Since everyone asked

[swervin ervin]

Well, no one asked but anyway here is a list of some stuff I'm planning on doing or thinking about real hard.

For my 85, I'm thinking real strongly of finding some good quality, real quiet, free flowing mufflers. If there is such a thing made. Either way, I'm going to find some quiet mufflers. I'm sick of the noise. My 49 year old ears can't take it anymore. I very seldom drive the thing and when I do, I get real sick of it, real quick. Don't get me wrong, it sounds good, but I don't feel the need to advertise noise anymore. I know a quiet muffler will have more restriction, no way around it. But there has to be a compromise somewhere.

Next, I'm thinking about swapping out my urethane leaf spring bushing for stock rubber. The ride on these things suck with the poly bushings. I tired of riding a bouncing ball. The roads where I live are like a dang washboard anyway. NC used to have good roads, but in the last 10 years they are some of the worst in the area. Like I've said before, everything we do to these trucks to make them handle better and get better traction, the worse the ride gets. I don't race anyway because I've got more sense now. I do drive a tad fast but with the tigher suspension and bad roads, it's to the point of getting sucky to even drive the truck anymore.

I guess all I'm saying is when you get older, you are after more comfort. Speed and sound is something I've always loved and still do, but not to extreme of me not even liking to drive my truck. One way or another something is going to change. I added urethane motor mounts and tranny mount. Now I feel the engine vibration. It's not bad enough to make me want to change them too, but like I said it just adds to the equation.

I remember back when I was young and did this stuff. Every time I would drive it made me feel like I was on top of the world. Not anymore. I haven't been doing much research on this but plan to start finding what I want to do. I'm open for all suggestions on links to quiet mufflers. Don't even tell me your Flowmaster (insert whatever number here) is quiet. It ain't going to happen. I'm after the quietest and best flowing muffler made. Cost is of no concern. The bushings are not a problem. Rubber is pretty much rubber, as long as they are from a reputible manufacturer.

If swapping out the rear don't fix it to my expectations, the front will be next. I can put rubber control arm bushings back in just as easy as I did urethane.

What's your thoughts? I know the young guys will think I've totally lost my mind. The older crowd may agree with me. After 49 years of hearing saws, compressors and carpenter tools in general, I'm ready for some peace and quiet. Besides, the new job I'm starting tomorrow is working with saws all day long. But I can wear hearing protection for this. It's hard to wear hearing protection and listen to music.

[Palf70Step]

The stock muffler on my 96 was very quiet and I honestly didn't notice that big a gain n going with flowmaster 50's I like the sound of the 50's. They have a quiet rumble until I stomp on it (too often I think).

But seriously, the stock Vortex era mufflers were pretty efficient and had dual inlets.

Other than that in my old fart days, we use to use the mufflers offf the caddy's or big block chryslers for go, but quiet. I imagine the same might hold true even today.

I agree with you on the poly bushing. I'm only using them on the sway bars right now. debating on the front arms, but yeah to me that just make the ride way too rough for my bod. I'm almost catching up with you (48).

[mkundo]

You couldn't have said it any better.

[87 STEPPER]

Sound's like a plan Mike,

Pun intended

Anyway's iv'e got the Edelbrock cat back system on my truck and it has a nice low rumble not too loud and not too quiet for me at least but you dont have to go with the system you can get the muffler by its self if your interested let me know i can look at my invoice and get the exact P/N for it.

As for the poly bushing's i installed some on my S10 a few month's back and if i knew how stiff of a ride thay had and how squeaky they are i would of went back with rubber i knew it was going to be a little firm but damn! and im only 41:p

Here's the place i got the poly bushings form they sell the rubber ones as well and everything i got in my kit was high quality stuff.
www.p-s-t.com

[swervin ervin]

Well, I have spent the last little while searching the net for quiet free flowing mufflers. Guess what. It don't go hand in hand. There are quieter ones, but none quiet as stock or even close. I know stock mufflers suck big time and restrict the exhaust something terrible, so I ain't going there.

I did find one muffler that looks at least promising.

http://www.spintechmufflers.com/spin...ntechindex.asp

They sound clips for the mufflers too. I was looking at the truck/RV muffler as they say it's the quietest they have. What do you ya'll think about this one? I hate to spend this much money on something I won't like or still won't be quiet enough. As far as quiet enough, it would matter to me if I even hear the exhaust at all.

