18 or 22 " Magnaflow muffler for drone free cruising?

[AZCreeker]

Hello!

15 Suburban, stock apart from a Air Raid Jr. intake tube and highflow filter in the stock intake box.

Looking for recommendations, I am thinking about installing a magnaflow muffler only to my otherwise stock exhaust.
I want to keep the resonator and flapper.
My question is, if I am looking for drone free during cruising and light load would the 18" work?
I was thinking the 18" would be drone free as the flapper would help a lot.


I am looking for basically for a sound similar to the GM borla accesory exhaust in term of sound level and quality of tone.
Also I liked how a last gen escalade sounded stock, seemed louder to current gen.

I just wan to be able to hear its a v8 at start up and when I get on it.

So 18" or 22"?

thanks!

 

[iamdub]

The 22" (12589) seems to be accepted as the "stock, but not" muffler- the go-to if you wanna be safe about it. I went one step more aggressive with the 18" and I have no drone. I also deleted my resonator and mine's a Tahoe so it's shorter than your Suburban. When I first fired it up after installing it, I was actually disappointed cuz it sounded almost exactly like the stock muffler. After a few hundred miles, it livened up considerably and now I'm very happy with it. When cruising, it's almost as quiet as stock. At hard throttle, it lets you know it's there. I have the same intake setup as you and I can still hear the deep intake growl with the engine under load, such as when going up an incline but not downshifting. It's not obtrusive at all. I wanted to keep mine quiet and classy on the inside but aggressive when on the throttle and I think the 18" nailed it. I got the AP Exhaust XS1259 which is the Magnaflow 12259 (18") knock-off. It was $31 on Amazon when I bought it last October, currently $49. The only difference I can see in them is it doesn't have the Magnaflow label embossed in the case.

I made before and after vids. I really should make a one year vid to compare the sound now that it's broken in. If I could remember my YouTube login I'd link you to them. Maybe they're in my build thread.

*EDIT*
Found them! : https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/growing-up-doesnt-have-to-suck.93510/page-12

 

[AZCreeker]

The 22" (12589) seems to be accepted as the "stock, but not" muffler- the go-to if you wanna be safe about it. I went one step more aggressive with the 18" and I have no drone. I also deleted my resonator and mine's a Tahoe so it's shorter than your Suburban. When I first fired it up after installing it, I was actually disappointed cuz it sounded almost exactly like the stock muffler. After a few hundred miles, it livened up considerably and now I'm very happy with it. When cruising, it's almost as quiet as stock. At hard throttle, it lets you know it's there. I have the same intake setup as you and I can still hear the deep intake growl with the engine under load, such as when going up an incline but not downshifting. It's not obtrusive at all. I wanted to keep mine quiet and classy on the inside but aggressive when on the throttle and I think the 18" nailed it. I got the AP Exhaust XS1259 which is the Magnaflow 12259 (18") knock-off. It was $31 on Amazon when I bought it last October, currently $49. The only difference I can see in them is it doesn't have the Magnaflow label embossed in the case.

I made before and after vids. I really should make a one year vid to compare the sound now that it's broken in. If I could remember my YouTube login I'd link you to them. Maybe they're in my build thread.

*EDIT*
Found them! : https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/growing-up-doesnt-have-to-suck.93510/page-12

thank you very much for your detailed and useful reply, much appreciated.

 

[iamdub]

thank you very much for your detailed and useful reply, much appreciated.

Happy to be relevant! lol

 

[adventurenali92]

@iamdub makes a good point! I have a magnaflow muffler on my 2006 6.0. And like him at first I was like hmm it’s still pretty quiet. But a week after installation I took my Denali from Southern California to Vegas for Route 91 back in 2017. On the way home going up the grades and what not on I15, I definitely noticed the tone and volume had changed after driving it a couple hundred miles. I believe I have the same one as his but I’m not positive on that. Anyways, mine lets me know it’s there when you’re on the throttle or under load. But otherwise there’s no drone inside the cabin. It’s smooth and quiet. Can listen to music and talk comfortably and not even here the exhaust when cruising.

 

[iamdub]

@iamdub makes a good point! I have a magnaflow muffler on my 2006 6.0. And like him at first I was like hmm it’s still pretty quiet. But a week after installation I took my Denali from Southern California to Vegas for Route 91 back in 2017. On the way home going up the grades and what not on I15, I definitely noticed the tone and volume had changed after driving it a couple hundred miles. I believe I have the same one as his but I’m not positive on that. Anyways, mine lets me know it’s there when you’re on the throttle or under load. But otherwise there’s no drone inside the cabin. It’s smooth and quiet. Can listen to music and talk comfortably and not even here the exhaust when cruising.

