KK cat-back exhaust options

[runfor5]

I took the Jeep out today and twisted it up, taking roads with known potholes and trolley tracks. The new exhaust system stayed together, did not shift position, and does not seem to have any obvious exhaust leaks. I’ll check again in 50 miles according to the directions that came with the kit.

Looks good! Glad the install went smooth and you're enjoying it

 

[lfhoward]

Looks good! Glad the install went smooth and you're enjoying it

Thanks! So far so good. I was able to tuck the last section of tailpipe up under the bumper a bit more than the stock one, to enhance the departure angle.

 

[johnny248]

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What would you put on your KK if you needed a muffler, tail pipe, and resonator?

The options in the poll seem to be the available ones. I would totally go with a Magnaflow kit, but they stopped making them unfortunately. MBRP makes a good performance model for the KJ but they don’t have a KK kit. I am also leaving out Flowmaster since they are too loud for me. The characteristics I want are:

Stainless steel - I want it to last a good long time
Not too loud - because my wife deals with migraines that make her sound sensitive
Reasonable Cost - Willing to pay for a good system but don’t have an unlimited bank account
Performance - a few extra HP would be nice but I consider this optional compared to the above criteria.

The Walker is the cheapest at under $200. It also is probably the quietest because it is not going for performance. But because it is made of aluminized steel, not stainless, I would be doing this again in a couple of years.

The Dynomax is middle of the road in terms of cost, about twice the Walker, let’s say $400. It is stainless supposedly, but I am guessing quality and performance are also middle of the road. Seems a bit loud in YouTube videos.

The Gibson is pretty expensive at about $600. The quality is there with a lifetime warranty on stainless components. The performance of its thru-flow design adds 5-15 HP or so they claim. The trade off is the Gibson seems loud to me in the videos I watched. Also, the chrome exhaust tip protrudes about 4” behind and below the bumper, which is not ideal for off road clearance.

Mopar. Perfect fit, great quality, and quiet. My original one lasted 10 years. But it’s $1000!!! The high cost seems prohibitive.

Ok, what would you do? I am also interested in other options that are not on this list. Let me know the pros and cons of your experiences with different brands. And thanks in advance for your thoughts.

These 3.7l engines sound absolutely horrendous with exhaust on them. I wish I could find a stainless "OE" style system. I've already replaced two Walker systems.

 

[johnny248]

Got the old exhaust off and the new one installed today. Here are the pics to prove it really happened.

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A little rusty! My impact was a godsend for those old exhaust bolts. Also needed was a sawzall to cut the old muffler out, because even with the clamps removed it would not come off.

Here’s the old rusty thing, or what was left of it.

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The BRExhaust is a nice unit, and it comes in small sections that can be clamped together relatively easily. The torque spec on the clamp bolts is 30 pounds.

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Muffler

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Resonator

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It tucks under the bumper at just the right angle.

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The melting damage was from the old resonator when it was hanging by a thread, and before it fell off completely.

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Pretty happy with this unit. The sound is nice and quiet, but with a subtle rumble you would expect from Magnaflow, BRExhaust’s parent company.

I will need to check the clamps again after about 50 miles to make sure everything is still nice and tight, and make sure there are no exhaust leaks. I did the whole cat back swap without having to jack the Jeep up (4 inch lifted). I used one jack stand as a third arm to get everything aligned before tightening clamps. You can totally do this install yourself.

It looks nice. I like the bends. Only thing that I don't like is that the tail pipe section is two pieces where it comes up over the axle. To me less parts are better, but it still looks better than the Walker system. Is it all aluminized steel?

 

[lfhoward]

It looks nice. I like the bends. Only thing that I don't like is that the tail pipe section is two pieces where it comes up over the axle. To me less parts are better, but it still looks better than the Walker system. Is it all aluminized steel?

Yes, except the internals of the muffler are stainless if I remember correctly.