Are you looking to make your truck louder? Is your truck the size of a beast and now you are looking for an engine growl to match? Many truck drivers want to make their truck louder and there are many ways this can be done.
The important thing to remember is there are state laws in place when it comes to exhaust noise and emissions. If you want to make your truck to be louder, avoid getting in trouble with the cops, and a hefty fine, you will need to make legal modifications.
Not sure how to make your truck louder legally? Keep reading, we have all the answers right here.
Before you begin making any modifications to your truck, you will need to check you aren’t about to break any laws. While there are no country-wide laws in place that stop you from making your vehicle exhaust louder, there are certain state laws that you will need to be aware of.
If you want to make your truck noisier, first check the modification and engine noise laws for your state. There is an informative resource on the SEMA Action Network website that clearly details all the exhaust laws in the different states.
You may want your truck to sound like a monster roaring when you hit the gas pedal, but it is unlikely all of your neighbors feel the same. Loud vehicles exhausts can be classed as sound pollution and in certain cities, excessive noise may be illegal after a specific time of night.
If you are planning to make any modifications to your truck exhaust, always check what rules and laws are in place first. There’s no denying a big engine growl sounds impressive, but is it really worth a huge fine and complaints from the neighbors?
Here are some examples of state laws that are in place to prevent excessive noise and engine omissions:
All noise and smoke-producing devices are prohibited. Also, all motor vehicles must have a factory-installed muffler or use one that duplicates the factory specifications.
All motor vehicles in California must be equipped with a muffler that is in constant operation.
The muffler used must be properly maintained at all times and must not cause excessive or unusual noise. Rules for California also state drivers can not modify the exhaust system on their vehicle to intentionally increase the noise emitted by the exhaust.
All motor vehicles must be equipped with a working muffler and this must be constantly operating, in order to prevent excessive sound and smoke. Drivers are also not permitted to modify the muffler by creating a bypass or cutout.
Before attempting to make your truck louder, check your state laws and hold off on any modifications that may be illegal. Remember that engine backfires are illegal and certain modifications may cause this to happen. An engine backfire is a small explosion that happens inside a vehicle’s exhaust when unburnt fuel is ignited.
When an engine backfires it makes a loud ‘popping’ sound, sometimes flames will burn in the exhaust and unsightly smoke may be released from the pipe. A backfiring engine is a mechanical issue that may land you with a hefty fine.
Whenever you are making modifications to your vehicle, never make any changes that may increase the risk of engine backfires.
Making your truck louder is a fun way to customize your ride. There are two key methods you can use to legally make a truck louder, these are:
Let’s first take a look at the modifications you can make to your vehicle’s exhaust unit that will make your truck roar. Changes you make to the exhaust unit will allow the exhaust fumes to flow more freely.
When the exhaust unit allows fumes to flow with fewer restrictions, louder will be generated. Here is a list of the most common modifications truck drivers make to the exhaust unit:
One of the ways to make your truck sound louder is to alter how the exhaust fumes exit the vehicle. Some drivers choose to change the exhaust pipe, swapping the original with a wider or longer pipe to achieve their desired sound.
If you want an even juicier sound, you could get an exhaust system fitted that features two exhaust pipes.
When dealing with exhaust fumes, it is always important to leave the work to the professionals, unless you have the skills and knowledge to get the job done safely yourself.
Here is a quick tutorial on how to correctly fit a dual exhaust onto a pickup truck:
All trucks will be fitted with a manufacturer’s muffler in the exhaust unit. A muffler works to dampen the sound emitted from a vehicle’s engine.
However, the factory standard muffler may not allow as much sound as you would like, so this is where an aftermarket muffler can help. There are many mufflers available that will make the engine growl you dream of becoming a reality.
Depending on what sound you want, there will be an aftermarket muffler available to suit your specific sound requirements.
The size and chambers of a muffler determine the amount of air that is able to push through and whether you want a monstrous growl or a raspy rattle there will be an aftermarket muffler designed in a way that produces your perfect sound.
