How To Make Your Exhaust Louder: 6 Gear Upgrades You Need

If you looking to show off the raw power of your vehicle with a nice loud exhaust system, then you may want to know how to make your exhaust louder. Exhaust systems are not only about sounding nice and loud, they are also helpful when it comes to directing exhaust fumes away from passengers and the vehicle’s interior, improving engine performance, and enhancing fuel economy. The type of exhaust system that you have on your vehicle can make a big difference when it comes to these three main factors. 

How do I make my exhaust louder?

If you are wondering how to make your exhaust louder, you can install a straight pipe or cat-back exhaust system with high-quality racing headers coming from the engine. Other methods include putting on exhaust tips, having an exhaust cut-out, or installing an axle-back exhaust.

When it comes to exhaust sound, it is not just about volume, it is also about sound quality and frequency. The perfect balance of volume, frequency, and quality can be music to any vehicle owner’s ears. If it was purely about volume, then you could simply drill holes in your exhaust system. 

Although that is an option to increase the noise level of your exhaust, it does not help to keep fumes directed away from passengers and it does not work to improve overall engine performance and fuel economy. In fact, drilling holes in your exhaust can decrease engine performance and overall fuel economy. 

If you looking to install one of these different exhaust systems to improve your engine’s performance and fuel economy while at the same time creating a high-powered and fine-tuned exhaust sound, then you may want to know which of these systems is best for you. Let us take a deeper look at these different exhaust systems and car parts and how they can help to make your exhaust louder.

What is an exhaust system?

An exhaust system is responsible for removing exhaust gases from the cylinders of the engine along with other harmful substances, purifying those gases as much as possible, and then releasing them at an appropriate point of the vehicle away from the occupants.

Inhaling exhaust fumes can be extremely dangerous and even deadly. That is why the exhaust system stretches the entire body of the car to ensure the fumes bypass the interior of the vehicle and are discharged out the back. 

If it wasn’t for the exhaust system, then all those toxic fumes would simply come out of the engine and go directly into the vehicle. 

The main components of an exhaust system on a modern vehicle include the exhaust manifold, the purification system, and all the connecting pipes that stem from the engine and reach the rear of the vehicle.  The exhaust system is connected to the floor pan of the vehicle through a series of flexible mounting hardware. 

The number of pipes, catalytic converters, also known as exhaust purifiers, and silencers that make up the exhaust system depend on the type and size of the engine as well as what is required by law for where the vehicle will be operated. 

What does an exhaust system do?

Before you start to make after-market adjustments to your current exhaust system, it may be important to understand what an exhaust system is and what its main purpose is

The main purposes of the exhaust system include controlling noise, directing fumes away from passengers, improving engine performance, and increasing fuel economy. Here is a quick breakdown of these purposes in more detail. 

Control noise

One of the main purposes of an exhaust is to control noise. Now this means you can work the exhaust system to be as quiet as possible or as loud and fine-tuned as possible. By using silencers like a traditional muffler, the noise an exhaust system produces is much quieter than what it would be like with no muffler at all.

If you have ever had a leak in your exhaust system that occurs somewhere in the upper portion of the system before the muffler, then you should fully understand how loud a vehicle is when the exhaust does not pass through a silencer. 

If you are looking to increase the volume of your exhaust system and fine-tune its frequency to create a superior race car-like noise, then you will need to make alterations to the factory exhaust system by putting on additions or by removing certain parts.

Any after-market exhaust modifications must be considered street legal if you would like to avoid being pulled over and getting tickets from local and state law enforcement. 

Direct fumes away from passengers

The exhaust system is also there to protect the driver and passengers from harmful toxic fumes created by the engine. When the fuel/air mixture is combusted, exhaust fumes bellow out from the engine cylinders. It is the exhaust manifold that is responsible to act like a funnel and collecting all the gases to be released through the exhaust system. 

Improve engine performance

Essentially, an exhaust system helps the engine take in oxygen to burn fuel and create power that translates to overall engine performance. The longer it takes for the oxygen to travel through the engine and out the rear exhaust, the longer it takes to generate power which translates to poor engine performance. 

By installing a performance exhaust system, or by making sure your factory exhaust is clean and in prime condition, your engine will be able to breathe much smoother and faster which translates to better performance and more power. 

Increase fuel economy

If your exhaust is having difficulty passing oxygen through the engine and out the rear exhaust system, it can take more fuel to maintain speed and produce the desired power. Again, the better your vehicle can breathe, the less it will have to work to maintain peak performance which then translates to using less fuel. 

What are the best exhaust parts to install to increase exhaust volume?

If you are looking to make after-market alterations to your vehicle’s exhaust system to improve sound and increase volume then you may want to consider purchasing some of the following auto parts to help you with your goal. 

Straight pipe exhaust

Installing a straight pipe system on your vehicle is by far one of the easiest and most effective ways to get your car or truck to sound like a Formula 1 race car

A straight pipe exhaust is a simple single pipe system that runs from the headers to the back of the vehicle. They are loud, can sometimes spit flames, and will for sure make your presence known on the road. 

The only problem is that straight pipe exhaust systems can be illegal in some jurisdictions. Before you install a straight pipe exhaust system on your vehicle, you may want to double-check your state and local regulations to see what types of restrictions there are when it comes to exhaust systems. Doing so could save you a lot of trouble with the police as well as a lot of money that you may be required to pay for violating the law. 

Cat-back exhaust

Cat-back exhaust systems are an excellent way to fine-tune your exhaust sound and increase its volume without breaking the law. Cat-back exhaust systems are typically legal and they can provide a deeper sounding exhaust with a more powerful rev sound. 

Additionally, drivers who have a cat-back exhaust may not become annoyed with their vehicle sound as easily as drivers who install a straight pipe. 

Headers

Installing headers onto your engine block is an excellent way to increase air and exhaust flow that can lead to increased horsepower and a deeper more professional-sounding race car exhaust sound

The headers are tubes that come directly from the engine block and that connect to the rest of the exhaust system. Headers can be quite expensive, so it is a good idea to be fully invested in this idea before you start to receive estimates from your local auto mechanics. 

Exhaust tips

Exhaust tips are a cheap way to make your exhaust system louder. These metal exhaust accessories can easily be installed on the tail end of your exhaust system to provide not only better sound, but a better aesthetic as well. 

Axle-back exhaust

If you are looking to spend a little more money for a better product than exhaust tips, then you may want to take a look at axle-back exhaust parts. These modifications are minimally invasive, increase the volume of your vehicle’s exhaust, and are reasonably priced compared to headers and cat-back exhaust installations.  

Axle-back exhaust parts are designed to replace the factory muffler and exhaust tip on your vehicle. They may not add much to power, but they sure do pack a powerful punch when it comes to delivering sound.

Exhaust cut-out

An exhaust cut-out is a mechanically operated door that can be opened and closed to allow exhaust to escape the exhaust system somewhere in the middle. With a push of a button, the door can open to allow exhaust to escape in a place that will dramatically increase the sound your vehicle produces.

When you are tired of the noise, or when there are police nearby, simply press the button again to close the door and to return your exhaust system to normal operation and normal volume.