Opinions/Ideas on Exhausts?

Devon

Test Drive
Location
Tyler, Texas
I’ve considered getting a Titan Swap on my ‘11 but from reading the threads it looks like a hassle and I’d rather just throat my X the teenager way and find a new exhaust system that’ll boost a little HP and sound. I don’t want rice by any means I want truck as I like to think of X’s as trucks like many of you. So do y’all have any ideas of what I should run for the ACTUAL truck sound? Idle and driving wise... I’ve considered a delete but I’m worried and from what I’ve seen...they’re on the ricey side. So please leave me some suggestions if you guys have any!!! Thanks!!
 

Just a Hunter

Bought an X
Location
Georgia
Devon.

In regards to the Nissan Xterra, you need to decide if your upgrading the exhaust in an attempt to gain "Sound" or "Horsepower."

If your only interested in sound, visit a car club meet and listen first hand to what a variety of mufflers sound like on a V6.

If your wanting power, read on.

To be clear, many Xterra owners will search for more power by replacing the Y-pipe in our exhaust in an attempt to remove the factory dent and or choosing a cat back exhaust.

However, the truth is the factory Nissan exhaust (including the dented y-pipe) is not a very restrictive exhaust system.

I have seen dyno runs back to back with name brand exhaust systems on Xterras which showed single digit performance gains. You dont need to take my word on this matter as AFE advertises this fact on their own site.

Dont get me wrong, I feel AFE builds a top quality exhaust system and I applaud their advertising honesty.

From AFE : aFe Power is proud to introduce the MACH Force-XP 2-1/2” to 3” cat-back exhaust system for the 2005-2015 Nissan Xterra with the V6-4.0L engine. This cat-back system is constructed using 2-1/2" to 3” mandrel-bent 409 stainless steel tubing.

The smooth curves and increased diameter of the exhaust system helps remove power robbing restrictions and keeps exhaust gas flowing smoothly for increased horsepower and torque. In testing, this system produced a max gain of +5 horsepower and +6 lbs. x ft. torque verified by our in house dyno.

Obviously, Nissan designed a fairly good exhaust if AFE has attempted to increase exhaust flow with a larger diameter pipe, high flow muffler and mandrel bent tubing and can only increase an engines performance by such a small amount.

This is a minimal amount of gain for the website price of $599.00

People often claim performance they can feel, but this is often attributed to a louder exhaust and a tendency to drive more aggressive. The dyno dont lie.

Additionally, our intake is a cold air intake. It's totally sealed from the under hood air which is heated by our engines. Likewise, we use the same air filter as a Nissan Titan. To be clear, if this filter can support a 300+hp 5.6 liter V8, it can easily support the needs of our engine.

In my opinion, if your wanting power, purchase a Bullydog Tuner.
There is no better way to spend your cash and find proven horsepower gains.
In addition, the BD has a number of features which can not only enhance your peak hp, but also your partial throttle gains which better suits an offroad vehicle.
 
Last edited:

AustinFound

Bought an X
Location
Austin, TX
Agreed...

I've done every single bolt on you can do to the vq (Long tube headers, Volant CAI, IMS, Exhaust) and I've had uprev crack my ecu and dyno tuned my X and I ended up with 267hp and 285 ft/lbs. There's not much room for improvement on these motors. But the sound is pretty nice now.

If sound is mostly what your going for buy a magnaflow 12580 muffler. Take it to an exhaust shop and have them cut out the old y-pipe and weld in the magnaflow muffler in place of the stock y-pipe (12580 is a 2 in 1 out muffler, 2.5" inlets, and 3" outlets IIRC). This by far was the most noticeable change in exhaust tone. Probably accounted for 90% of the change in sound.

$125ish for muffler
$200-300 for exhaust shop fab work
$300-450 total

I often have people ask (admittedly they are not "car people") if I have a v8 under the hood with this setup. Below 3.5k it sounds deep and rumbles nicely, but its a v6, if you ring its neck and rap it up to 4k+ then it sounds like a v6...

-Craig
 

AustinFound

Bought an X
Location
Austin, TX
Also, you're in Tyler, TX. If you ever come to Austin, feel free to reach out. We can meet for a beer somewhere and you can see what a titan swapped xterra looks like/rides like... if you can drive a manual I'll even let you drive it...
 

KC!