Next time you're next to a concrete wall, drop your passenger side windows and mash it.

 

[Tide]

Of the two I’d go with the 18” for sure. It still might be a little quiet for your taste if you keep the resonator.

Like others have said give it a few thousand miles and you’ll notice a difference in tone. I’m running a similar setup and I’m very happy with it. Just enough to know that it isn’t stock with a good deep tone.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[1sikryd]

I was looking to go Borla too but my muffler guy talked me into the Magnaflow 14161 on my '19 RST. That's a 14" muffler, and I kept all the resonators. It's defiantly louder and has a smooth growl. It had some drone that went away when I installed an AFE Momentum GT intake.

 

[sealandsky]

I was looking to go Borla too but my muffler guy talked me into the Magnaflow 14161 on my '19 RST. That's a 14" muffler, and I kept all the resonators. It's defiantly louder and has a smooth growl. It had some drone that went away when I installed an AFE Momentum GT intake.

Doesn't the RST already come with the GM performance exhaust?

 

[Mad Maxx]

Doesn't the RST already come with the GM performance exhaust?

Nope

 

[1sikryd]

Doesn't the RST already come with the GM performance exhaust?

Like Mad Max said, Nope. Really, all you get with the RST package is color matched body pieces, black badging, RST wheels, and a high cap air filter. But, the 6.2l engine gets 3.5" exhaust. The GM performance/Borla is 3" into dual 2.5".

 

[fozzi58]

I'm not sure if a magnaflow cat back would have changed things on my truck but the Borla touring exhaust sounds incredible! Its just too F'n loud when paired with kooks stepped headers and the high-flow Y pipe.

Not to derail this thread but if anyone in the NJ/NY area is removing their factory suburban exhaust, I'd like to come get it.

 

[Dearmosd]

Tide: Is that a black driveshaft?

 

[Tide]

Tide: Is that a black driveshaft?

Yep. AWD Escalade. Highly doubt the PO did anything to it so it should be a factory piece.

I just wan to be able to hear its a v8 at start up and when I get on it.

So 18" or 22"?

thanks!

What did you end up doing OP?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[AZCreeker]

Yep. AWD Escalade. Highly doubt the PO did anything to it so it should be a factory piece.




What did you end up doing OP?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am ordering the 22" right now and a nice tip to go with it.
I will have the shop leave the flapper but remove the resonator.
After 1000 miles of the muffler breaking in I will either:
-keep it like that
-put the resonator back on
-put all stock exhaust back on

as long as it doesn't drone I'll be happy, I dont need loud, I just want to slightly hear it when I start it and when I get on it.

 

[iamdub]

I am ordering the 22" right now and a nice tip to go with it.
I will have the shop leave the flapper but remove the resonator.
After 1000 miles of the muffler breaking in I will either:
-keep it like that
-put the resonator back on
-put all stock exhaust back on

as long as it doesn't drone I'll be happy, I dont need loud, I just want to slightly hear it when I start it and when I get on it.

I think you'll be happy. More accurately, I think you'll be a little disappointed when you first hear it cuz it'll be almost identical to stock, but happy after the break-in. You'll be mashing it when passing under overpasses, next to walls, people to your right with their windows down...

 

[AZCreeker]

I think you'll be happy. More accurately, I think you'll be a little disappointed when you first hear it cuz it'll be almost identical to stock, but happy after the break-in. You'll be mashing it when passing under overpasses, next to walls, people to your right with their windows down...

I am still wondering about leaving or removing the flapper.
The resonator is coming out

 

[iamdub]

I am still wondering about leaving or removing the flapper.
The resonator is coming out

I think most just bolt the flapper open, usually cuz it starts rattling. Apparently, it's a simple and reversible mod using a bolt and/or hose clamps.

 

[AZCreeker]

I think most just bolt the flapper open, usually cuz it starts rattling. Apparently, it's a simple and reversible mod using a bolt and/or hose clamps.

I will have them remove both the flapper and resonator.
Worse case after the muffler breaks in, if not satisfied I can weld one or 2 back!
Now exhaust tip... Trying to think of something cool

 

[iamdub]

Now exhaust tip... Trying to think of something cool

Purely subjective. My best advice is to consider what's just behind the tip and to view it from all angles before making it permanent. I made my resonator delete with a tip from a G8 GT. I like it, but I can see the pipe behind it and the tip looks odd from certain angles. Also, I've decided that I want a little larger diameter. I'll change it up soon, probably go straight out the back. Definitely will be a dual exit tip, though.