yeah so the stock 5.0 exhaust is laughably quiet. A pair of GT500 mufflers helped out but IMO it's still too quiet. Right now, it sounds like how it SHOULD sound stock.

Anyways, the install was pretty straight forward but after reading a few how-to's I figured I'd add my own impressions and tips for anyone installing a new axleback or catback exhaust.

I used the following tools

12" extension
13mm socket
3/4 ratcheting wrench (3/4 deep socket would work as well)
Either a 14 or 15mm socket (can't remember which)
Ramps
Jack

I started on the passenger side first.

First thing I did was loosen the ball joint clamp




Then popped the rear hanger out (closest to the bumper)




Next, I used a floor jack under the mid pipe (around the resonator area) to push the exhaust up. This separated the ball joint (which is surprisingly tight) and raised the mid pipe up far enough that I could easily pull on the muffler (pulling away from the bumper) so that the top 2 hangers came out of the rubber hanger things.

The easiest way I found to pull was to just lay under the muffler and use my knees to push against the rear of the muffler and use my hands to push the rubber hangars forwards towards the rear of the car so the metal hangers popped out of the rubber easier.

This is a pic of the drivers side but I used the same technique on each muffler.



The passenger side muffler was off without a hitch!


Next was drivers side removal. Now I've read that lowering the track bar (is that what it's called??) makes things easier and this is totally the case. It's virtually impossible to get the new muffler ON without lowering it down so I took a 1 foot extension and either the 14 or 15mm socket and removed the 2 silver bolts holding the divers side to the chassis and then used a 3/4 wrench to LOOSEN (not remove) the passenger side bolt so that I could just lower the drivers side of the bar down against the panhard bar.






This will also make removing the muffler easier.

So to get the drivers side off, once you've lowered the bar, put the floor jack on the drivers side (I'm sure you could just put the jack in the center of the H pipe and leave it there for both sides) to pop the ball joint apart.




Then remove the single rear hanger and then pull down on the ball joint and back on the muffler until it pops the 2 metal prongs out of the rubber exhaust hangers.


Here's the stock vs gt500 muffles side by side. Weight is the same for the mufflers but the shelby mufflers have a larger diameter tip and straight cut edge vs rolled.







Installing the drivers side muffler is the same as passenger side (a bit easier I think)

Once the rear 2 hangers are on, lower and remove the jack from the mid pipe, loosely clamp on the ball joint clamp, pop the rear exhaust hanger in and then tighten the ball joint.

At this point, all I had to do was straighten the mufflers a hair from behind the car. They still can move around a little so it's easy to get them pointed straight.





Lastly, I cranked up the car and listened down for exhaust leaks. None!




Anyways, no real seat of the pants increase in power. audible difference only. Throatier under throttle, a bit deeper bubble at idle and a little bit of extra rumble when slowing down under gear.

I'm happy with the sound but I do want to hear it with a 3" mid H pipe and no resonators. I want just a LITTLE bit more rumble out of it.


Anyways, hopefully this will help some of you that haven't done this install yet. jacking up the mid pipe was a HUGE help because even though the ball joint clamp is all the way loose, the way the exhaust/muffler are hung, they're still tight and the mid pipe gets in the way when you're trying to pull back on the mufflers to get them off and in the way when you try to get the 2 front prongs of the muffler up into the rubber hangers.

 

Excellent write up. And I would agree that the GT500 would be a little too quiet to most, which is why I went with Roush. But nothing an off road X or H pipe won't fix.

 

Thanks for the great write-up!

I'm actually fairly happy with the stock muffler so far, but once I get some other things first, I may look in to getting the GT500 mufflers.

I went through multiple exhaust systems on my Charger, and do NOT want to go through all the money and issues again on this car!

 

the GT500 mufflers sound exactly like the stock setup until you put your foot down. It's like you take the volume of the stock mufflers and raise it up a bit and that's what they sound like.

the tone and character doesn't change so much as it just making what's there a little louder.

 

Thanks! Any difference in interior noise levels while cruising on highway?

 

They may get louder, my 500 seems like it is louder now than new and it only has 600 miles on it.

 

Roger that, thanks.

