly in and comes with gaskets and everything.

Long story short, yes, my system was about $200 cheaper than stillen or Borla, and its the sound I wanted, not what someone else thought was good or that everyone else on the road had. Highly recommend.

The y-pipe is listed at $290 right now, but I'm sure you can find a used one cheaper, maybe here on the forums, but that also makes a big difference in gains and sound.add in that price, and I'm at $940 for the setup, $140 more than the stillen cat back alone, and about $200 more than the Borla axle-back.

[andremike]

So is yours quieter then tge stillen? Or louder because you dont have the resonator?

Do the mufflers hang any lower in tge rear then the original factory that looks like it is tucked under tge rear.

Which way have most oeople gone on here?

[fyarf]

So is yours quieter then tge stillen? Or louder because you dont have the resonator?

Do the mufflers hang any lower in tge rear then the original factory that looks like it is tucked under tge rear.

Which way have most oeople gone on here?

Most on here go Stillen, Borla, or custom. I can't compare mine to any other exhaust because I haven't anything to compare to. Mine doesn't drone, but you can tell its not stock when driving casually. When you get on it, it sounds incredible.

Clearance underneath the chassis is the same or better, it almost looks like it was tucked up tighter than factory.

In my mind, paying less for exactly what I wanted in appearance, airflow, and sound, all while having something completely original that I designed is a much better deal. Again, this car's exhaust is incredibly simple. An almost perfectly straight midpipe, then a single in two out muffler or a splitter into two mufflers, and minimal bending. I'd say get some quotes from local shops and see if you can get out for less than the $720 for Borla and $800 for Stillen catback (remember, unless you put it on you'll still have to pay some more to have it installed) and make a decision from there.

[andremike]

I can look into a custom.. what if i do a custom and leave the midpipe and resonator? So basically an axle back..

I asume if get the stillen, the new resonator is probably 2.5" pipe.. can you buy a 2.5" rezonator and then add tge magnaflow exhausts?

[fyarf]

I can look into a custom.. what if i do a custom and leave the midpipe and resonator? So basically an axle back..

I asume if get the stillen, the new resonator is probably 2.5" pipe.. can you buy a 2.5" rezonator and then add tge magnaflow exhausts?

Stock just has a catalytic converter, midpipe, and the big 1 in 2 out can, no resonator. If i were you, I'd leave the resonator out at first, as they cost more than pipe. If your setup is louder than you want, have them weld the resonator into the midpipe later. Also, shop around and take the shop what you want put on. They will most likely upcharge for profit margins if you buy the mufflers and tips from them. I bought my tips from one place, and mufflers from another, then had the shop fab the piping and weld it all together.

This is shop dependent though, as some shops might cut you a break for doing everything through them. I bought my own separately so I knew exactly what i was getting without any worry that the shop put the wrong cans or tips on because they needed to clear out inventory.

[andremike]

Rickauto shows a resonator, part number 47849. Or am i reading it wrong? Stillen looks like its providing a resonator as well.

[fyarf]

Rickauto shows a resonator, part number 47849. Or am i reading it wrong? Stillen looks like its providing a resonator as well.

On the catback they do. I'm just saying its not a necessity. they have small mufflers, so its probably there to keep the fart can sound away.

Again, shop around, get some pricing, listen to youtube videos, do some homework and then make an informed decision on what works best for you. I scoured these and the nissan forums, maxima, altima, and 350z (as they all share the VQ35DE motor, 350z changed to VQ35HR later) to find the best combination of sound, performance, and backpressure. In the end, the research was worth it as I love the sound, my wife loves the sound (win!) and I've gotten multiple compliments from gearhead coworkers about the sound. These guys drive 6.5L V8 duelies, boss 302 mustangs, and corvette Z06s, and think my lowly altima sounds good. Plus my combined miles per gallon went from 21 to 24 (but that is also influenced by the intake).

[andremike]

I'd bet the stillen exhaust is probably a magnaflow. But where are they getting the resonator from?


Found some resonators on Summit. Maybe the Vibrant performance 1792 or 1793. Not sure how long tge factory one is

[andremike]

I just noticed that magnaflow 14235 has 2.25" in and out.. why didnt you go all 2.5"?

[fyarf]

I just noticed that magnaflow 14235 has 2.25" in and out.. why didnt you go all 2.5"?

Stillen designed their own, its not a magnaflow. Magnaflow makes their own bolt on.

Again, the stock setup does not have a resonator, just a cat and the single big muffler. I have the removed pieces in storage, unless they count the cat as a resonator, there is not separate resonator. Just the cat, long midpipes and single piece stock muffler. The tips and all are one big pice that bolts on at the axle to the midpipe, wwhich bolts to the cat, which bolts to the 2 header outlets dropping from the engine bay. The Rockauto resonator you're seeing is for the sedan, and it has two mufflers from the factory, not the coupe. The one listed for coupe is for the 4cyl model.
Edit: either its very inline or I missed it, but apparently there is a resonator in the stock midpipe. Consensus is to remove it.

I dropped down to conserve backpressure. Its being split into two 2.25" inch pipes, so its technically more open than the single 2.5". If I had kept 2.5" all the way, it would be too open for the motor to function as efficiently. You could go 2.5" all the way, but I didn't due to what I wanted out of the system. I think all you would get is a little (and that is very little) deeper sound and lower fuel economy. Someone else can chime in here if I'm wrong.

Also, my tips were a 2.25" inlet, and i was dead set on those tips as they fit the coupe's look perfectly imo. They are bigger than stock, but fit very nicely and filled the exhaust cutouts perfectly. You'd either have to find a 2.5" in 2.25" out muffler or 2.5" in/out muffler and reduce the outlet piping to fit the tips I chose, or go with a different tip.

I've seen and watched youtube videos of people with 3" all the way, but without forced induction, its very hard on the motor for practically no reason.