When Axle Backs and H/X-pipes Collide!
#1
When Axle Backs and H/X-pipes Collide!
Ok first let me say that I love the sound of a v8!
What's going down, I had a stock h-pipe with Roush Alex backs and I loved them. The sound was on the loud side and very raspy but not in a bad way. The Roush are well made and the fit and finish were outstanding. Sometimes I wish they were a bit quieter but they had no drone and on idle were quiet. At WOT they were great but once and a while would pop very loudly but I had nothing to say bad about them. Here is what they were on, a 2013 GT with track package in the skunkworks garage.
http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/...psed188bf3.jpg
http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4c964a29.jpg
Then I said let’s get an off road x-pipe and I did.
http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/...psf8834a05.jpg
What happen after that was the sound is like pure race car, I go and run in many track related activities (for fun) and the best way to describe it is like the motors run in Grand AM series or Australian super v8 cars. It’s very raspy with lots of pops and high pitched tin like sound; More of a scream then a growl. Here is some vids with the windows down, the car was loud but man it sounded gooooood............ The problem is I was setting off car alarms in parking garages and I like to run the motor and down shift and step on it. With this setup everyone within a 5 mile radius knew it, I mean talk about cranking it up to 11. Again with that being said, it did sound real good. One thing the vid does not give you is a feel of the volume we are talking about but will give you the type of sound. I wanted to give everyone an idea of the sound running through some gears.
http://s1276.beta.photobucket.com/us...45567.mp4.html
http://s1276.beta.photobucket.com/us...91a31.mp4.html
Then I said to myself this is great but the only problem is I don’t live at a race track, let's try GT500 axle backs, so I did. The fit and finish was OEM and worked great. They are way more heavy then the Roush I think like 10-15LB but I'm not sure. For the money they get the job done, what you get.
http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/...psf165cbae.jpg
The sound, first I had to adjust from going from the loudest you can go (almost) to the GT500. They are great for a DD, they are just loud enough but not too loud, if I did not have the off road I don't think they would be loud enough for me but with my setup they are really good. I can hear myself think in the car and the radio too, who am I kidding with the sound of this car who needs the radio, I don’t think I have turned it on yet. The sound is old school growl and still has that x-pipe sound, that rolling rumble you get from having the off road x-pipes just makes it sound soooo good (with the Roush this rolling sound would go on for longer, sounded great). The GT500 for the most part cleaned up the sounds by taking the edge off a bit, but not in a bad way. After running them for a bit here is what it sounded like with the windows down, same type of run.
http://s1276.beta.photobucket.com/us...eee98.mp4.html
http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/...psdeade0b1.jpg
http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/...psf165cbae.jpg
At the end of the day, if you like to run a race car every day then go with the Roush setup with off road x-pipe, if you have to hear people talk in the car and like more old school growl then go with the GT500, the best part is you can't lose, they all sounds great. I am now done with the exhaust, shifter and motor part of my project and moving onto suspension and looks. I am looking not to go nuts but just have some fun, to me that’s what it’s all about.
Ps if anyone would like a lightly used but heavily loved Roush axle back let me now, I need mod money to help with traction!
What's going down, I had a stock h-pipe with Roush Alex backs and I loved them. The sound was on the loud side and very raspy but not in a bad way. The Roush are well made and the fit and finish were outstanding. Sometimes I wish they were a bit quieter but they had no drone and on idle were quiet. At WOT they were great but once and a while would pop very loudly but I had nothing to say bad about them. Here is what they were on, a 2013 GT with track package in the skunkworks garage.
http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/...psed188bf3.jpg
http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4c964a29.jpg
Then I said let’s get an off road x-pipe and I did.