Bought an X
Also, you're in Tyler, TX. If you ever come to Austin, feel free to reach out. We can meet for a beer somewhere and you can see what a titan swapped xterra looks like/rides like... if you can drive a manual I'll even let you drive it...
Lol I was just in Austin, I would have taken up this offer haha
 

jsexton

Need Bigger Tires
Location
Lewis Center, OH
Agreed...

I've done every single bolt on you can do to the vq (Long tube headers, Volant CAI, IMS, Exhaust) and I've had uprev crack my ecu and dyno tuned my X and I ended up with 267hp and 285 ft/lbs. There's not much room for improvement on these motors. But the sound is pretty nice now.

If sound is mostly what your going for buy a magnaflow 12580 muffler. Take it to an exhaust shop and have them cut out the old y-pipe and weld in the magnaflow muffler in place of the stock y-pipe (12580 is a 2 in 1 out muffler, 2.5" inlets, and 3" outlets IIRC). This by far was the most noticeable change in exhaust tone. Probably accounted for 90% of the change in sound.

$125ish for muffler
$200-300 for exhaust shop fab work
$300-450 total

I often have people ask (admittedly they are not "car people") if I have a v8 under the hood with this setup. Below 3.5k it sounds deep and rumbles nicely, but its a v6, if you ring its neck and rap it up to 4k+ then it sounds like a v6...

-Craig

Are you running secondary cats or did you delete them too? Do you get much rasp?

I’m running long tubes and resonated b pipes instead of the secondary cats. Get rasp from about 2900 - 3200 rpms under load. Drives me nuts but at least it keeps me from getting heavy on the throttle often. Thinking about putting secondary cats back in.
 

AustinFound

Bought an X
Location
Austin, TX
The long tube headers delete the primary cats, so those are gone, but I kept the secondary cats. The rasp is there, I’m thinking it’s mostly because it’s a V6, but it’s not that noticeable...

Hope that helps!
 

AustinFound

Bought an X
Location
Austin, TX
My exhaust sounds great until about 3500 rpm... once I breach 3500 it becomes very obvious that it’s a v6... below 3k it sounds really deep and rumbly/blubbly...
 

jsexton

Need Bigger Tires
Location
Lewis Center, OH
Yea mine is like that too but the rasp is probably a bit worse since I don’t have any cats at all. V6’s are a PIA with rasp. I’ll probably just deal with it then. I was hoping you would say you don’t have any rasp
 

xdblduty

Test Drive
Agreed...

I've done every single bolt on you can do to the vq (Long tube headers, Volant CAI, IMS, Exhaust) and I've had uprev crack my ecu and dyno tuned my X and I ended up with 267hp and 285 ft/lbs. There's not much room for improvement on these motors. But the sound is pretty nice now.

If sound is mostly what your going for buy a magnaflow 12580 muffler. Take it to an exhaust shop and have them cut out the old y-pipe and weld in the magnaflow muffler in place of the stock y-pipe (12580 is a 2 in 1 out muffler, 2.5" inlets, and 3" outlets IIRC). This by far was the most noticeable change in exhaust tone. Probably accounted for 90% of the change in sound.

$125ish for muffler
$200-300 for exhaust shop fab work
$300-450 total

I often have people ask (admittedly they are not "car people") if I have a v8 under the hood with this setup. Below 3.5k it sounds deep and rumbles nicely, but its a v6, if you ring its neck and rap it up to 4k+ then it sounds like a v6...

-Craig

Craig, with this setup any noticeable improvement in gas mileage, removing that restrictive y-pipe?
 

AustinFound

Bought an X
Location
Austin, TX
No, the only mod you can do to improve gas mileage on these cars is to trade them in for a Prius.

After logging data for 19,002 total miles at roughly 50/50 city/highway after the mods the best mpg I've ever had was 18.5 mpg, with an average of 13.0 mpg. Mind you I am fully titan swapped on 33's and almost full armor (no front bumper) and this is with a manual transmission.

-Craig
 

xdblduty

Test Drive
No, the only mod you can do to improve gas mileage on these cars is to trade them in for a Prius.

After logging data for 19,002 total miles at roughly 50/50 city/highway after the mods the best mpg I've ever had was 18.5 mpg, with an average of 13.0 mpg. Mind you I am fully titan swapped on 33's and almost full armor (no front bumper) and this is with a manual transmission.

-Craig

Heck I’ll even take a 1 mpg improvement but yep realize that those heavier upgrades are not helping much. I’m on 33”s skids front alum and rear steel bumpers, only averaging 13-14 mpg :/ So hoping the reduction in back pressure helps some.
 
Top