What is the easiest/cleanest/cheapest method to remove the cat and replace the muffler with something that flows a bit better?

I'm looking to replace my muffler with a straight through type muffler (MBRP/Donaldson) etc and I want to loose the cat at the same time. I did some measuring of the exhaust height under the truck last night and nothing lines up quite right so I'm wondering what the best option for doing this is. So far my thoughts are.

1. Get a turbo back exhaust from a 03/04 cut my exhaust off pre cat and put the two sections together.

2. Get a turbo back exhaust that would fit the 05 (The only one I've found is Silverline).

3. Get a muffler replacement kit from MBRP with the S pipe and a cat delete pipe. This seems cheapest but I'm thinking leaves the exhaust with lots of cuts and pieces.

4. Get a muffler replacement kit or just muffler and a 6' piece of exhaust pipe. Cut the existing exhaust pre cat and connect it up and deal with the exhaust pipe slanting or change of the tail pipe location.

Any other options I'm missing? What works and what doesn't?

 

On my 2004.5 i had the muffler shop cut off the cat and muffler and weld in a straight piece of 4" pipe it did not need bent and it only cost me $90 installed.
Trent

 

take a sawzall. just before the cat, make a cut 4 inches across. the exhaust will now fall to your driveway floor, there will be no restrictions.......

you asked for cheapest and easiest. not the most practical.

most practical. go to the dtr store, order a cat test pipe, and an mbrp muffler.

 

I ordered a 40" Donaldson and picked up a legnth of 4" pipe from a local truck parts place. Make a cut before your cat and use your existing tail pipe. Remove any hangars from the old pieces with a sawzall and weld back on if possible. The tighter you can make the system, the less chance of having any drone no matter what muffler you chose.

 

What I did was buy an MBRP cat delete pipe, a Magnaflow 16698 replacement muffler and three 4" band clamps. The muffler came with an exhaust tip but I never used it.

I cut the muffler pipe approximatly 2 inches behind the muffler and removed the tailpipe undamaged. Then, I cut the muffler pipe approximatly two inches in front of the muffler and removed the muffler. Basically, the only factory part I damaged was the factory muffler.

Next, and this took some doing, I removed the cat without damaging it. I installed the MBRP cat delete pipe on the Magnaflow muffler, stabbed it into the down pipe and hung it on the hangers. Then I reinstalled the factory tailpipe. I used the 4 inch band clamps to clamp it all together and I was happy ever since.

I still have the factory cat incase I need to do an emissions test.

 

Oh, I did this all in my driveway in about 4 hours, without any help.

Things to look out for, I had to use a dremmel to slice the piece of muffler pipe that remained inside the tail pipe to remove it. And, I had to do the same to the piece that remained on the cat pipe.

Also, I had a hard time removing the cat in one piece. I ended up bolting the stock u-bolt clamp onto the cat-pipe just upstream from the cat and using a small sizzer jack wedged between the clamp and the trans mount to pull the cat out of the down pipe.

I took special care to only damage the factory muffler and used everything else. Of course, with the exception of the factory POS clamps.

Cheers

 

Took mine to a muffler shop for 35 bucks

 

what size is your stock pipe?? Mine was 4" and I switched to 5" tb (ebay-$335 shipped) then went 5" black stack.
It all depends on what you want to spend and what it looks like after your done. I mean is it your driver or show truck or ??? Is it lifted so people can see it?? Mine is my daily driver, it's not lifted so I really don't care how it looks as long as it does the job on flow. I made 'slip joints'- where the exh. gas doesn't have anything to 'hang up on'- no lips. I used the rest of the ex. to cut up and make slip joints to weld on the outside of a end to slip into the next then welded up. I do all my exh. this way- it still looks good just not mandrel bent. It's not easy finding a shop who can 'flare' out 4" and up, 3" is easy.

 

Sawsall and a piece of flexpipe for the cat=$45
Muffler swap @ a muffler shop=$40

 

I did exactly that. It's loud and drones a bit, but it sounds pretty good. A whole lot better than a full straight pipe system. I plan on buying a 5" turbo back without a muffler then adding a Donaldson 40" or 51" so it's a little quieter.

 

I just bought the muffler and cat delete pipes from Pure Diesel Power for $153 shipped this weekend. I haven't installed them yet, but this is a lot cheaper than most "kits" I have seen.

 

Ditching the CAT does nothing besides make the exhaust stink. I removed mine a few weeks ago when the twins went on because it was more convenient, and I am considering putting it back on just because of the smell.

 

Leave cat on, get muffler delete pipe from GenosGarage.com.

 

Just go Rambo with a Sawzall - you can drop the exhaust into the bed in 5 minutes & 32 seconds (shop record to date )... kinda freaks out the customers though - try to wait 'til they ain't lookin'

 

BTW, the ends on the muffler are a wierd size. Have find someone with an expander to make some adapters.