http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/...psf8834a05.jpg
What happen after that was the sound is like pure race car, I go and run in many track related activities (for fun) and the best way to describe it is like the motors run in Grand AM series or Australian super v8 cars. It’s very raspy with lots of pops and high pitched tin like sound; More of a scream then a growl. Here is some vids with the windows down, the car was loud but man it sounded gooooood............ The problem is I was setting off car alarms in parking garages and I like to run the motor and down shift and step on it. With this setup everyone within a 5 mile radius knew it, I mean talk about cranking it up to 11. Again with that being said, it did sound real good. One thing the vid does not give you is a feel of the volume we are talking about but will give you the type of sound. I wanted to give everyone an idea of the sound running through some gears.
http://s1276.beta.photobucket.com/us...45567.mp4.html
http://s1276.beta.photobucket.com/us...91a31.mp4.html
Then I said to myself this is great but the only problem is I don’t live at a race track, let's try GT500 axle backs, so I did. The fit and finish was OEM and worked great. They are way more heavy then the Roush I think like 10-15LB but I'm not sure. For the money they get the job done, what you get.
http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/...psf165cbae.jpg
The sound, first I had to adjust from going from the loudest you can go (almost) to the GT500. They are great for a DD, they are just loud enough but not too loud, if I did not have the off road I don't think they would be loud enough for me but with my setup they are really good. I can hear myself think in the car and the radio too, who am I kidding with the sound of this car who needs the radio, I don’t think I have turned it on yet. The sound is old school growl and still has that x-pipe sound, that rolling rumble you get from having the off road x-pipes just makes it sound soooo good (with the Roush this rolling sound would go on for longer, sounded great). The GT500 for the most part cleaned up the sounds by taking the edge off a bit, but not in a bad way. After running them for a bit here is what it sounded like with the windows down, same type of run.
http://s1276.beta.photobucket.com/us...eee98.mp4.html
http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/...psdeade0b1.jpg
http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/...psf165cbae.jpg
At the end of the day, if you like to run a race car every day then go with the Roush setup with off road x-pipe, if you have to hear people talk in the car and like more old school growl then go with the GT500, the best part is you can't lose, they all sounds great. I am now done with the exhaust, shifter and motor part of my project and moving onto suspension and looks. I am looking not to go nuts but just have some fun, to me that’s what it’s all about.
Ps if anyone would like a lightly used but heavily loved Roush axle back let me now, I need mod money to help with traction!
#2
Great info man. I am looking at the same setup, Roush Axle Backs plus a Off Road X. I know you've already switched to the GT500 mufflers, but do you have any more video of the Roush/X pipe combo? Would love to hear more. Both inside and outside. I've been unable to find that combo on youtube.
#5
I'd rather have the GT500's. The Roush mufflers are just too "pingy" for me. I run the American Thunders on mine which are plenty loud. Going to get a lot louder here in the next few weeks after the LT's are in.
#7
This is spot on ... I came to all the same conclusions and made the same switch. I loved the Roush before I put on my offroad X, after that it was just like driving a racecar 24x7, but only from an audible perspective.
#9
dcarlinf1, here are some more vids of the Roush, outside, inside slow driving, revs
http://s1276.beta.photobucket.com/us...0db4d.mp4.html
http://s1276.beta.photobucket.com/us...b9ae6.mp4.html
http://s1276.beta.photobucket.com/us...ed94a.mp4.html
http://s1276.beta.photobucket.com/us...0db4d.mp4.html
http://s1276.beta.photobucket.com/us...b9ae6.mp4.html
http://s1276.beta.photobucket.com/us...ed94a.mp4.html
#10
This is want i wanted. I have GT500's on my car and the sound is great.
I would like to put a O/R X pipe on my car for the performance gains, but was worried about it getting to loud. I wouldnt mind a little louder than just the GT500's but I still want it to be quite when on the interstate cruising.
Sounds like the O/R X pipe/GT500 axle backs is the ticket. The O/R X pipe's remove the OEM cats and resonators correct?
I would like to put a O/R X pipe on my car for the performance gains, but was worried about it getting to loud. I wouldnt mind a little louder than just the GT500's but I still want it to be quite when on the interstate cruising.
Sounds like the O/R X pipe/GT500 axle backs is the ticket. The O/R X pipe's remove the OEM cats and resonators correct?