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I had an axleback installed by a local shop a couple of weeks ago (probably put on 200-300 miles since) and there is some really bad drone at about 1500 RPM which has not gone away. Don’t want to add the manufacturer and put them on blast just yet as I want to make sure it’s not an installation issue first.
I had a closer look at the rear end today and see two potential sources of issues:
- The left muffler’s exhaust tips are just about flush with the rear valance, but the right muffler is about an inch too far inward
- The clamp-on exhaust tips on the right muffler are tight and don’t move by hand, but there is definitely a gap near the clamp; if I shine a flashlight into the outlet, I can see light leaking out onto the pavement below. No such issue on the left muffler
I don’t particularly care about the aesthetics much as it’s not noticeable from a distance, but if either of these is contributing to the drone, I’ll take it back to the shop to have them adjust.
I had an axleback installed by a local shop a couple of weeks ago (probably put on 200-300 miles since) and there is some really bad drone at about 1500 RPM which has not gone away. Don’t want to add the manufacturer and put them on blast just yet as I want to make sure it’s not an installation issue first.
I had a closer look at the rear end today and see two potential sources of issues:
- The left muffler’s exhaust tips are just about flush with the rear valance, but the right muffler is about an inch too far inward
- The clamp-on exhaust tips on the right muffler are tight and don’t move by hand, but there is definitely a gap near the clamp; if I shine a flashlight into the outlet, I can see light leaking out onto the pavement below. No such issue on the left muffler
I don’t particularly care about the aesthetics much as it’s not noticeable from a distance, but if either of these is contributing to the drone, I’ll take it back to the shop to have them adjust.
The tips itself shouldn't be the reason you have drone. I'm no expert but it very well could be an unfortunate characteristic of your muffler.
I will say on my borla exhaust there was a slight drone at lower rpms in the lower gears. But now that ive had the exhaust for several hundred miles now, that's pretty much gone away. I think the exhaust has dramatically gotten more quiet for me, almost too quiet. To the point where my next purchase is likely going to be a resonated mid pipe.
My advice to you, make sure you dont have any exhaust leaks. If everything is good and tight, give it a couple hundred miles for the exhaust to settle, maybe tue drone will go away. If still you have drone, time to open up the wallet.
Is it the rr racing exhaust? Theyre the only "known" exhaust manufacturer that I know of with clamp on tips.
While on the drone subject, adding to my original post ( https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...l#post11719637 ) , mine is full catback (with ARK's midpipe containing resonators and secondary cats, the muffler end has drone reducer canisters also known as Helmholtz Resonator) and confirmed all is tight, no leaks, and not touching any part of the car, and tips aligned perfectly well. I still get drone.
FIRST, I will say, I can live with it, but I want to warn others of what to expect with ARK. At first i've been rolling with my windows down enjoying the glorious noise it makes with slight drone, but recently the temperatures have been going up so I've been driving with the windows rolled up and the drone is more pronounce. My commute to work contains hills here and there, and i'm telling you any slight incline or throttle in the 1,200-2,000RPMs the drone will be there and 1,500 is the worst of it.
Perhaps, i'm more sensitive to drone than others. There have been mention that drone may reduce over time during break-in period (i'm around 200 miles with the exhaust now). I'm not sure if by that they mean my ears will get use to it and appear as if drone has reduced OR of in fact there is some break in period within the exhaust system itself that reduces the drone.
While on the drone subject, adding to my original post ( https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...l#post11719637 ) , mine is full catback (with ARK's midpipe containing resonators and secondary cats, the muffler end has drone reducer canisters also known as Helmholtz Resonator) and confirmed all is tight, no leaks, and not touching any part of the car, and tips aligned perfectly well. I still get drone.
FIRST, I will say, I can live with it, but I want to warn others of what to expect with ARK. At first i've been rolling with my windows down enjoying the glorious noise it makes with slight drone, but recently the temperatures have been going up so I've been driving with the windows rolled up and the drone is more pronounce. My commute to work contains hills here and there, and i'm telling you any slight incline or throttle in the 1,200-2,000RPMs the drone will be there and 1,500 is the worst of it.
