Resonators Or No Resonators?

[MEANGUNS]

I'm in the process of buying a new exhaust system for my 95 sc400. The dealer stressed on getting resonators. He said it will sound !Removed! on my car.

I checked on Youtube and they didn't sound that bad without resonators, but it might sound different in person.

What do you guys think?

[GaDawg]

I'm in the process of buying a new exhaust system for my 95 sc400. The dealer stressed on getting resonators. He said it will sound !Removed! on my car.

I checked on Youtube and they didn't sound that bad without resonators, but it might sound different in person.

What do you guys think?

The dealer is a tool! Anyone who tells you that it'll be too loud or sound like anything other than a well-built V8 are full of it!

My cars sounds smooth, low and mean. Its not too loud or obnoxious by any means. All the resonators are doing is restricting your airflow and muffling the sound so the older set that they were catering to generally wouldn't want to hear the exhaust....not to mention adding unnecessary weight. Delete the resonators, straighten the pipes, replace with 2.25", replace OEM mufflers with high flow Magnaflows, Megans, etc... and consider replacing the cats up front with hi-flowing ones. You'll notice a huge improvement in sound, a noticeable improvement in HP and better mpg just by replacing the mufflers/tips and removing the resonators alone.

[MEANGUNS]

I'm in the process of buying a new exhaust system for my 95 sc400. The dealer stressed on getting resonators. He said it will sound !Removed! on my car.

I checked on Youtube and they didn't sound that bad without resonators, but it might sound different in person.

What do you guys think?

The dealer is a tool! Anyone who tells you that it'll be too loud or sound like anything other than a well-built V8 are full of it!

My cars sounds smooth, low and mean. Its not too loud or obnoxious by any means. All the resonators are doing is restricting your airflow and muffling the sound so the older set that they were catering to generally wouldn't want to hear the exhaust....not to mention adding unnecessary weight. Delete the resonators, straighten the pipes, replace with 2.25", replace OEM mufflers with high flow Magnaflows, Megans, etc... and consider replacing the cats up front with hi-flowing ones. You'll notice a huge improvement in sound, a noticeable improvement in HP and better mpg just by replacing the mufflers/tips and removing the resonators alone.

If I don't like the sound with out the resonators, how hard is it to add them after? The dealer was really stressing on the resonators, was making fun of other cars that didn't have any.

[mikson]

Trash the resonators! You will like it much better!

[GaDawg]

I'm in the process of buying a new exhaust system for my 95 sc400. The dealer stressed on getting resonators. He said it will sound !Removed! on my car.

I checked on Youtube and they didn't sound that bad without resonators, but it might sound different in person.

What do you guys think?

The dealer is a tool! Anyone who tells you that it'll be too loud or sound like anything other than a well-built V8 are full of it!

My cars sounds smooth, low and mean. Its not too loud or obnoxious by any means. All the resonators are doing is restricting your airflow and muffling the sound so the older set that they were catering to generally wouldn't want to hear the exhaust....not to mention adding unnecessary weight. Delete the resonators, straighten the pipes, replace with 2.25", replace OEM mufflers with high flow Magnaflows, Megans, etc... and consider replacing the cats up front with hi-flowing ones. You'll notice a huge improvement in sound, a noticeable improvement in HP and better mpg just by replacing the mufflers/tips and removing the resonators alone.

If I don't like the sound with out the resonators, how hard is it to add them after? The dealer was really stressing on the resonators, was making fun of other cars that didn't have any.

Trust me you will NOT want to put them back. Look, I'm a (almost) 40 yr old husband and father of two, do you think I'd want some freakin' obnoxious rice burner in my driveway? NO WAY!!! I LOVE cars and I LOVE a great sounding exhaust note and that's "exactly" what you're gonna get once you remove those things. They serve NO purpose other than to deaden a naturally, great sounding engine. It will not be like a American V8 (e.g., Mustang, Camaro) that has that burbling sound, but a nice rich, smooth and deep growl and none of the burbling idle. BTW, I can barely hear my car until I press the throttle. Just do it and you'll be happy...I promise.

[CANMAN44]

Hey I'm pretty new to the Lexus community, i've actually only had my sc400 for about a month now. I've been reading a lot of threads about the exhaust sys. on these cars and I have heard nothing but good things about them... after they are gone. So I think that I might do the same thing and delete some resonators. My SC400 is a 92 originally from California. I'm not 100% sure about this but I think that My car has 4 resonators, 3 cats, and 2 mufflers. I haven't really gone under the car to confirm this but I did see a diagram portraying california's exhaust standard for this vehicle. This is a little excessive I think. I am also worried about how my car will sound if I take out the resonators. Also I want to replace the mufflers but I'm not to sure what kind would sound like what, so I am really apprehensive on buying any. I DO NOT want it to sound like a ricer. I want it to sound like the mean !Removed! V8 that it is. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[MEANGUNS]

Hey I'm pretty new to the Lexus community, i've actually only had my sc400 for about a month now. I've been reading a lot of threads about the exhaust sys. on these cars and I have heard nothing but good things about them... after they are gone. So I think that I might do the same thing and delete some resonators. My SC400 is a 92 originally from California. I'm not 100% sure about this but I think that My car has 4 resonators, 3 cats, and 2 mufflers. I haven't really gone under the car to confirm this but I did see a diagram portraying california's exhaust standard for this vehicle. This is a little excessive I think. I am also worried about how my car will sound if I take out the resonators. Also I want to replace the mufflers but I'm not to sure what kind would sound like what, so I am really apprehensive on buying any. I DO NOT want it to sound like a ricer. I want it to sound like the mean !Removed! V8 that it is. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Your in the same boat as me. I've had my 95 sc400 for about 3 weeks... I put new rims on it right away and now doing some research on the exhaust systems. I haven't made up my mine with the res or not yet.