[corn]

Heres an option. I built a 65 chevelle prostreet some years back & got real sick of the noise the 3" flowmasters made. I replaced all of the exhaust with 2 1/2" pipes & installed the mufflers as far back as i could. In fact I welded the chrome tips right onto the rear of the muffler. It still had a nice crisp sound to it but you didnt have to hear it in the car. Just an idea...corn

[swervin ervin]

Right now, I have two Hooker Aerochamber mufflers at the back as in this photo. They sound great, but like I said, I guess I'm getting too old.

[corn]

Id like to have that system, it sure looks nice. Too much of a hassle sending it across country though. Good luck with your project...corn

[N2TRUX]

Mike even though your tips aren't that large I bet they don't help much. I'm sure they create some echo. Before you spend a small fortune playing the muffler shuffle, consider some resinator tips.

I know there are a few companies that make these, mostly for foriegn cars that have the muffler at the rear like yours. They have an inner liner that is perforated and obsorbs some of the sounds waves. It might give the the peace and quit you are looking for.

Have you installed any sound deadener in your truck? If you haven't, it might be something to consider as well. Check the links in-this thread for some more info...

[corn]

Ken, I always thought those tips made more noise. Thanks for the tip...corn

[bigblock73]

Mike, I will be following this with great interest. I am only 30, but as you know, I have some ear/hearing problems. I BABY my ears, and when it comes time to get Yeller running again...I will be heading down the same path as you my friend. Keep me/us posted with what you find out.

-Jeff

[Gregsmx]

Mike, here's my 2cents:

It looks like you've got room to add a resonator inline before the rear axle. Basically a Hush glass pack or Dynomax bullet straight pipe with glass pack. I was looking for the same as yourself.... Quiet as possible with unrestricted flow. The folks at Dynomax told me a combination resonator backed by a muffler was the quietest way to achieve this.

Secondly, if you add an "H" pipe, you will get a much better quality sound, more even sound and less backpressure.

I just got my truck running in the last two weeks. I did not have room for the resonator on a Blazer as the wheelbase was too short and the Hooker supercomps too long, but I do have an H pipe. I'm 42, have 475HP under the hood, and love the sound of this beast..... The neighbors, a different story!

I had Dynomax in my '66vette, and have always loved their crisp mature rumble. Much MUCH different than Flowmaster.

One last tip, since the mufflers are so far to the rear, maybe some sound deading in the cab would do the trick. Dynomat, or Brown Bread and there's even a link discussing the same product that is used on mobile home roofs as being an equal product.

On the urethane bushings.... did you put urethane body mounts too? I've read the body mounts make for a rough ride. I installed rubber body mounts and eurathane leaf bushings. It's not complete enough to provide insights on the ride yet though. As a weekended though, I'm sure I'll be happy with it.

Good luck with the changes.
Greg.

[corn]

Good thinking Greg. H pipe will quiet it down a BUNCH. Im getting a bunch of good ideas to remember for mine here too, I want mine more on the quiet side as well...corn

[ocbaud]

i call dibs on the hooker mufflers

[swervin ervin]

First, I can't run a H pipe because I'm only allowed one cat. I can't add another cat because I've asked many times. They say it has to be like it was stock until after the cat. So, I used a Flowmaster y spliter thing, and hooked it to the cat and dual outs to mufflers at the back. This emissions crap sucks.

From everything I've seen on the net, there is no such thing as a free flowing, quiet muffler. It's not possible or everyone would have them. I'm leaning toward some type of stock mufflers that had a fairly decent flow to it. Don't know what this will be yet, but I'm still looking and checking.

As for the urethane bushings, no I don't have urethane cab mount bushings, new rubber there. But every other place you can have urethane, I have it. I noticed by me doing this stuff in stages and not at once, that every time I added more urethane, the ride got worse. In the not too decent future, I will find out if it helps to run rubber. I plan on snatching the leaf spring and shackle bushings and replacing with rubber.


Jeff,

maybe 3 or 4 months ago, I noticed my ears started having ringing noises. Not constant, but it came and went. It sounded like crickets. Now I have a constant ringing (cricket) noise. I went to the doctor and he told me it was probably Tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Duh. This comes from 33 years of using circular saws and other noise making stuff, and not wearing any hearing protection. Anyway, I have an appointment with a Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist tomorrow. From what I have read on this, there is nothing they do for it. I have to play noise cd's at night to be able to go to sleep. I downloaded a program off the net to where I could make my own instead of paying 15 bucks for a cd. I go to sleep at night listening to the sounds of rain or the ocean. Some nights it seems louder than others. This is when you may see me on here way past my bedtime.