Perhaps, i'm more sensitive to drone than others. There have been mention that drone may reduce over time during break-in period (i'm around 200 miles with the exhaust now). I'm not sure if by that they mean my ears will get use to it and appear as if drone has reduced OR of in fact there is some break in period within the exhaust system itself that reduces the drone.
I had the exact same drone/boominess when I had the GTHaus midpipe with a stock axleback. My solution was to leave the car in Sport Plus so that the RPM baseline changes from 1k-2k to 2k-3k, bypassing the drone RPM band.
I had an axleback installed by a local shop a couple of weeks ago (probably put on 200-300 miles since) and there is some really bad drone at about 1500 RPM which has not gone away. Don’t want to add the manufacturer and put them on blast just yet as I want to make sure it’s not an installation issue first.
I had a closer look at the rear end today and see two potential sources of issues:
- The left muffler’s exhaust tips are just about flush with the rear valance, but the right muffler is about an inch too far inward
- The clamp-on exhaust tips on the right muffler are tight and don’t move by hand, but there is definitely a gap near the clamp; if I shine a flashlight into the outlet, I can see light leaking out onto the pavement below. No such issue on the left muffler
I don’t particularly care about the aesthetics much as it’s not noticeable from a distance, but if either of these is contributing to the drone, I’ll take it back to the shop to have them adjust.
None of those things would cause drone. Drone is a subject of resonance from sound waves at certain frequencies and reflection points.
I know others say Borla has no drone after a bit but I do. Right around 2k to 2300 under load it's drone is present. It's not horrible.
However, your fitment issues should be addressed anyways as that sounds like a poor install.
GTHAUS exhausts in stock
Apexi axle backs in stock
Apexi non resonated midpipe we have one left for June
Apexi resonated midpipe we have 4 left for June.
I learned a lot from this thread. Now it is time to share my 2 cents, and I hope this may be helpful to other owners.
1. My first exhaust setup is <GTHaus Midpipe + OEM Axle-back>: I went for this setup largely for two reasons: (1) GTHaus midpipe was the only one that is available to ship; (2) I read that other resonated options are very quiet. I drove this setup for a little over two months. The sound of this setup is glorious, especially the cold start (with pops and crackles). I don't have a good sound recording device. Therefore, I am providing a few YouTube videos from others (It is technically all GSF videos. But my IS500 sounds exactly the same). My main complaint with this setup is that the drone is around 1500 RPM under load. It is a very low-frequency humming noise that resonates with your body. Others have complained about this on related threads, e.g., this <https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-f-2016-present/998309-gt-haus-mid-pipe.html>
2. My second exhaust setup is <OEM Midpipe + TOM'S Axle-back RCF version (stainless steel)>: I went for this setup to avoid drones. Because quite some owners in this forum reported the IS500-specific TOM'S axle-back drones. Plus, the RCF version's muffler is painted black, while the IS500 version is chrome. I like the RCF version better. This setup sounds good, with refined and subtle rumble. It is noticeably quieter than my first setup. As I am already spoiled by my previous setup, I had to add a midpipe to it to spice things up. But this may be perfect for someone who is looking for an OEM+ subtle setup.
3. My current setup is <APEX'I Resonated Midpipe + TOM'S Axle-back RCF version (stainless steel)>: This is the perfect setup for me. 100% drone-free. Relatively quiet under 2000 RPM, getting noticed half throttle, and loud when WOT.
Good gracious, a journey for sure! Did you do all this work on your own or go to a shop? I’ve *seen* several folks move away from the GTHaus to the Borla setup. Was it part of your consideration as well?
Good gracious, a journey for sure! Did you do all this work on your own or go to a shop? I’ve several folks move away from the GTHaus to the Borla setup. Was it part of your consideration as well?
I am fortunate to have a mechanic friend who specializes in JDM cars. He got all my mods covered at his shop.
