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Choosing a muffler could be daunting – so many styles, sounds, brands and sizing.Which one should you choose? I will cover everything in detail today. Beginning with what I think is the best muffler and what you should look for when buying one.
After researching dozens of mufflers, I still think the Flowmaster Super 40 (Amazon affiliate link) muffler is the best. Before I tell you why the super 40, let’s first discuss what you should look for when purchasing a muffler.
This is a no brainer. Engine sound will be the most significant change after a new muffler. Different types of muffler produce different sounds – ranging from super loud and aggressive to moderate ones.
To me, the most important thing is to ensure I know what my car will sound like prior to buying.
I suggest you listen to the before and after sounds of the muffler and pay attention to these:
You can find plenty of muffler sounds on YouTube – especially if your brand of choice is a reputable one. Always listen to the sound before you purchase and that you like it. Do not just rely on the brochure info.
What is okay for them may be too loud for you. Here’s an example YouTube video showcasing the sound after installing a muffler.
This defines whether the installation process is a breeze or a nightmare. Make sure you measure the diameter of your existing exhaust pipe. The exhaust pipe should slide right into the muffler tip.
The listed measurement of a muffler usually refers to the inner diameter. Whereas the measurement of an exhaust pipe is the outer diameter.
This means if your exhaust pipe is listed as 3”, it should work well with a muffler that’s listed as 3”.
Here’s a great video I found on YouTube explaining the sizing. And also what you need to do if your piping doesn’t fit. (Hopefully you don’t need this!)
Without getting into too much details, here are the 3 styles of a muffler:
I recommend that you focus on the chambered muffler. They are most popular, provide great sound and do not negatively impact performance. Straight-through mufflers are extremely noisy and deafening.
And who here wants their performance negatively impacted? Yeah I don’t think so 🙂
Mufflers are usually built with stainless steel or aluminized steel. Both are very common but I would suggest going for stainless steel. Mufflers are very prone to rust – in fact, they are usually the first component in the exhaust system that will rust.
Stainless steel is highly effective against rust and they are more durable than aluminized steel. Yes, stainless steel could be a bit more expensive (additional ~$15) but they are definitely worth it in the long run. So listen to me and get a stainless steel muffler. Only get the aluminized steel if stainless steel is not available.
I would recommend finding mufflers that have a lifetime warranty. If your muffler of choice doesn’t have lifetime warranty, then you should at least look for a 3-year warranty.
Customer reviews are always the most important thing to look at. You can find these reviews in online stores like Amazon or AutoAnything.
Pay attention to the sound changes – are they satisfied with it? How was the installation process? Did it fit as intended? Or do they need additional work and tooling.
Also look for customer reviews in forums or YouTube videos. I am sure you can find plenty of reviews – especially if your muffler of choice is from reputable brands.
Before and after videos are also great. It tells you clearly what you get from the product.
I recommend the Flowmaster Super 40 (Amazon affiliate link) because they provide the aggressive low pitch sound that I look for – while also not being very loud. Flowmaster is also a reputable brand.
I would be surprised if you don’t come across Flowmaster when searching for a muffler.
I just told you all the things you should look for when purchasing a muffler. Let’s see how the Super 40 fares against my criteria.
Customer Reviews. The products from Flowmaster usually have good customer reviews. The same goes for the Super 40. You can check it out from stores like AutoAnything or any forum or YouTube videos. Pretty sure you can find them.
I realize that a lot of people have different opinions when it comes to the “aggressiveness” of an exhaust.
What I think is a perfect sound may be too soft for others. Luckily for us, the Flowmaster has another variation of the Super 40, called Flowmaster Super 44. (Amazon Affiliate link)
The Super 44 is more aggressive and loud. Too loud in my opinion but you may think differently. I leave it here for you because they are practically the same muffler but with a louder sound by the Super 44.
Here’s a YouTube video comparing the two:
I do not recommend the Flowmaster Super 10 because it’s extremely loud. To the point where it can be deafening – both inside and outside the car.
The Super 10 is a straight-through muffler that was designed with only performance in mind. If this is your thing, then you can check it out the Flowmaster Super 10 here (Amazon Affiliate Link).
Do note that this sound could be illegal is where you drive. Be sure to check out the local laws before purchasing. Here’s a YouTube video showing you how loud a Super 10 is.
That’s it! I hope this guide has been helpful to you in finding the right muffler 🙂 Check out my other articles if you want to learn more about your car. Cheers!
