Lets talk about drone (i.e. what is, and what is not)

[Switchback700]

There should be a special note about aftermarket exhaust and AFM on the automatics..... There's a reason why the L99's have a huge center resonator and a Helmholz J pipe in the stock mufflers. The drone with anything other than stock exhaust when in 4 cyl mode can be terrible (Solo Exhaust suppose to be tolerable). I see a ton of exhaust posts where people have the L99 and are not aware of what they are getting into when modifiying the exhaust without tuning AFM off (and losing warranty). I speak from experience, I had the sawzall to my stock mufflers within a couple weeks, which led to me getting the AFM tuned off because off the 4 cyl sound and drone at highway cruising speeds. With some research on this site a lot of information can be found, do your homework before modifying the L99 exhaust, especially if you want to keep your warranty by keeping AFM.

[Kosi69]

Originally Posted by Dangeruss

Good post. It's so funny to hear people wanting a louder car, but don't want to hear the exhaust. You're just not going to get both. I have a Borla Stinger cat-back, and while I can definitely hear some drone in the 2000 rpm range, it really doesn't bother me (especially since I tuned out the AFM). If it starts getting on my nerves I'll put some Dynamat in the trunk and be done with it.

I like your solution to the drone problem Dangeruss.. I agree with that 100%

[BigRed585Lbs]

This sound seem familiar to some of you?



That's what I'm talkin' about. Switchback knows, too.

[axis]

Originally Posted by Kosi69

I like your solution to the drone problem Dangeruss.. I agree with that 100%

The problem is, Dynamat doesn't take care of the problem. Drone is not just a sound. It's also a resonant frequency that can not only be heard but felt. Dynamat does nothing for that. If drone is bad enough, you'll still hear it no matter how much you use. Dynamat is also VERY HEAVY. Adding a ton of weight to an already heavy ass car, just to block some noise, doesn't make a lot of sense. It isn't cheap either. The time involved to install it and the price to do an entire car is considerable. It would be cheaper and better in the long run to do your homework BEFORE you buy an exhaust.

[2010 SSRS]

Originally Posted by SleepWarz

Only drone that would bother me is if it rattled something.

Other than that the louder the better =p

+1

[CamaroFemme]

Unless they just aren't speaking up after spending hundreds/thousands on exhaust, most people here who have one either don't have noticeable drone, don't mind it, or have found a way to fix it, because the vast majority of posts I've seen here love their exhaust and don't complain about drone.

[axis]

Originally Posted by CamaroFemme

Unless they just aren't speaking up after spending hundreds/thousands on exhaust, most people here who have one either don't have noticeable drone, don't mind it, or have found a way to fix it, because the vast majority of posts I've seen here love their exhaust and don't complain about drone.

I think most don't have a clue what it is. I've seen post of people that have the muffler delete that say they have absolutely no drone. That tells the story right there.

[MattSS]

Originally Posted by Switchback700

There should be a special note about aftermarket exhaust and AFM on the automatics..... There's a reason why the L99's have a huge center resonator and a Helmholz J pipe in the stock mufflers. The drone with anything other than stock exhaust when in 4 cyl mode can be terrible (Solo Exhaust suppose to be tolerable). I see a ton of exhaust posts where people have the L99 and are not aware of what they are getting into when modifiying the exhaust without tuning AFM off (and losing warranty). I speak from experience, I had the sawzall to my stock mufflers within a couple weeks, which led to me getting the AFM tuned off because off the 4 cyl sound and drone at highway cruising speeds. With some research on this site a lot of information can be found, do your homework before modifying the L99 exhaust, especially if you want to keep your warranty by keeping AFM.

Anyone tried cutting the J pipe out of their stock trash cans and welding it onto their aftermarket replacement?

[Bad70supreme]

I like some drone, it adds to the exhaust note and feel Stop being girly boys LOL!

[axis]

Originally Posted by MattSS

Anyone tried cutting the J pipe out of their stock trash cans and welding it onto their aftermarket replacement?

There is an exhaust that is based on this principle. I forget the name though. There's a huge thread on it if you search for Helmholtz that will give you all the info you could possible digest.

[BigRed585Lbs]

At the next Camaro5 get-together, look for the people who just arrived and look like they want to kill someone. They're the ones with drone.

Riding in a car that has successfully dealt with it is the most fun you can have rolling on four wheels. Parked is another story.

[MattSS]

Originally Posted by axis

There is an exhaust that is based on this principle. I forget the name though. There's a huge thread on it if you search for Helmholtz that will give you all the info you could possible digest.

I must have missed that thread. Thanks for the info!

I've been waffling on the whole aftermarket exhaust thing ever since i took delivery almost 2 years ago. I've been looking for someone with a Borla S around here (central IL), but so far I haven't seen one of those or anything else at the shows/cruise nights.

Everybody wants to, but nobody pulls the trigger.

[CamaroFemme]

Originally Posted by BigRed585Lbs

At the next Camaro5 get-together, look for the people who just arrived and look like they want to kill someone. They're the ones with drone..

Is it really worth "a more muscle car sound" to hate driving your car, though? Even if you go whole hog and get lts for 30 hp?

Originally Posted by Dangeruss

It's so funny to hear people wanting a louder car, but don't want to hear the exhaust. ...while I can definitely hear some drone in the 2000 rpm range, it really doesn't bother me

I've about decided that it's like listening to an orchestra. Some people can hear that the 3rd flutist from the right hit the wrong note, and some people can't. Some people would feel cheated on the whole experience, and some would barely notice, if at all.

Even in this thread, you have people saying they don't mind drone and other people saying after a long drive you'd wanna kill someone.

I've listened to dozens of exhaust videos on here and Youtube, and maybe I'm one of the lucky (or imperceptive, depending on how you wanna look at it!) people, because I've never heard drone. Or rather, what I recognize as drone (and I'm using this word here meaning, "a sound so annoying it would put me off buying exhaust.".) But if it's more a feel than a sound, maybe a video just doesn't capture it.

You don't see a lot of people "pulling the trigger" because to an exhaust noob, it's pretty daunting. Spend hundreds/thousands, possibly have to void your warranty - and possibly wind up with a car that irritates you to drive.

Exhaust currently sits at the bottom of my mod list for this reason.:(

(Still planning to do it, though.)

ETA: I have the auto, and when I do it I'll be getting lts, and yep, I'll have AFM tuned out. So I'll get it when I'm ready to axe the warranty.

[ramsman34]

I have the Flowmaster American Thunder with shorties and a CAI (as my sig says) and the drone or, as Slingshot so correctly put it, the resonant frequency of the exhaust and the interior of the car, is noticeable at about 70-75 mph in my car. At faster speeds the drone changes pitch to a meaner exhaust sound. At 1500 RPM in 6th gear my car is a silent assasin. Its the price you pay for making people soil there pants when you hit them with WOT baby