[MEANGUNS]

I'm in the process of buying a new exhaust system for my 95 sc400. The dealer stressed on getting resonators. He said it will sound !Removed! on my car.

I checked on Youtube and they didn't sound that bad without resonators, but it might sound different in person.

What do you guys think?

The dealer is a tool! Anyone who tells you that it'll be too loud or sound like anything other than a well-built V8 are full of it!

My cars sounds smooth, low and mean. Its not too loud or obnoxious by any means. All the resonators are doing is restricting your airflow and muffling the sound so the older set that they were catering to generally wouldn't want to hear the exhaust....not to mention adding unnecessary weight. Delete the resonators, straighten the pipes, replace with 2.25", replace OEM mufflers with high flow Magnaflows, Megans, etc... and consider replacing the cats up front with hi-flowing ones. You'll notice a huge improvement in sound, a noticeable improvement in HP and better mpg just by replacing the mufflers/tips and removing the resonators alone.

Thanks for the info, do you have any vids or audio of what your sc sounds like? I would love to hear what you mean.

[stroker]

I'm in the process of buying a new exhaust system for my 95 sc400. The dealer stressed on getting resonators. He said it will sound !Removed! on my car.

I checked on Youtube and they didn't sound that bad without resonators, but it might sound different in person.

What do you guys think?

The dealer is a tool! Anyone who tells you that it'll be too loud or sound like anything other than a well-built V8 are full of it!

My cars sounds smooth, low and mean. Its not too loud or obnoxious by any means. All the resonators are doing is restricting your airflow and muffling the sound so the older set that they were catering to generally wouldn't want to hear the exhaust....not to mention adding unnecessary weight. Delete the resonators, straighten the pipes, replace with 2.25", replace OEM mufflers with high flow Magnaflows, Megans, etc... and consider replacing the cats up front with hi-flowing ones. You'll notice a huge improvement in sound, a noticeable improvement in HP and better mpg just by replacing the mufflers/tips and removing the resonators alone.

I just bought my first Lexus a 1991 LS 400 with every option available at that time including ground effects... It sits right and looks mean but it sounds like a sewing machine instead of a V8...It seems to have a main muffler behing the cats and then two more out back at the bumper...are these back ones the resonators?? and are these the ones I should take off so it sounds right??? Thanks, Stroker

[GaDawg]

I'm in the process of buying a new exhaust system for my 95 sc400. The dealer stressed on getting resonators. He said it will sound !Removed! on my car.

I checked on Youtube and they didn't sound that bad without resonators, but it might sound different in person.

What do you guys think?

The dealer is a tool! Anyone who tells you that it'll be too loud or sound like anything other than a well-built V8 are full of it!

My cars sounds smooth, low and mean. Its not too loud or obnoxious by any means. All the resonators are doing is restricting your airflow and muffling the sound so the older set that they were catering to generally wouldn't want to hear the exhaust....not to mention adding unnecessary weight. Delete the resonators, straighten the pipes, replace with 2.25", replace OEM mufflers with high flow Magnaflows, Megans, etc... and consider replacing the cats up front with hi-flowing ones. You'll notice a huge improvement in sound, a noticeable improvement in HP and better mpg just by replacing the mufflers/tips and removing the resonators alone.

Thanks for the info, do you have any vids or audio of what your sc sounds like? I would love to hear what you mean.

I guess I have to get around to filming something. I'll see what I can do.

[GaDawg]

I'm in the process of buying a new exhaust system for my 95 sc400. The dealer stressed on getting resonators. He said it will sound !Removed! on my car.

I checked on Youtube and they didn't sound that bad without resonators, but it might sound different in person.

What do you guys think?

The dealer is a tool! Anyone who tells you that it'll be too loud or sound like anything other than a well-built V8 are full of it!

My cars sounds smooth, low and mean. Its not too loud or obnoxious by any means. All the resonators are doing is restricting your airflow and muffling the sound so the older set that they were catering to generally wouldn't want to hear the exhaust....not to mention adding unnecessary weight. Delete the resonators, straighten the pipes, replace with 2.25", replace OEM mufflers with high flow Magnaflows, Megans, etc... and consider replacing the cats up front with hi-flowing ones. You'll notice a huge improvement in sound, a noticeable improvement in HP and better mpg just by replacing the mufflers/tips and removing the resonators alone.

I just bought my first Lexus a 1991 LS 400 with every option available at that time including ground effects... It sits right and looks mean but it sounds like a sewing machine instead of a V8...It seems to have a main muffler behing the cats and then two more out back at the bumper...are these back ones the resonators?? and are these the ones I should take off so it sounds right??? Thanks, Stroker

You can ask the experts on the LS forum, but I assume the set up is like the SC and the stuff just forward of your mufflers would be resonators. The SC has two forward cats, a rear/center cat aft of them where the pipes come back together, followed by two HUGE/HEAVY resonators and two HUGE/HEAVY mufflers. You probably need the cats for emissions, but hi-flowing cats and mufflers will increase the flow and should still keep you healthy. The resonators are merely a sound deadening asset for the original clientele. The stock cats and mufflers are very restrictive (low flow) compared to what you need or should want.

[v8munster]

I was wondering how are people getting past the cat delete without throwing a cell or check engine light. I wanna go with straight exhaust but hate the check engine light.

[AustinJZ]

Have a new system that bolts straight on to where the resonators attach to the cat.... Keep the old set up just in case, all youll have to do is unbolt the new pipes and bolt on the OEM if you dont like it.... That's what i did to mine and i love it!