If you own a CHevrolet Silverado 1500, you probably are looking to squeeze every bit of power out of it as you can. Through some aftermarket performance mods, and especially exhaust system parts, you can really improve the performance of your vehicle. Many people do not realize how much the exhaust system can affect the truck. After all, isn’t the exhaust system simply a way to get the exhaust out of the car? In reality, a back-flow of exhaust makes the engine much less effective. Essentially, the engine cannot keep up with the build-up of exhaust since it cannot expel it fast enough. The exhaust system is made up of three parts:
- Exhaust manifold
- Muffler
- Catalytic converter
Any of these parts can be adjusted to improve performance, but it is much more common to replace the second two parts. Learn how Chevy Silverado 1500 performance exhaust systems can improve your ride in really noticeable ways.
Mufflers
The easiest part of the exhaust system to replace is the muffler. This is one of the very last parts the exhaust travels through before it exits the vehicle. In nearly all cases, you can simply pop your old muffler off and put a new one on. Traditional mufflers contain several compartments inside, which the exhaust needs to travel through in order to reduce the noise it makes. Straight through mufflers have only one compartment inside, composed of a single, straight tube. This means the exhaust does not have nearly as much resistance, which allows more to travel through faster. This improves the performance of the engine.
Straight through mufflers still reduce the noise of the vehicle. This is achieved by another larger tube that surrounds the inner muffler tube. Holes in the inner tube allow the sound waves to be caught in the outer tube, which contains some kind of acoustic material, often fiberglass. That being said, straight through mufflers are usually louder than traditional mufflers. You are trading noise reduction for better performance.
Catalytic Converters
The catalytic converter can also be replaced to further improve your vehicle’s performance. However, it is further back in the vehicle and usually involves cutting some of the tubes to get it off. If you are no stranger to working on your car, then it can still be an excellent project. Carb compliant catalytic converters are the parts which filters out pollutants from the exhaust to make it better for the environment. There are strict regulations on what kinds of catalytic converters a vehicle can have, so you need to be sure to buy a legal part.
The concept behind replacing this part to improve performance is the same as the muffler. It is all about allowing the exhaust to travel through the converter as quickly as possible. Performance catalytic converters are more aerodynamic, helping your engine work more efficiently. That is the great part about replacing parts of your exhaust system to improve your performance. You are not actually making the engine more powerful, but rather allowing you to take better advantage of the power that is otherwise going to waste.