I was just wondering if anyone had any information about the TRD cat back exhaust. I work at Champion Toyota and we just got a shipment in of three for the XB. Just wanted to see what people knew about them. Hp wise

 

I had one for a very short time......

1. It seemed to kill the small amount of low RPM power these cars have.

2. it was a TERRIBLE fit.

3. it did give a tiny amount of upper RPM gain.

4. It had a terrible drone above 60 mph.

I took it off after 5 days and got rid of it.

 

fit good to me! And they are SUPER queit.

 

I had to crank it to one side and have a friend tighten it so it was centered, it was REALLY tweaked!

I agree that it was quiet.......outside the car, but it was louder INSIDE.

 

I've had one installed for about a week in my xB w/automatic. I don't claim to know much about aftermarket exhausts but I'm fairly pleased. In my opinion:

1. It does seems to hurt low-rpm power a bit.

2. Fit is a problem; the hangers in particular are poorly designed. (A little bit of bumper meltage while it was settling into place.)

3. At idle it's no louder than the stock muffler.

4. The automatic seems to shift more smoothly, especially under load.

5. I have no hard numbers but I do notice a real difference when merging and at freeway speeds.

6. It is a bit loud at freeway speeds but IMO not objectionable. Bundle it with a subwoofer and no one will notice.

7. Overall I'm happy but I do think the list price is too high.

 

Just a few notes:

1. the TRD exhaust system is Axle-Back NOT Cat-Back
2. being an axle back system it probably gains no more then 1 or 2HP
3. it'll change the tone of your car , and have that nice look to it, but it doesn't do a lot for power/performance

if you're looking for real performance gains, you need to go Cat-Back, or Manifold back, like the SPFR Cat-Back system, or Stylis' Manifold back system.

 

I dont understand why it would be a axle back is it said catback right on the box. Explanation anyone?

 

technically it is behind the cat. :? but it is all a ploy to sell to the non educated consumers. Also Besk one, thanks for the props man! New axel back mufflers from magna flow coming soon to www.PrecisionMuffler.com !! :D (My shameless plug!)

 

Distracted: Who knows, maybe they're shipping a new one. But the one we're familiar with bolts on just forward of the rear axle.

Stylis: I'll have to check out your products the next time I'm up in the area!

 

no sweat Stylis! glad the nor*cal people have a palce to get hooked up with the exhaust sweetness

I know SPFR Jon is in the shop today cranking out a bunch of xB Cat-Back systems, i know he's got a bunch of orders from people down here on the southside - i can't wait for mine! i' should be pushing over 120hp!! at the crank after i get it on, hopefully i'll be able to dyno my car again with the complete SPFR performance package and post up the results

 

You know what I think I am just going to break down and buy the SPFR intake to see what the hype is about. (Yeah!!!!I said it!!!) I am really looking into buying an SPFR intake. :D Oh and the TRD muffler is nothing but a magna flow muffler with a TRD tip. Happy shopping. :D

 

Since you say that the Trd muffler is just the magna flow muffler with a TRD tip does that mean that they punch the same power. And what about the price?

 

If that's the case.....then I'm not interested in a magna flow either.

Since you're the expert, I have a question. Would a canister style muffler (think 5Zigen)give the same loud resonance that the magna flow style does inside the car? I'm thinking that all the noise is due to the muffler sitting in the underseat area of the car.

thanks

 

Originally posted under "Product Reviews" earlier today:

OK, here's a hypothesis that could explain the different experiences people have had with the TRD exhaust. Admittedly I'm no expert and I have no numbers to back this up but I thought I'd throw this idea out for comments.

When I first had mine installed I had no performance or noise complaints whatsoever (fit is another matter entirely). Operation seemed smoother through the entire range, with what seemed like a nice increase in power at freeway speeds. I even got better mileage.

Why? My guess is that my little box was running a bit lean due to the decreased backpressure. I'm guessing it was the same sort of performance boost as the notorious $20 eBay "mod chip" -- but temporary, as sooner or later the ECU would have noticed this and compensated.

In fact I did notice a change in performance and noise over time. Then I took the car to a show and had to disconnect the battery (and yes, it was an outdoor show). Of course that reset the engine computer settings. No big deal, I thought. But for whatever reason resetting the computer turned that slight increase in noise into a horrific racket, which then loosened some brackets, clamps or shields, which created even more noise, etc.

Of course I figured: "Yeah, scionaraxb and badwinger were right about the TRD exhaust after all." But once again, after several days everything seemed to "mellow." Now everything's closer to what it once was except for whatever widget it is that rattles around 2000rpm.

Moral of the story: Give your exhaust and ECU some time to get to know each other. :D