JCtx

Still searching for a catback exhaust with no drone, AND stock cabin noise levels when just cruising. This is the first 'touring' exhaust I find, and it looks quite good. Tanabe at least took the time to leave the muffler properly oriented, and weld the tubes/tips staggered, rather than the cheap and non-OEM-looking slanted mufflers most of the current systems have. But I don't see any Helmholtz anti-resonant chambers, and the mufflers are quite small to have them internally. So that leads me to believe there's nothing 'touring' about this system, but want to hear testimonials from actual owners instead of ***-u-me. I'd definitely paint the mufflers black, but this is the best system I've seen so far (especially for the money), with nice staggered tips both in height and depth. Maybe the 'touring' aspect comes from leaving the stock mid-pipes, with resonators and all, which might minimize any drone or trunk resonance. Hope to hear some feedback. Here's the system in question:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tanabe-Medal...pV6QHT&vxp=mtr

nelson143

The Ebay link is showing an Axle back....not a cat-back. Thus, the lower price.

JCtx

It's after the second cats, so still a cat-back, no? Ha ha. But you're right. To avoid confusion, I should have said an axle-back indeed. It's still a lot cheaper than the same thing by Magnaflow, so still a good deal in my book. Anyway, I want a system quiet inside, so an axle-back might be my only chance to have something louder than stock, and still quiet enough for my wife. Hopefully somebody here has this and can chime in with the differences from stock. Besides, I want to at least change the tips, which would cost me a couple of hundred bucks at least... and wouldn't look as nice as the Tanabes. So might as well pay a little more, add better sound, and save a few pounds (maybe 20 total?) in the process. But need input first.

Forgot to say one 'feature' that would be a deal-breaker is if the mufflers are not secured the same way as stock, meaning little to no movement. Saw the video of the 'PTS' crooked muflers with a GoPro mounted at the back, and they had awful movement all over the place. even with the car barely rolling, like if they were not secured at all. I'd be surprised if they weren't hitting the diffuser. Maybe those only have 1 hanger instead of 2 per muffler. I don't know. Will scrutinize the exhaust when I lift the car to adjust the parking brake one of these days. Thank you for the clarification.

Joe Z

iTrader: (10)

^^ Your OEM mufflers jiggle just as much...

Sorry you don't find our product aesthetically pleasing..

All our testimonials say otherwise..

Good Luck on the hunt..!!


Joe Z

JCtx

Oh no, they're rock solid man... at least on my car. Of course they have to move some, but you have to be quite forcefully. Having said that, can't say yours is 'jiggly', but based on your comment, it probably is. However, I can usually fix that kind of thing by buying shorter and/or stiffer hangers, or other methods. So not really worried about that if muffler has the same number of hangers as stock. And for the record, it's absolutely rare for me to install any aftermarket product without some kind of modification to meet my **** standards, so I always expect having to fix something... and I always welcome the challenge.
Finally, aesthetics is entirely personal, so how many people like your or any other product is absoutely meaningless to me. As long as I like it, that's what counts. And if I'm disappointed at someone is me, for being picky. Ha ha. But that's who I am. The good news for you is I'm in the minority, so no worries. You know you can't please everybody, right? But you did a good job to please the majority, and that's called success.

Joe Z

iTrader: (10)

Thank You...

I should have said your OEM ones will move just as much if you point a GoPro at it and watch.

Also, if you grab the fake tips and gentley rock left to right, they easily shake in a jiffy..!!!

While driving, you can't see that kind of movement from a car length away..

Yes, you will need to upgrade to stiffer same size harder silicone hangers, if you want none jiggling Tips.
The OEM have lots of flexibility in them.

Joe Z

Z3NK1

iTrader: (2)

I threw a couple polyurethane hangers on my PTS and she's stiff as a board

nelson143

I'm super happy with the Joe Z/PTS exhaust....quality workmanship and the sound is addicting. There's really no drone in it when cruising, but when step on that gas pedal, the sound is amazing and pulls hard.

DEMIK

iTrader: (18)

ask boostedgs he prototyped it.

Ryanmcd

Does it matter at all or is it just looks? I am going to order your exhaust in the next few months once someone comes out with some headers and wanted to see if the silicone hangers are needed at all.

Joe Z

iTrader: (10)

The harder silicone hangers will just firm up the minimal exhaust movement...

From all the RC F's we've worked on, we didn't see this as a neccesity or issue to address at all.


Joe Z

JCtx

It could be that all mufflers move while underway, as you commented. To put that to bed, forum member RMalm will put your exhaust to the test and find out. And yes, he has the second version, which supposedly addressed fit issues (his words). As Rick mentioned, you don't want the hangers any harder than they have to be, to prevent vibration resonating inside the cabin (like a guitar).

Hey, so nobody here with a Tanabe exhaust?

Joe Z

iTrader: (10)

Could be..!!??

Listen we made the exhaust.. Not the rubber hangers.. Period!!

Our exhaust moves just as much as OEM.. If not less, since we use firm flanges and no spring bolts at the axle area connections.

Go outside, grab your tips and shake left to right.. It will move like a Piñata

The Tanabe Axle back is a great quality system.. I ran their products on my IS300, before we started making our own.


Joe Z

JCtx

Hey, of course where you place the hanger studs makes a HUGE difference man. Remember there're TWO hangers per muffler. If there was just one, then you'd be correct. That's exactly the problem with most aftermarket exhausts. Nobody pays attention to where the studs are located. If you look at the stock muffler, the studs are in such a position to create opposite tension on the hangers, to minimize movement. If both hangers were vertical, then they'd only be holding the muffler vertically, allowing A LOT of side to side movement (probably what happens to your system). If you set the studs too far out, then they'd be very hard to install, and would transmit vibration into the cabin due to less vibration absorption by the rubber. You have to get is JUST RIGHT. A picture can immediately tell me if you paid attention to that or not. But a GoPro can tell us too. The stock mufflers are suspended exactly the way they should be: in tension, but not too much. Hope I'm making sense. If not, just look at your muffler and it'd make sense; it's simple geometry.

ba2sy

iTrader: (1)

This guy has it on the first post: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rc-...f-pkg-tvd.html

I don't know if he still has it since he went for Novel Exhaust system.