Every since this started being a constant ringing, it seems everything is amplified. Stuff that never used to bother me, seems louder now. This is the reason I'm replacing my mufflers. I can't take it anymore.

Keep the ideas coming. I'm all ears. (no pun intended)

[KShortell]

maybe 3 or 4 months ago, I noticed my ears started having ringing noises. Not constant, but it came and went. It sounded like crickets. Now I have a constant ringing (cricket) noise. I went to the doctor and he told me it was probably Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)

Mike-

For me, it all started one day in June 1996. It's been there 24/7 ever since. Yes, it's called tinnitus, and, yes, it changes your life. I don't read novels like I used to, I can't stand loud places, and I have a special distaste for the single-stage Flowmasters some of my neighbors run-- literally creates a buzzing in my ears.

Yes, it's tough to sleep sometimes. Yes, you have to be extra careful to be nice to others because you get more "run down" from time to time.

Most folks here really can't imagine what it is like. Just think of listening to nails on a chalkboard ALL THE TIME. I feel for you, Mike. I am in the same boat.

I was living in Spruce Pine, NC when all this started. I always used ear protection, even when mowing grass, ever since I was a kid. I went to see a specialist out of Boone at the hospital in Crossnore. We went through all sorts of tests, even a CAT scan in Boone with one of the latest imaging machines in the country-- all to make sure it wasn't a brain tumor or something. Any talk of cancer, etc. will freak the HELL out of you for those two weeks! Fortunately, I'm OK and they never have really found anything.

I've run a fan for noise in the evenings for years. I've got a couple of nature CDs that work well, too-- one a rainstorm, one the beach and sailing.

There are other coping mechanisms, too. One I may yet consider is called a tinnitus masker. Basically, it's just like a small in-the-canal hearing aid except that it generates white noise instead. It supposedly helps you desensitize even when not wearing it.

I have good days and bad days. I do much better if I stay busy, well fed, and get plenty of sleep.

Don't waste your time trying all the herbal remedies and such-- they don't work. Other things that can contribute to tinnitus in some people are caffeine and alcohol. Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ) may also have a link-- I often wonder if this is part of my problem. Moving my jaw the right way seems to change the ringing a bit-- pitch gets higher and louder with the mouth all the way open andto the side.

The most common cause of tinnitus is hearing loss. The ENT specialist described it as being akin to an amputee who has "phantom" feeling or pain. The wonderfully complex brain we have can do the same thing with aural tones we've lost.


This is the ENT specialist I saw when I lived in NC. He was really helpful, understanding, informative, and knew exactly what I was talking about. Keep in mind that this is a 7-year old business card:

Boone Regional Ear, Nose, & Throat Associates, Inc.
Dr. M. Barry Ellis, M.D. FACS
895 State Farm Road
Boone, NC 28607
(704) 265-4045
(800) 443-7385

Crossnore Office (704) 733-8158



Other Tinnitus resources on the web:

Nature Sounds - Sounds of Nature Software. Relax with Nature Sounds on your PC

Serene Sound - Home Page
I run this on my PC at work.

Peter Hirschberg - My Software
I also run this on my PC at work.

The Tinnitus Relief Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland

Tinnitus of TMJ Origin

TINNITUS-ref

Tinnitus-UK

The Hearing Center

Tinnitus Sites

American Tinnitus Association Home Welcome

UM Tinnitus and Hyperacusis information Guide

University of Maryland Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Center

TMJ Dysfunction Home Page- Dr. Morgan

Tinnitus Home Page

Tinnitus Ringing of ears Relationship to TMJ Symptoms and Treatment Southfield Michigan TMJ

Tinnitus - TMJ Tinnitus - TMD Tinnitus

Ear Clinic Information Center - Home Page

Hadassah Medical Center-- Israeli Tinnitus Treatment

Welcome to the American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery at ENTnet.org

The Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Centre, London UK

VAVsoft - Tinnitus Tamer

Alliance Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Center - Dr. Nagler

Tinnitus Support Message Board

Tinnitus-- EXTENSIVE resource list!


Now, back to your question. Yes, I do actually use a 3-chamber Flowmaster on my Suburban and do not have a problem. I have the stock configuration with stock side exit exhaust on the driver's-side. You may also want to consider Gibson exhaust. They make systems for RVs, too. I can't imagine too many senior citizen RVers who want a loud exhaust.