 

Great write up! I installed mine about 4 weeks ago. I got mine off a 2011 gt500 with 158 miles on it so they came with the midpipes as well which have no resonators. If you took those off yours it would get louder. I would try that before i put the H or X pipe on. I had a friend drive mine around the block and then onto a different street and it was amazing how much the sound carried from that far (3 blocks) with houses and trees in between. Being in the car and even standing outside is very deceiving. Have someone drive it away from you an around a few corners and youll be suprised how loud it is without the resonators. And most exhaust shops wont charge a whole lot to modify the pipes. One shop by my house does it for $50. Also Rather B Blown is right when he says they get louder as they break in. I am thinking of doing the FRPP or Corsa X pipe right now. Another thread says that is deepens and smooths the note out. Im still in the research phase on that right now.

 

ronin, as of right now, there's no difference if I'm not accelerating. we've got a big half mile back road that no one is on.

It's not even 1/4 mile from my house. It's blocked off with construction barrels. It's a road they were planning on building lots of subdivisions off of but stopped when the housing market went south so it's just a big long straight perfectly paved empty road.

Check it out.

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=3...33023&t=h&z=16

Several car guys do "testing" on this road since it's closed off from the public and I tested out acceleration and crusing at 60 in 6th gear and in 6th gear, I can't tell that the exhaust is different from stock.

 

Do you have any drone without the resonators??

 

I just installed these on my car and like the sound but they need to be louder. Has anyone tried the SLP LM resonators with these for $140 I'm thinking about trying them. I'm worried it will raspy and pop really bad without them.

I weighed mine btw and found the stock ones to be 21.5 lbs and gt500s to be 18.5 lbs. Everyone else keeps saying they weigh the same but I could feel the difference.

 

None whatsoever. After I hit 6th gear and the RPM's drop to 2000 (which is where alot of people complain about drone) the car goes silent. But if i drop it down to 5th i can hear the exhaust again but its a sound i want to hear, no drone. I have found myself purposely driving at a higher than normal RPM and shifting later just to hear it. And down shifting or just letting of the throttle sounds very good as well. Im going to get some videos done when i get in from work Wednesday and post on Youtube but i think the sound from the camera is a little deceiving.

 

Nice write-up! Man now I'm thinking I should have gotten the GT500 mufflers instead of the Roush. These Roush ABs are LOUD! Everyone says they sound good and I'm getting used to them.

Lemme ask you this: how are the GT500 mufflers under light throttle? Reason I ask is because the Roush ABs are pretty loud under light throttle, like I'm making all this noise buy not going anywhere. It's kind of embarassing. Meh, I'd probably miss it if I swapped to the GT500s though.

 

Embarrassing? I think you will miss the sound if you get rid of em. I think the Roush's sound exactly how a Mustang should sound...especially our 5.0s. I guess it's all personal taste though. I love my Roush Axelbacks, random people are always complimenting the sound.
Cheers,
Andy

 

Yeah i think you're right. Like i said I'm getting used to it.

 

Thomas, under light throttle, there's a smooth deep growl.

I think I'm going to snag the heart throb h pipe and axle pipes without the resonators and just take my chances with any potential fitment issues.

The car needs just a little more volume out of the exhaust and I think that will do it.


Definately will be using a lift for that job though. I'll probably wait until my koni's show up and do the exhaust and all the suspension all at once.

 

You can sell me your gt500s to help recoup some of your cash. I'll pay 150 shipped with paypal any time.

 

I'll be going with the Stainless Works 3" catbacks or the Pypes 3" Super System (catbacks). They make music to my ears.

 

I thought when I 1st installed my GT500 A/Bs they were too quiet, but now I think they're about the best mod for the $ I've ever spent.

I guess I could stand them being just a smidge louder, but I will wait until I hear a system in person before I spend the $ for it. It's show season coming upon us!

 

+1. I've noticed a lot of guys here on the forums say the GT500s are too quiet for them, or say they sound stock until you get on the gas, but I love them. I had mine recently installed, and after having driven the stock set for the past 10 months, I found the GT500s to be very distinctive from the first start up. Definitely more volume on a cold start, definitely more rumble & bass during mild acceleration. Sure they're not wake the dead (or your neighbors) loud, but the broader tonal range definitively says "hey that's a Mustang," at least to my ears.

That said, and given I haven't heard any other setups in person yet, the GT500s probably sit somewhere in between stock and aftermarket in terms of volume & personality. And that's exactly what I wanted for sound. Unique and growly, and enough to perk the ears of enthusiasts more so than law enforcement.