Is a muffler skid really needed?

[DWaX]

I've yet to hit my muffler. Scraped the back bumper, tow hook, and knocked the exhaust pipe pretty good, but the muffler has yet to take a hit. I've been worried about it with all the forum chat, but seems reasonably out of the way so far.

I think if I get worried about it, I would do the Borla exhaust.

If you have hit yet, your not wheeling hard enough yet... Haha

Try again

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[UTES]

Instead of a muffler skid I just went with a muffler delete.

Same here. My wife and I can't hear a difference.

Hunter

 

[Headbarcode]

I installed the Borla Touring Climber cat-back. A bit more bass-tone rumble, and shaved some weight while gaining clearance.

Before and after.

 

[basiblaster]

I installed the Borla Touring Climber cat-back. A bit more bass-tone rumble, and shaved some weight while gaining clearance.

Before and after.

any pictures from underneath?

 

[Terrymo]

any pictures from underneath?

@Headbarcode was a regular here and provided lots of great information but suddenly stopped posting in early January 2024.

 

[basiblaster]

@Headbarcode was a regular here and provided lots of great information but suddenly stopped posting in early January 2024.

Oh crap, does anyone know why?

 

[zouch]

the muffler (and DPF) plate under my diesel wears a number of gentle scars; was actually one of the first points on my belly pan to get scarred.

that said, if you haven't already relocated your Steering Stabilizer up out of harms way, i'd do that first.

 

[sherpaJL]

no skid needed if you go aftermarket.
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...our-jeep-jl-today.3033/page-4393#post-3080257

 

[Zandcwhite]

Mm. That's certainly been true for the carbureted and even the injected motorcycles that I've laid hands on. Jet kits and fueling modules were the order of the day. The gains obtained from air flow adjustments weren't free.

I'd want to see more science before buying into the idea that removing an automotive muffler, sans any related and compensatory measures, is something worth repeating.

You're comparing a 2' open header to a 15' long exhaust that still has a resonator. You aren't reducing backpressure to nearly 0 by replacing the muffler with straight exhaust at the back of the Jeep.

 

[Heimkehr]

You're comparing a 2' open header to a 15' long exhaust that still has a resonator. You aren't reducing backpressure to nearly 0 by replacing the muffler with straight exhaust at the back of the Jeep.

No. Per the post that you quoted, I never mentioned a "2' open header", or "reducing backpressure to nearly 0", nor were any of the bikes that I've tuned being operated with de facto open pipes via a muffler-in-name-only.

Again, Z, I was referring only to the motorcycles that I've worked on, which weren't and won't ever be hacked-up Harleys. The increased air flow gains occurred via changes to jetting, fuel maps and/or intake housing mods. It's the informed owner that will want to understand how that progression might scale up, and at what rate, when faffing with the exhaust on a modern vehicle with a sensitive ECU.

 

[Zandcwhite]

No. Per the post that you quoted, I never mentioned a "2' open header", or "reducing backpressure to nearly 0", nor were any of the bikes that I've tuned being operated with de facto open pipes via a muffler-in-name-only.

Again, Z, I was referring only to the motorcycles that I've worked on, which weren't and won't ever be hacked-up Harleys. The increased air flow gains occurred via changes to jetting, fuel maps and/or intake housing mods. It's the informed owner that will want to understand how that progression might scale up, and at what rate, when faffing with the exhaust on a modern vehicle with a sensitive ECU.

The reply you quoted before I replied to you did in fact state hacking a Harley muffler off. That's substantially different than removing the muffler on a Jeep that has 15' of exhaust and a resonator in front of the muffler. With that modern "sensitive" ECU it's even less of a concern as it adjusts fuel to keep the afr happy. The Jeep I'd bet still has more back pressure after a muffler delete than a motorcycle does with is full stock exhaust was my point.

 

[Heimkehr]

The reply you quoted before I replied to you did in fact state hacking a Harley muffler off.

It did, and I should have been more clear in #10 that I wasn't modifying or replacing the exhausts on my own bikes. As it stands, I was cross-walking the effect of a cut muffler as having the same effect as what I was doing on the intake and fueling side of things. That experienced-based comparison remains accurate.

 

[Zandcwhite]

It did, and I should have been more clear in #10 that I wasn't modifying or replacing the exhausts on my own bikes. As it stands, I was cross-walking the effect of a cut muffler as having the same effect as what I was doing on the intake and fueling side of things. That experienced-based comparison remains accurate.

Modern fuel injection does a decent job of self tuning if the changes aren't drastic. I don't think a muffler delete, especially on the 2.0t where the exhaust pressure is already doing the job of turning the turbo, is going to effect much.

 

[Bdoza10]

Awe trail if you like noise. I added a summit racing 3in muffler for 120$ and love it. No skid plate needed. Amazon has electric cut out mufflers for 150$ that you could stitch easily

 

[WillysMeow]

Instead of a muffler skid I just went with a muffler delete. No more damage concern, and a much better sounding jeep.

WaX

Cheap and easy, dunno how it will sound without, but I’m interested as i beat the heck out of mine on the Rubicon. Hard to tell listening to online videos and sound files. Would like to hear one in person.

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