I'm tired of the drone...
 

I've had my exhaust setup for a few years now and its finally gotten to me.

My current setup is NISMO headers, Crawford Cats, Tanabe Ypipe, and NISMO exhaust.

The drone from around 70-80 mph (roughly 2500-3000 rpm) range is killing me on my commutes to work. Has anyone come up/discovered any good solutions to getting rid of the drone?

The current solutions I'm looking at are going back to a stock exhaust (midpipe and muffler), getting a Fujitsubo Legalis R (Heard that it is much more tame than the NISMO), or getting a Motordyne XYZ pipe w/ resonator.

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

drive 65

I went the Invidia Gemini True dual route -after suffering the drone from a HKS replica. I couldn't be happier with the Invidia. Just a little louder than the stock exhaust but real throaty when you get on it, and absolutely no drone while at cruising speeds.

Lol

Go back to stock and give up the dream of having a modified grocery getter.

I do take my car to the track. However, this car is also my DD so some compromise is needed.

Thanks for the constructive comment.

Whether your car is an AT or MT may be a factor as well. For MT drivers, they have to freedom to control drone somewhat.

+1 on invidia gemini. affordable and awesome

Go with the motordyne and you'll be happy!

so you are still full y pipe and single exhasut like stock? dunno mang. id check to see if magnaflow has a single resonator muffler like thier x pipe.. thats what i bought for my duals to controll drone.. never got a chance to install it tho before i blew my car up... i hear ( no pun intended) they work magic on drone tho.

cost you 150 bucks tops in labor to weld it in after your y pipe.

My car is MT so I can control the drone somewhat. Off throttle there is no drone, but on throttle (part/full) in that RPM range and it can get quite annoying. I recall this being an issue many years ago for lots of people. I love the sound of the car the rest of the time though.

The Motordyne XYZ pipe seems like the simplest fix imo. I've searched and found lots of reviews saying it quieted down the exhaust. The Invidia/Fujitsubo could also be good but it seems more costly.

bmccann101, yes my exhaust is not a dual setup (it is like stock). I'll definitely look into a magnaflow resonator.

Are there generic silencers you can purchase?

My last car had I/H/E and a ridiculous drone, I ended up installing a muffler and adding silencers, made the car quieter than stock.

i say XYZ pipe with HFC module. Call it a day

lol..... or drive 85... :D

motordyne xyz/w resonator and ur current setup..ditch the tanabe y pipe and do that and ur good to go.../thread

simply buy a universal resonator (longer = quieter), weld into your mid pipe and you'll be done

I have the Gemini on my HR paired up with Stillen headers and Stillen HFC's and its still VERY quiet...almost wish is was a bit louder at times haha...

I have the GReddy Racing Ti-C single exit on my Z. I have the silencer in now because it is VERY loud with it out, then I realize how cool it sounds with the silencer out, so I take it out, then realize how loud it is with the silencer out, so I put it back in, its a never ending cycle :)

I second this. Resonators are the cheapest way to go. Changing your whole exhaust system is a headache.

Longer resonator does mean quieter. However this is not the solution to drone. You have to measure the frequency of where drone occurs at certain RPMS and then make an instrument that basically cancels out that frequency. Helmholtz and quarter length pipes does a good job in doing so.

Team ARK

Quarter wavelength branch resonator, near the muffler end, preferably same diameter as exhaust piping but smaller will still attenuate the desired frequency. EGTs decrease quite substantially near the rear of the exhaust and thus have a lower speed of sound at that end, will allow for shorter pipe run.

The pipe will just be a dead end pipe Tee'd off the main pipe, might need to have some creative routing to fit it. Maybe tee off and run back towards the front of the car, using the space that dual exhausts usually use to pass between the sway bar and differential.

At 2500-3000rpm, I'd say the ballpark length is going to be ~30in. There are applets online that will allow for a more accurate length, but the EGT has to be pretty close, you can measure skin temperature of the pipe at that point and get a pretty rough value. Just make sure the end of the branch resonator has an adjustment range, something with a clamp and a slip fit. Drive and make final adjustments.

It sounds like a lot of work, but this is the only way to retain the same sound from outside, while eliminating the sound inside. Be warned though, this method is effective at eliminating the offensive frequency, but has the potential to create new high frequency content that wasn't there initially, this is where adding a resonator on the branch itself comes in.