Loud vehicles?

[Arailt]

There is nothing about an older carbureted V8 that gives it any reason to be louder than a modern fuel injected V8. It is all a matter of choices.

I said to some extent. I had an old CJ with factory (aftermarket OE spec) exhaust. It was much louder than a modern, computer controlled V8 with cats/resonators/etc. There was no room to weld a resonator in, nor would I have wanted to waste the time and money while sacrificing performance at the same time.

 

[Jeff B]

A little rumble is ok with me, but many people put exhausts on just to show off and be loud, and that is what causes problems. I have a Harley also that has an aftermarket exhaust on it, but that is the way I bought it. I actually bought quieter baffles for it. Loud pipes only do so much until they attract negative attention and I was run off the road when it was louder. It is a simple fact of people not paying attention. Actually there is a point on an engine where if the exhaust is too free flowing, it will lose power.

 

[NorCalJoe]

A little rumble is ok with me, but many people put exhausts on just to show off and be loud, and that is what causes problems. I have a Harley also that has an aftermarket exhaust on it, but that is the way I bought it. I actually bought quieter baffles for it. Loud pipes only do so much until they attract negative attention and I was run off the road when it was louder. It is a simple fact of people not paying attention. Actually there is a point on an engine where if the exhaust is too free flowing, it will lose power.

Unless it’s a diesel

 

[Dilldog]

There is nothing about an older carbureted V8 that gives it any reason to be louder than a modern fuel injected V8. It is all a matter of choices...

Not 100% true. Modern engines (both gas and diesel) have a lot of engineering put into block and combustion chamber design, as well as valve timing and how it is advanced according to engine load and rpm, and finally injection rates and amounts, to make them run quieter. You can run an old school 350 GM and a modern 5.3 GM next to each other, everything in the exhaust being equal and the 5.3 will be quieter.

I’m guessing it might be an age thing.

Im 34 and as stated above I do love some loud obnoxious engines. But my rigs I take into the woods have stock quiet exhaust. I think maturity more than age is a factor, I know and appreciate that there is a time and place for it, and the woods is not the time or place for driving like a jack ass, or loud exhaust.

 

[Anak]

Not 100% true. Modern engines (both gas and diesel) have a lot of engineering put into block and combustion chamber design, as well as valve timing and how it is advanced according to engine load and rpm, and finally injection rates and amounts, to make them run quieter. You can run an old school 350 GM and a modern 5.3 GM next to each other, everything in the exhaust being equal and the 5.3 will be quieter.

But there is no fundamental law saying the exhaust must remain equal.

Quieter mufflers, thicker wall material, resonators, the way the tip is directed at the exit... There are many ways to quiet an engine down. It all depends on the choices someone makes.

FWIW I worked for a number of years for Hooker Headers. I have probably had a bit more exposure in this arena than the average bear.

 

[ArkansasDon]

I run a stock 5.3 liter motor with shortie headers, dual magnaflo cats, dual magnaflo mufflers (true duals), performance built 4L60E transmission, 3:73 ratio 2000 GMC z71. My exhaust has nice respectable sound, but not loud. The wife & I like to dispersed camp deep in the wilderness to get way from the rat races of the public, just us enjoying the peace & quiet is what we look forward to. The last thing we both want to hear is loud music, hearing drunks with their offensive language or a vehicle with god awful sounding obnoxious exhaust.

 

[RickLB]

My truck came from the dealer brand new with Gibson exhaust, a lil loud. I think it may bother some but I try and not drive it so it's loud when in the woods. I ain't changing until needed.

 

[MazeVX]

Loud pipes make me smile, but... And that's a game changer...
If you are overlanding and I does not going perfectly, you will spend hours a day slowly moving, you may need to reach a given destination for some reason so you need to keep moving. After some hours the noise will start to be really annoying and you probably wish that your overlanding rig would run quiet.
So many other things are said and I agree with some and don't agree with others, at least it's not about what others think, it's about you and how you feel comfortable with American thunder in the woods...
To me, there are many reasons why overlanding isn't the place for loud pipes.