Instead of changing the entire exhaust system, you could just modify the tailpipe tips. Adding larger and wider tailpipe tips to your truck can make your engine sound much more impressive and powerful than it actually is. The bigger the exit for your exhaust fumes, the more vibrations, and echo, resulting in a louder sound.
The sound of your truck exhaust is at its loudest when the fumes exit the pipes. Making the tailpipe tips wider will give you a good chance of getting that meaty roar you have been searching for. This video demonstrates the difference in sound between a vehicle with its tailpipe tips on and off.
If you don’t want to use any of the methods listed above, you can also make your truck louder by modifying the air intake system. Altering the air intake system will change the temperature of the air going into the engine and also the amount.
These changes to how the air enters the engine will result in your vehicle sounding louder and giving off a more impressive noise when your engine kicks into life.
Here are some of the most common modifications truck owners make to the air intake system:
When you change the factory air intake system for a cool air intake system, the sound of the air being sucked into the engine will become much louder. The louder sound is likely to be noticed more by passengers inside the car cab than outside of the car, it will sound pretty impressive either way!
If you choose to install a performance air intake system, the volume of air sucked into the engine will increase and the engine will run more efficiently. When the engine runs more efficiently, more engine fumes will be created, and – you guessed it – this will make your truck sound louder.
Do you really want to get heads turning when you drive past in your truck? The best way to get your truck sounding totally badass is to combine aspects of the two methods outlined above.
By installing a performance or cool air intake system and modifying the exhaust unit, you can make your truck sound like the king of the road. Try swapping the factory air intake system for a high-performance system, add some larger tailpipe tips or a dual exhaust and then listen to your truck roar along the highway.
Remember, not all modifications to your truck’s exhaust will be legal and some may even void your warranty in certain instances. Whatever modifications you intend to do to your truck to make it louder, research thoroughly first and check what you are planning to do is both safe and legal
Adding an exhaust tip to your truck will make it sound louder. Installing longer or wider tips to your vehicle’s exhaust pipe will create a more powerful and impressive sound. This is because there will be more vibrations and echo inside the larger pipe, so when the fumes exit the exhaust, they create a juicy roar on their way out.
Whilst you can add a dual exhaust to your vehicle or add tailpipe tips and new mufflers, drilling holes into the pipe itself is illegal. Some drivers choose to make their car or truck louder by drilling holes into the exhaust, to allow air to escape before it reaches the muffler.
Vehicles have a muffler in the exhaust to dampen the sound of exhaust fumes exiting the pipes and by drilling holes into the pipe you can bypass this feature. However, modifying your exhaust pipe in this way may get you in trouble with the cops, it’s always best to use legal methods to make your truck sound louder.
There are many different products available on the market that help drivers to make their exhaust sound louder. As for the loudest type of exhaust, it will depend on what muffler you are using and what exhaust unit and air intake system you have installed. The factors combined will determine the overall sound of your vehicle.
That being said, straight pipe exhausts and glass packs with a straight-through design, accompanied by a sound amplifying muffler are a popular combination and can work wonders in making your vehicle sound powerful and loud.
Yes, in many vehicles a straight pipe exhaust is louder than the standard manufacturers’ parts and drivers notice a significant sound difference when using one of these pipes. The straight pipe exhaust produces your engines ‘true sound’.
Drivers using a straight-pipe exhaust system will notice their vehicle has a more rich, raw, and pure sound to it.
Each American state has its own rules on car exhausts and vehicle modifications. You may get a fine or a ticket if the cops stop you for a noisy exhaust. Loud sounds from the exhaust can indicate a mechanical issue but can also be a sign to the authorities that the vehicle has been illegally modified.
You can find the rules for your state online and to avoid getting into any trouble you will need to only make modifications that are legal in your state. All vehicles must use a muffler that is constantly in full working order and no attempts should be made to bypass this device in order to make the engine louder.
There are many ways you can legally make your truck louder and there are also some methods that may cause you to end up on the wrong side of the law. The two modifications often used to get a louder truck include changing or modifying the exhaust unit and altering the air intake system.
Here we have shared legal ways you can make your truck louder, we hope you have found the information useful. Follow the tips we have suggested and your truck will be sounding more powerful and impressive than ever!
