dietDrThunder

I have read much on the 'drone' of many aftermarket cat-backs.

My question is this: I see that several exhaust manufacturers have muffler-only kits available. If I leave the stock stuff on there and only replace the mufflers to get a throatier sound, am I still at risk of 'the drone' or is that limited to the cat-back systems?

Cliff Harris

I changed just the mufflers and got the dreaded drone. I changed the rear Y-pipe to one with a crossover, which helped lower the noise at idle. The final cure was sound deadener. I used HushMat, but I have heard that there are cheaper alternatives. I vaguely remember something called Frost King, available at Home Depot and similar stores.

dietDrThunder

Thanks for the info...maybe I'll leave it stock.

Tapio@FTTRacing

Every time you mess with your exhaust, even if it's just the mufflers, you have a risk of drone, or resonation. Think it this way, dronr is a frequency that makes the whole car vibrate (resonate). There are only two ways to get 100% drone free, leave it stock or get corsa exhaust.

volkswagens-for-life

Its all in the mufflers that cause drone. Some motors cause drone when straight piped though.

+1 for Corsa... best sounding, drone free exhaust I've heard on a Corvette of any year.

GREGGPENN

Must by a corsa fan... There are other ways. Been posted before. Requires reading....

dietDrThunder

I have done much reading, and I haven't yet found a well-defined and agreed-upon solution. Rather than posting "there are other ways" maybe you could share links or information regarding what the ways actually are?

GREGGPENN

I have posted a few times in the last few months. Doesn't seem to get noticed, so I quit. But, I may still object when someone posts there's only one way to skin a cat. (FYI: Like SOME other high-priced products, it's hard to suggest a less-expensive option exists. It tends to step on toes.)

Also, chambered pipes have been posted (as a solution) several times too. Did that ever get get noticed? No. (There's one hint.)

Also, it makes a difference whether you're talking L98 or LTx. Doesn't get noticed. It makes a difference.

Exhaust threads (about drone) are like the plague....they drone in my ears!

volkswagens-for-life

Hahaha I'm dying over that one man

dietDrThunder

Thank you for your insightful and informative posts in this thread.

Or...if drone threads bother you then why would you open, read, and post multiple replies in a thread titled "question 're: exhaust drone?" Please note that this is a rhetorical question.

eatmydst1234

Muffler elims did a good job of getting rid of drone at cruising speed. I moved back to oe exhaust, however. In my car, it was too noisy. That was due to resonater being removed before I got the car and not knowing the po hollowed out the cats. I was essentially rubbing straight pipes from manifolds back.

93 ragtop

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tapio@FTTRacing

There are only two ways to get 100% drone free, leave it stock or get corsa exhaust.

Thats not always true, I have a friend with corsa and there is drone. Now there are no cats and he has headers. But again there is some drone. Besides that, for my taste it is way too loud, espically if I had to drive it every day.

93 ragtop

I have and had the magnaflow mufflers (15323?) They were just the mufflers with about 2 ft of pipe and tips attached to the stock exhaust. Still had the factory resonator, but no cats, and I have headers. They have some drone, and it was fairly loud, altough not as loud as the corsa discribed above.
I ended up going back to stock exhaust minus cats and running headers. I really like the sound. Its deeper, a little louder then stock no resonance, and there is a power boost due to the headers.

dietDrThunder

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

blackozvet

I have gone with the 4 x Supertrapp muffler set up (Cat delete) and you can tune out any drone by adding or reducing the number of plates, which also alters the noise level, the more plates in makes it louder, take plates out it gets quieter.
Sledgehammer went 254 mph with this set up !

gears

When I got my LT4 I was told that the factory mufflers had been removed, cut open, hollowed out, welded back together and repainted. To look at them, you cannot tell anything has been done, but the exhaust note was somewhat louder, but still not like straight pipes. I liked the sound, but for me wasn't loud enough so I went to a muffler shop and had straight pipes put in place of the resonator. Perfect sound for me now. Cats are still in place, and it sounds nice, not too loud, just loud enough, and no drone.

GKK

Yes, the Mufflers control the Drone.

I've spent over $2000.00 on different muffler and muffler elimination configurations only to end up with the Corsa Catback to finally eliminate the drone!...

Magnaflow, Flowmaster, Muffler eliminators, Targa tips, etc...All had drone...

mcm95403

The Flowmaster DIRECT REPLACEMENT mufflers don't drone. 425501-L and 425501-R for TPI cars.

TA

Here is the issue. Drone, is subjective.............varying degrees bother some and not others. This is why you get threads of differing opinions on the same type of system. One poster will say I have Magnaflows (or insert any other manufacturer) and they don't drone at all and then someone will respond in the same thread stating their Magnaflows drone so bad their ears bleed. You'll find similar threads stating every exhaust system imaginable drones and then debaters who claim it doesn't. It all goes no where and unfortunately there is no way to prove or disprove people's claims. Hell, some even say Flowmasters don't drone.


The one constant you'll find in all these exhaust drone threads is that Corsa mufflers don't drone. 99% of people who have Corsas agree that there is no drone. Take that for what it's worth. I've had, probably 10 different exhaust configurations on my car (cats/no cats, headers/factory manifolds, and multiple muffler manufacturers) and all droned to some degree. Some were almost tolerable and some were so bad (Flowmaster) I really couldn't enjoy driving the car. Finally I bit the bullet and bought a set of used Corsa mufflers only. I mated them to my current exhaust (headers, 2.5" duals, X-pipe, no cats) and the drone was gone. Trust me the car is very loud, but somehow Corsas seem to throw all the noise behind the car, as opposed to vibrating around the interior.

Many stay away from Corsa because of the expense (myself included), yet they'll spend thousands (myself included) trying different configurations to get rid of drone. I should have bit the bullet 10+ years ago when I started modding this thing. This obviously makes my sound like a Corsa fanboi, but I can only speak of my experience. Its a good feeling knowing I won't spend another dollar on exhaust.

RollaMo-LT4

For the ones that are saying their system doesn't "drone" really mean that the drone isn't bothering them.

If you run with muffler eliminators, you will have drone.

When it comes to exhaust sound, what might sound "sweet" to one person, is an "annoying drone" to someone else.
My '96 with the factory resonator still in place, but with no mufflers has drone.
It does not bother me and I think it sounds good.
My wife on the other hand hates the drone.