 

[grubworm]

Loud pipes make me smile, but... And that's a game changer...
If you are overlanding and I does not going perfectly, you will spend hours a day slowly moving, you may need to reach a given destination for some reason so you need to keep moving. After some hours the noise will start to be really annoying and you probably wish that your overlanding rig would run quiet.
So many other things are said and I agree with some and don't agree with others, at least it's not about what others think, it's about you and how you feel comfortable with American thunder in the woods...
To me, there are many reasons why overlanding isn't the place for loud pipes.

Good points. I like this thread...very thought provoking. I wouldn't be surprised if in the near future there isn't a decibel reading done on vehicles during inspection. Louisiana has a yearly inspection and they check emissions and I think some check window tint...the police here have a meter they use to check tint and they pull you over to check if it looks too dark to them. I know a few people who got tickets for too dark tint and had to pull it off...Im really surprised they aren't going after the loud exhausts becuase down here, the louder the better. Im sure in time there will be decibel limits on exhausts and if loud exhausts are outlawed...then only outlaws will have loud exhausts! :)

 

[MazeVX]

Good points. I like this thread...very thought provoking. I wouldn't be surprised if in the near future there isn't a decibel reading done on vehicles during inspection. Louisiana has a yearly inspection and they check emissions and I think some check window tint...the police here have a meter they use to check tint and they pull you over to check if it looks too dark to them. I know a few people who got tickets for too dark tint and had to pull it off...Im really surprised they aren't going after the loud exhausts becuase down here, the louder the better. Im sure in time there will be decibel limits on exhausts and if loud exhausts are outlawed...then only outlaws will have loud exhausts! :)

Your glad that they take it so easy ... Where I live they are really serious about EVERYTHING not stock... Exhaust, emissions, tint, tire size, lift... Whatever you can put on or take of you need a permission written on paper. Technical inspection every two years and after every modification... Got some experience with the police pulling me over and sending me to the technical inspection.

 

[Jeff B]

In New York, window tint was made part of the inspection.

 

[Fox]

What would be interesting to do is take a decibel meter or decibel meter app on a smartphone and get an idea of how loud each vehicle is, to really get a definition of what is a loud vehicle and what is not a loud vehicle, apply a little science to this instead of perception

 

[Lost-Again]

synonymous with trash.

 

[Anak]

Some of us caint hep it iffn we wuz bairn po' white trash.

We still likes campin'.

 

[fixiecory]

I too am in the “loud vehicles are annoying in the wilderness” camp. My truck has a stock exhaust because I want to hear the birds not the truck. But it’s all a time and place thing. I have an old Alfa that is pretty much straight piped. Fun for a run up a twisty road or to cars and coffee. For me I just think it’s just not appreciated by most people in the forest who are trying to get away from the noise of the city and you have to be courteous of others.

 

[CSG]

Don't like loud vehicles or people. They're usually the ones that ruin it for others. Overlanding needs a few more Indians and a lot less cowboys out on the land. That's why I avoid so many places popularized online and keep the good stuff to myself. I have little use for the look-at-me crowd. Sorry but that's the way I feel.

 

[RickLB]

Sometimes you have to roll what you have, loud or not.

 

[Dilldog]

But there is no fundamental law saying the exhaust must remain equal.

Quieter mufflers, thicker wall material, resonators, the way the tip is directed at the exit... There are many ways to quiet an engine down. It all depends on the choices someone makes.

FWIW I worked for a number of years for Hooker Headers. I have probably had a bit more exposure in this arena than the average bear.

The point I was trying to make was that some engines are by design louder than others, so we shouldnt expect everything to be quiet like a modern engine. But to your point, if you are dedicated to running a quiet engine theres always something you can do.

 

[9Mike2]

Beware Guys and Gals, On all the Hot rod sites and some Jeep sites are reports of LEO's in some states Issuing 1,000 $ tickets if your exhaust is not stock. No longer a "Fix-it" ticket, Citing that Mod Exhaust is illegal and must be replaced by stock Exhaust plus the 1,000 dollar fine....Was posted on YouTube too

 

[CSG]

Beware Guys and Gals, On all the Hot rod sites and some Jeep sites are reports of LEO's in some states Issuing 1,000 $ tickets if your exhaust is not stock. No longer a "Fix-it" ticket, Citing that Mod Exhaust is illegal and must be replaced by stock Exhaust plus the 1,000 dollar fine....Was posted on YouTube too

Well, there you go. Either move to a state that doesn't do that or leave your vehicles alone.