Tanabe Medalion Axle Back Installed (Pics and opinion included!)
I heard magnaflow isn't bad.
02-03-12, 05:41 PM
#33
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Okay, so I have been driving it for a couple of weeks and found that it definitely wasn't loud enough for my taste. I expected to hear it more than I did at idle and at highway speeds....... I went back and forth over doing the midpipe install but was very concerned that it would be too loud. After talking to a local muffle shop, I found out that they would cut the resonator out and weld in a straight pipe for just $30. I did this yesterday, and am very pleased with the result thus far. It has more of a rumble at start up (still fairly quiet at idle though) and it significantly more pronounced in lower RPMs. Also, when I touch the pedal even slightly at highway speeds (65+ mph), I hear the note from the axle back. Took turns driving it around the block this evening with the wife, so that I could hear it from outside the car, and am very pleased with the light rasp that it has when using moderate throttle from 10-35mph. Going to keep it the way it is for a bit and then decide if I want to go with a mid pipe still, or do a cat delete. The shop that I used told me that they would cut out the cats and weld in straight pipes for just $60. This would certainly make a huge difference, but I would likely want to have the resonator welded back in to keep it from being too loud. Also, I am not crazy about the cat delete, as I don't want to deal with the potential check engine light issues that have been reported on CL when this has been done.
02-10-12, 06:41 PM
#34
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Update..... After driving with the resonator delete for a week, I HATE it. It sounds good under acceleration, and has a slight note when cranking and shutting it off. My issue is that when I am rolling at 40-60 mph, and touch the accelerator lightly (just to maintain my speed) the note that I get inside the car is awful. I would call it a drone, but that's not totally accurate. It sounds more like the loud hum that you would hear from an old pickup truck with a hole in the muffler. Seriously! I contemplated having them put the resonator back and delete the cats instead, but think it just easier to go with a midpipe. So glad that I kept my old resonator. Needless to say that I am back in the market for a midpipe, and will have the muffler shop weld the resonator back into my factory mid section, so that I still have all of the factory exhaust in tact should I ever decide to put it back. I've been checking the classifieds, but there are more "WTB" midpipe listings than there are "FS". Oh well, I can deal with it for now, but it is gonna come out sometime soon.
02-10-12, 08:32 PM
#35
Update..... After driving with the resonator delete for a week, I HATE it. It sounds good under acceleration, and has a slight note when cranking and shutting it off. My issue is that when I am rolling at 40-60 mph, and touch the accelerator lightly (just to maintain my speed) the note that I get inside the car is awful. I would call it a drone, but that's not totally accurate. It sounds more like the loud hum that you would hear from an old pickup truck with a hole in the muffler. Seriously! I contemplated having them put the resonator back and delete the cats instead, but think it just easier to go with a midpipe. So glad that I kept my old resonator. Needless to say that I am back in the market for a midpipe, and will have the muffler shop weld the resonator back into my factory mid section, so that I still have all of the factory exhaust in tact should I ever decide to put it back. I've been checking the classifieds, but there are more "WTB" midpipe listings than there are "FS". Oh well, I can deal with it for now, but it is gonna come out sometime soon.
I'm orderding the Megan mid pipes to go with the M2 axel back next month
03-28-12, 04:53 PM
#36
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Just placed an order with JB Autosports Inc for the Invidia mid pipe. Got it for $303 shipped, which is by far the lowest price I have seen online. Been talking with a tech guy there, and he says they will ship out tomorrow. If these arrive in one piece, this is a great deal! Many places (even on eBay) are trying to get list price for these pipes. I will update this thread with pics of the product when I get it, as well as a review of the difference in the exhaust.
03-28-12, 08:37 PM
#37
Just placed an order with JB Autosports Inc for the Invidia mid pipe. Got it for $303 shipped, which is by far the lowest price I have seen online. Been talking with a tech guy there, and he says they will ship out tomorrow. If these arrive in one piece, this is a great deal! Many places (even on eBay) are trying to get list price for these pipes. I will update this thread with pics of the product when I get it, as well as a review of the difference in the exhaust.
I'm ordering the Megan on Friday!
04-02-12, 05:43 PM
#38
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Pipes shipped out on Thursday, and arrived today! Came in nice clean Invidia box, with all packing materials and hardware. Gonna be a few days before I can do the install, but I will add pics and review when I do.
04-04-12, 05:31 PM
#41
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Mid pipe install complete! Took me about an hour and a half to do (tough time getting the O2 sensors out), but went fairly smooth considering. When I first cranked it up, I gotta say it was quieter than the factory mid pipe with the resonator delete. Let it warm up and took it for a test drive. Here are a couple of things that I noticed.... First of all, it is quieter at idle, and at low RPMs (such as working your way through a parking lot). However, when I get on it, it REALLY comes alive. The sound has more of a rasp, and is higher pitched. Not "ricer" pitch by any stretch, but definitely more noticeable than it was with just the Tanabe axle back, or with the resonator delete. It has been well documented that every axle back sounds different, but I would absolutely encourage any Tanabe axle back owner to purchase the mid pipes. Huge difference, and I love it! Took pics with my phone and will add them later, once I transfer them to my photo bucket. Thanks again to Jeremy at JB Autosports for the hook up. Cheapest internet price I could find (been looking for quite a while), and they shipped for free and very, very fast!
01-18-13, 03:56 PM
#42
Don't mean to bump an older thread but I just got this exhaust the other day. For those of you that have it - did you replace the gasket where the axle back connects to the rest of the exhaust? Mine seems to be leaking from there - and lexus wanted $60 for the gasket that goes there so I thought I'd check here first.
01-18-13, 04:44 PM
#43
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
When I installed the axle back, I replaced the gasket between it and the mid pipes. It only cost me $30 at Johnson Lexus here in Raleigh though. When I installed the mid pipes, I reused the gaskets between the headers and the mid pipes and haven't had an issue with them, nearly a year later.
01-18-13, 10:22 PM
#45
