In a sense, your pickup truck is a part of you that just happens to live in the driveway. If you want your truck to truly reflect you, you may want to customize it.
In order to make it a little faster, to make it a little more appealing to the ear, and to make it just that little bit extra special.
An exhaust system upgrade for your Ford F-150 is a great way for you to make it your own. The extra sound of an exhaust can range from mild to wild, you can add more appealing exhaust tips, or you can simply move the outlet of the exhaust from the bumper to a place that looks a little bit sportier.
In the same way that shopping for other aftermarket performance components isn’t as straightforward as replacing your windshield wipers, shopping for an exhaust for your Ford F-150 isn’t as straightforward either.
Different exhaust systems can come in all shapes and sizes, while different muffler designs can have a significant effect on the way their sound is produced.
Choosing the right exhaust system for your F-150 comes down to a personal preference regarding the sound and appearance of the exhaust system.
Despite that, you will still want a quality product that fits well and that is constructed from high quality materials that will last years, without having to worry about cracks or rust.
It is likely that for some car enthusiasts the vehicle’s stock exhaust system is not enough to satisfy their needs. In terms of different buyers, there are varying driving habits and needs in different areas, so to meet all the driving requirements, each buyer should be equipped with an aftermarket exhaust system that can actually offer more benefits than a stock system.
This article will provide you with our top picks of the best exhaust systems for your Ford F-150 so that you can narrow down your choices and choose the best one for your truck.
Roush F-150 Cat-Back Exhaust (421711)
It has been a tradition for Roush to manufacture Ford performance parts since the 1960s.
The company founder Jack Roush started his career in 1953 by developing engines for Ford.
In 1970, he started a hugely successful racing team, which led to the formation of RPE in 1976.
There is a unique factory relationship and experience that is reflected in their parts, such as this cat-back exhaust system for 2011-2014 Ford F-150 trucks.
All 6.2-, 5.0-, and even 3.5-liter V6 trucks from that era will fit with this recommendation, including all bed and cab configurations of that era.
A muffler, outlet pipe, and the Y-pipe that connects the two sides of the vee are all part of the system, and they are all made from 409 stainless steel so the system will not corrode for a long time.
It does away with the factory resonator for a louder sound, as well as exiting the truck from the side, in front of the rear wheels, which gives it a much more sportier appearance than the stock pipes. There is also a mandrel bend rather than a crush bend, which creates a better flow of material.
Flowmaster Outlaw Series Exhaust (817696)
Flow master focuses on exhaust systems as its main product line. There is everything you need to know about a product just by looking at its name.
There are several lines of exhaust systems offered by the company, from the mild to the wild, and each line is designed to match the buyer with his or her favored sound.
Here is the Outlaw system, one of the loudest systems available from our company, and it is for 2004-2008 Ford F-150 pickup trucks.
Flow master describes it as being designed for “people who are looking for maximum sound levels both inside and outside of the truck.” Thus, it might not exactly be neighbor friendly.
Nevertheless, this exhaust still comes with three-inch dual pipes for maximum flow, along with four-inch black ceramic coated tips that are sure to give the exhaust a look that is as mean as it sounds.
As said earlier, the Super 10 series exhaust system uses a muffler that attaches to the factory hanger location so the installation can be done quickly and easily from the comfort of your own home.
One more thing that is unique about this system is that it can be configured to have the two pipes coming out from the rear of the truck or from the sides, depending on what you want.
BORLA Touring Cat-Back Exhaust (140614)
We have selected the most silent exhaust system from Borla Exhaust’s series of F-150 exhausts to make up this list of top exhaust systems for this vehicle.
It’s called Touring, and it’s made to increase your truck’s exhaust flow as well as add to the engine’s performance and provide you with a more exciting sound.
The headphones are also made to be friendly to those around you, giving you a sound that’s not similar to stock, but that is also not going to have you searching for earplugs at the side of the road.
Borla uses T-304 stainless steel for the entire exhaust system, not just for the tips, which the company claims is superior to T-400 stainless steels that are commonly used.
To support that claim, Borla offers a 1,000,000-mile warranty on their exhaust systems. There will be no problem fitting this system to any cab or box size, however, crew cabs with long beds will require an additional adapter to bridge the gap.
As the diameter of the pipe measures 2.25-inches, the tips measure four-inches in size, which helps keep everything gently in its place, like the gentle movement of a bouncer in a tailored suit.
Dorman Exhaust Manifold (674-694)
It should be noted that even though the Ford Modular 5.4-liter V8 is still an excellent truck engine, some years of this engine have been known to develop leaks where the exhaust manifold meets the engine.
There are many causes of exhaust leaks, including corrosion in bolts and studs, as well as several other issues as well, but it is quite common that once the leak starts, one of the most effective ways to fix it is to get a new exhaust manifold.
Dorman’s replacement exhaust manifold comes from its OE Fix line of parts.
It was designed to address the problems with the factory exhaust manifold so you would not have to deal with them again.
There is also included with the new exhaust manifold from Dorman that uses upgraded materials over factory, the necessary manifold gaskets to seal the exhaust pipe to the engine as well as two studs and nuts to replace the two factory hardware pieces that rust and break.
Make your muffler do its job and stop the under hood tapping (and the smell of fuel and exhaust) that is coming from your Ford 5.4-liter manifold that is broken.
aFe Power ATLAS Performance Exhaust (49-03069-B)
There is no exaggeration in aFe’s ATLAS series exhaust system. Check out its four-inch diameter pipe with an even larger exhaust tip.
A large pipe, combined with smooth mandrel bends, ensures optimum airflow for your engine, even if you have installed aftermarket performance modifications such as more boost from your factory turbochargers or an aftermarket air intake system that aids in moving even more air.
The trailer uses factory hangers so that it fits like an original equipment trailer and it comes with a 21-inch muffler to help reduce the high-pitched tones and give it a more powerful sound.