Muffler swap. Please help!

[Hynesight]

Good evening, Gents. I recently bought a 2023 Trail Boss 5.3L and desperately want to have a new muffler put on. I’m sure this has been discussed a ton but I’m new here so please forgive me. I’m only looking to do a muffler swap as an entire new exhaust really isn’t in my budget at the moment. I want loud but refined with little to no drone. What are my options? I feel like Borla doesn’t offer just a muffler for the 2023 model which is what I’d want (Borla atak or S-Type). I’m just looking for some guidance and some suggestions from someone with a 2023. Thanks

 

[clstark7]

Good evening, Gents. I recently bought a 2023 Trail Boss 5.3L and desperately want to have a new muffler put on. I’m sure this has been discussed a ton but I’m new here so please forgive me. I’m only looking to do a muffler swap as an entire new exhaust really isn’t in my budget at the moment. I want loud but refined with little to no drone. What are my options? I feel like Borla doesn’t offer just a muffler for the 2023 model which is what I’d want (Borla atak or S-Type). I’m just looking for some guidance and some suggestions from someone with a 2023. Thanks

It seems that the common consensus on this page, through past threads, is that doing a muffler delete is a great option for improving the sound of your truck and it's cost effective. Leaving the resonators in place near the tailpipes seems to help with the drone as well. If you don't have tools for cutting your own exhaust, an exhaust shop can do it for around $150.

 

[GETGONE]

Only the 6.2 has the resonators. The 5.3 has some weird "mesh" openings in the rear tail pipe. Magnaflow offers a couple different muffler replacement kits. Borla wants to sell you a whole kit for like $2K. You can get whatever muffler and have a shop weld it in if you really want a Borla.

 

[Dickie Dunkelberger]

Good evening, Gents. I recently bought a 2023 Trail Boss 5.3L and desperately want to have a new muffler put on. I’m sure this has been discussed a ton but I’m new here so please forgive me. I’m only looking to do a muffler swap as an entire new exhaust really isn’t in my budget at the moment. I want loud but refined with little to no drone. What are my options? I feel like Borla doesn’t offer just a muffler for the 2023 model which is what I’d want (Borla atak or S-Type). I’m just looking for some guidance and some suggestions from someone with a 2023. Thanks

Borla does offer a muffler swap (unofficially) - just have to choose one of their crate mufflers. Think you chose the CrateMuffler - Chevy 350/383 Small Block. They have one in either S-Type or Atak. ZR2 Forum has some good writ ups on this, but good consensus is that the S-Type with leaving the stock resonators will provide good sound similar to their Touring option with no drone (still loud cold starts and good song when getting on it), if you want more sound you can remove the resonators and go with Atak, but that comes with howitzer like cold starts and maybe a little more tendency for some droning at cruise. You will have to have a muffler guy cut out the flapper section and weld it all in with a small section of tubing, but this seems like the most cost effective way to get a well tuned sound and something I have on my radar for the future.

Edit - didn't realize the 5.3 didn't have the resonators. Would expect everything else I wrote to still apply.

 

[clstark7]

Only the 6.2 has the resonators. The 5.3 has some weird "mesh" openings in the rear tail pipe. Magnaflow offers a couple different muffler replacement kits. Borla wants to sell you a whole kit for like $2K. You can get whatever muffler and have a shop weld it in if you really want a Borla.

Oh I didn't realize that. I have the 6.2 and did a Magnaflow exhaust kit, and then went back in and removed the muffler. I couldn't recall if my stock system had resonators because I replaced it immediately upon taking delivery. But mine definitely has some drone, which I don't mind because it cancels out the noise from the Duratracs lol.

 

[PennStateLarry]

Good evening, Gents. I recently bought a 2023 Trail Boss 5.3L and desperately want to have a new muffler put on. I’m sure this has been discussed a ton but I’m new here so please forgive me. I’m only looking to do a muffler swap as an entire new exhaust really isn’t in my budget at the moment. I want loud but refined with little to no drone. What are my options? I feel like Borla doesn’t offer just a muffler for the 2023 model which is what I’d want (Borla atak or S-Type). I’m just looking for some guidance and some suggestions from someone with a 2023. Thanks

I dont have a 2023, mine is a 2022 which i did a catback Borla Touring. I got exactly what i wanted out of that. Nice cold starts, a nice little rumble and a pretty good roar when you get on it. With that said, i did a lot of reading before making my decision. If you want loud but refined and have it narrowed down to the S Type and Atak, go with the S Type. I've experienced the Atak first hand and let me tell you, it was loud in the cab of the truck to the point where you couldn't talk at a normal level. Granted, that was a full catback. Just a couple other things to take into account. I have read many posts where guys have done muffler swaps and had the flapper cut out only to experience a "helicopter sound" when the DFM activated. So if you have DFM and its active, i would leave the flapper valve. Just like GETGONE said, the 5.3L doesnt have a "typical resonator" but has some sort of set up with mesh screens in the tailpipes that function like resonators. I've also seen a lot of posts where guys wanted more sound out of their trucks so they covered the mesh screens with JB Weld or aluminum tape. Good luck, do the research and with the price of stuff, just don't settle for something just to have it done. Hope you achieve what your shooting for.

 

[1UP5DWN]

Check out the rough country catback. I paid 600 and change. Sounds like Flowmaster, if we're being honest. I love mine.

 

[TPerk92]

I have the 2022 refresh with the 5.3 litre and went with the Borla Touring cat back. Very happy with the results. A nice bit of rumble when you put the pedal down., but none of the “drone” that used yo have in the Jeep.

Even my 72 year old mother-in-law noticed it (she liked it, LOL).