Best of luck, Mike! Just remember, there are much, much worse things to have-- cancer, etc. You CAN adjust and it's not the end of the world. Keep your chin up, bud! PM me if you ever want to ask anything or talk. I really know what you're going through.


Kevin

[swervin ervin]

Thanks Kevin.

Everything you just said is exactly the truth to the letter. It is louder in my right ear. I can hear better from my left one, I do know this even before the tests tomorrow. It's not real bad unless it's real quite, as in trying to go to sleep. I find it hard to get the right amount of sleep also. This is a killer because then you are tired the next day and more ill toward others as you stated. I think I am coping fairly well considering. I don't have any option but to cope.

It's a bummer to be getting older. First, I had to start wearing reading glasses, now this. As the old saying goes, if it ain't one thing, it's another. You know it's funny, before I noticed it being constant and ever paid much attention to it, I would be watching TV and fall asleep in my recliner. (Yes, I have a recliner ) The sleep I got in the chair was perfect. I would wake up and go to bed and not be able to fall asleep for a while. I never could figure out the cause until I noticed the ringing all the time. Now I toss and turn for a hour or two sometimes before going to sleep. I guess the TV noise helped me sleep so I didn't notice the ringing.

I consider myself lucky. For sure there are much worse things to have wrong with us. Thanks for the links. I've visited a few of them before.

Mike

[KShortell]

Yeah, I was only 24 when it started. I used to go around the plant and kick the living #$%* out of every garbage can I could find when no one was looking when it first started.

You do adjust and even learn to ignore it at times. My problem is that I've also automatically tuned out women with high voices! It can be a bit embarrassing sometimes. :p You do have to find humor where you can.

Oh, well. Tuesday, March 2 will be my 32nd birthday. I'm not dead yet!

[ocbaud]

i think i'm gonna start turning my music down so i wont be like you guys when i'm old

[BaggedC10]

I'm sorry about your situation, Mike.

[MylilBowTie]

Have you looked into Walker (dynomax) Super Turbo Hemi mufflers?

[swervin ervin]

Eric,

take it from a fool. Think about what you are doing. I have never worn hearing protection. I have been a Carpenter all my life. Using loud power tools and cutting all sorts of material, which makes some real loud noises. I listen to music fairly loud too, when I'm by myself. I was one of the people who thought I would be OK. Well I wasn't. The doctor told me nerve damage was a big cause of this. Nerve damage comes from hearing loud noises all the time. You never even think about damaging your hearing when you can hear perfectly. After you start loosing it or hearing ringing, it's too late.

It sure has changed my life and not for the good. But as Kevin said, I'm still living. Only not to the quality it once was. From reading about Tinnitus, it gets so bad for some folks, they commit suicide. I guess if it did get real loud, it may drive you nuts. I don't need any help in this department. I'm crazy enough already.

[bigblock73]

Mike, I have Tinnitus...only mine is a constant ringing sound...not cricket like. I have had it for as long as I can remember, and there are days it bothers me, but there are also days it doesn't bother me. You will more than likely get used to it, as long as it doesn't get worse. Make sure you wear ear protection now, you would be surprised how bad it can get when you don't.

I wear ear plugs when mowing the grass, snowblowing the driveway, hammering nails, etc..wish I would have done it sooner.

Let me know if you have any questions, I have been thru the mill when it comes to ENT doctors and ears.

BTW, I get second dibs on the Hookers if you decide to sell them.

[swervin ervin]

Jeff,

I remember your post about your hearing, but I didn't remember you having Tinnitus. Old fart brain at work, or lack of work.

Oh, you can bet, hearing protection will be worn from now on.

On the Aero's, they are going for sure. I will probably end up with some stock type mufflers. I know it will hurt performance some, but I think my performance is more important right now.

Now, if I only knew which stock type mufflers were the best flowing I'd be all set. Even if I lose 10 hp, it would be worth it to me. I don't race on the street, or go to the strip anyway.

You know it's a weird world sometimes. You sort of feel when stuff like this happens you are the only one in the world it is happening too. I guess sometimes we forget we are not the only people in the world. We also seem to forget how lucky we really are. Just think about how many people in the world don't have a forum like this to come to and talk about anything we feel like sharing. And to think, folks keep saying there are no good people left. They just haven't visited this forum.

[swervin ervin]

Oh, and the correct term is driving nails. You don't hammer them. A hammer is the tool used to drive them. :p