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Hey, just noticed your from BC. In case you're not in the loop, there's a VI blitz going on right now. Not exactly a good time to be installing a catback exhaust. Just saying!
Meh, they'll extort for anything they can find anyway. Tsudo is about the quietest we can get, and there's far worse out there anyway, especially those rat-racing like idiots on busy streets. Don't even know what "standards" there might be, probably just arbitrary and subjective?
The old diffuser won't fit quads though, so we'd need to get a newer one anyway. They aren't that much, about $250.
If the Tsudo from clips on Youtube sounds too loud, you should check out @maxxx 's setup as mentioned above. It looks like different resonators can be inserted right where the existing ones are at the weld points, depending how long they are. Minimally I think these should give a better tone, but the Ultra Quiets like he has will do tone and attenuation both. I'm in communication with a guy at Vibrant, getting his input on what he suggests.
I'm not all that concerned about the rear diffuser at this point. Up next will be a tune.
I have listened to so many video clips of all different kind of exhausts, but you know how that is. The camera just doesn't accurately capture the sounds, especially drone at speed and such. The existing resonators are only 8 inches weld to weld and there is 3" of straight pipe downstream of them to add a slightly longer resonator without having to mess with the bends. But there is also about 10" of straight pipe you could easily add another resonator to behind the o2 sensor. I just don't want it screaming loud so adding another 8-10" seems like a better option to me than cutting the existing resonator out to add 3" at best. Of course that all depends on what diameter resonators will fit in those locations as well. I haven't looked at it yet, but will tomorrow.
So I just decided to start with the axleback portion and see how I like the sound first. It went on relatively easy but know that the supplied hardware will not work to connect the aftermarket axleback to the factory midpipe. The hardware is meant to connect to the aftermarket midpipes so you need additional washers to use the supplied spring bolts to connect the axleback to the stock midpipe. The factory spring bolts will not work either as the nut they screw into is integrated into the factory axleback flange.
As for the sound, it is super quiet. It's barely noticeable at most speeds, just a deep low tone at low RPM. I haven't had it on the highway yet so can't comment on high speed drone. I suspect it will be very minimal. I have an aftermarket intake on my car as well and it is louder than the exhaust any time half throttle or more is applied.
So I just decided to start with the axleback portion and see how I like the sound first. It went on relatively easy but know that the supplied hardware will not work to connect the aftermarket axleback to the factory midpipe. The hardware is meant to connect to the aftermarket midpipes so you need additional washers to use the supplied spring bolts to connect the axleback to the stock midpipe. The factory spring bolts will not work either as the nut they screw into is integrated into the factory axleback flange.
As for the sound, it is super quiet. It's barely noticeable at most speeds, just a deep low tone at low RPM. I haven't had it on the highway yet so can't comment on high speed drone. I suspect it will be very minimal. I have an aftermarket intake on my car as well and it is louder than the exhaust any time half throttle or more is applied.
Great, thanks for the info. I had a suspicion that the axle-back would be quiet, and also that it is probably the quietest of all the cat-backs available. So to connect just the axle-back you use the new spring bolts but need a pair of new washers -- any specific size or spec?
So what do you think of the blue tips now that you have them on? Think I'm going to pick up some Mother's and buff mine out, I've always liked the aluminum or polished look.
I'm on the fence about it. They don't look bad, I really don't mind it. That being said, I still prefer the polished look. I am going to drive it for a couple of weeks and see if it grows on me. Honestly, the axleback is so quiet I'm debating installing the midpipe as well, I may just polish the tips then.
I'm on the fence about it. They don't look bad, I really don't mind it. That being said, I still prefer the polished look. I am going to drive it for a couple of weeks and see if it grows on me. Honestly, the axleback is so quiet I'm debating installing the midpipe as well, I may just polish the tips then.
i was disappointed with my invidia axle back when i first put it on. the noise difference wasn't noticeable, even when i stepped on it. however, it's been a year now and it's been broken in, so it's definitely noisier now. i think the standalone axle back has a good balance between being stealth while cruising and then noisy while messing around. i'm happy overall. i spotted a guy around town (he's on this forum) with the invidia catback. loud AF and he's just cruising lol.
regarding the burnt tip, i personally like the stainless steel look, so i waited something like 6-8 weeks for the stainless steel version to come back in stock. it was painful, constantly checking the status of my order in that time. the seller kept trying to upsell me the burnt tip version cause he had it in stock. he even mentioned that i could buff the burnt color off. i think it was an extra $100 too.. jokes.
Alright, so after a week or so of polishing the tips, I finally got the entire cat-back put on today. For future reference, if a shop will polish them out for $20-30 it'd be well-worth it, as I probably used close to 1/3 of the jar of Mother's to get them clean.
It took the shop 1.9 to install it, probably doable in 1.5 even with the customizing of the one pipe for AWD. Here's how it looks:
Don't be fooled by the stock pipes, they are 2" at best, and in some places pipes-within-pipes. The factory x-pipe is particularly small and looks squashed, whereas the Tsudo is full 2.5" throughout.
After listening to countless Youtube clips, it is actually quieter than I thought. The loud and raspy-ish JoeZ, Invidia, and Apexi had me concerned but this is nowhere near those. Yes it has volume when cold, but at idle it has a very nice low purr. In fact, you can still hear the ticking of the engine while standing behind it. Showed it to a friend with a GS350 and he says he now has "exhaust envy."
It was snowing today so I didn't get a chance to wind it up, but unlike the axle-back alone (from review above), from the inside you can hear the exhaust at all times, but at idle it's almost unnoticeable. At normal shifting RPMs in the 2K range, it does have a bit of a drone but certainly not obtrusive at all, just letting you know it's there with increased sound. Haven't revved it past maybe 3 or 4K yet, but it does start to sound performance-nice as it gets up into that range. Looking forward to ramping it up when I get more open space and clear roads.
Exhaust guy figures it will actually get quieter after a month or so, due to the soot and such insulating the pipes. Will see, but at this point I'm going to ride it a while before doing anything else. Depending on the brapping exhibited in the Youtube clips, the most I may do is go with 18" Vibrant resonators, as I may not even want to reduce the volume.
02-08-19, 04:29 PM