I was also looking into ARK and Borla before committing to TOM'S. They were all unavailable and There was not enough video data points for me to decide on. Another reason that made me shy away from ARK and Borla is the use of clamps. When I had my GTHaus midpipe I discovered that the clamp connection points are not completely water tight. I often see multiple water spots on my drive way after warming my car. When it comes to removing the midpipe, I saw some water spots/stains around the clamp connection area. This made me thinking flanges with gasket is a superior design for long term use, therefore I went the APEX'I + TOM'S direction.
I learned a lot from this thread. Now it is time to share my 2 cents, and I hope this may be helpful to other owners.
1. My first exhaust setup is <GTHaus Midpipe + OEM Axle-back>: I went for this setup largely for two reasons: (1) GTHaus midpipe was the only one that is available to ship; (2) I read that other resonated options are very quiet. I drove this setup for a little over two months. The sound of this setup is glorious, especially the cold start (with pops and crackles). I don't have a good sound recording device. Therefore, I am providing a few YouTube videos from others (It is technically all GSF videos. But my IS500 sounds exactly the same). My main complaint with this setup is that the drone is around 1500 RPM under load. It is a very low-frequency humming noise that resonates with your body. Others have complained about this on related threads, e.g., this <https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-f-2016-present/998309-gt-haus-mid-pipe.html> https://youtu.be/GPDS4Cvuo7w?si=2ESQxzEy9yMmNShE https://youtu.be/FVG1_8HQA-A?si=gYd3WXiCPK4Qtoo_ GTHaus Midpipe + OEM Axle-back
2. My second exhaust setup is <OEM Midpipe + TOM'S Axle-back RCF version (stainless steel)>: I went for this setup to avoid drones. Because quite some owners in this forum reported the IS500-specific TOM'S axle-back drones. Plus, the RCF version's muffler is painted black, while the IS500 version is chrome. I like the RCF version better. This setup sounds good, with refined and subtle rumble. It is noticeably quieter than my first setup. As I am already spoiled by my previous setup, I had to add a midpipe to it to spice things up. But this may be perfect for someone who is looking for an OEM+ subtle setup. https://youtu.be/CDrmvZilwkE?si=PIJLAi9upB1-_3t0
3. My current setup is <APEX'I Resonated Midpipe + TOM'S Axle-back RCF version (stainless steel)>: This is the perfect setup for me. 100% drone-free. Relatively quiet under 2000 RPM, getting noticed half throttle, and loud when WOT. https://youtu.be/_s46GwkNGss?si=DEbBVac0jjIRro2d
sounds a lot like the journey I took… apexi resonated midpipe -> apexi + IS500 Tom’s -> ppe midpipe/stock axle back -> ppe/borla axleback and ended up with the same as you, apexi resonated midpipe with the Tom’s rcf axle back. Definitely sounds great, wish it had a little more volume now that I’ve had it for a few thousand miles.
sounds a lot like the journey I took… apexi resonated midpipe -> apexi + IS500 Tom’s -> ppe midpipe/stock axle back -> ppe/borla axleback and ended up with the same as you, apexi resonated midpipe with the Tom’s rcf axle back. Definitely sounds great, wish it had a little more volume now that I’ve had it for a few thousand miles.
Yeah, it is amazing that we started at different places but ended up with the same setup. I would characterize our setup as reasonably loud. It tends to get drowned out when driving next to those modified mustangs and chargers. Personally, this is where I draw the line between daily drivability and exhilaration. My toddler and baby still need to take naps in the back seats.
Yeah, it is amazing that we started at different places but ended up with the same setup. I would characterize our setup as reasonably loud. It tends to get drowned out when driving next to those modified mustangs and chargers. Personally, this is where I draw the line between daily drivability and exhilaration. My toddler and baby still need to take naps in the back seats.
true. It is nice while cruising having a nice quiet cabin and can still hear and talk to the kids easily.
Non-resonated apexi midpipe here, considering the Tom's axle back. I've only been able to find one low quality clip of this combo, wondering how loud it is just cruising around
Non-resonated apexi midpipe here, considering the Tom's axle back. I've only been able to find one low quality clip of this combo, wondering how loud it is just cruising around
We're finally getting them in stock at the end of this month again, the IS500 version.
05-16-24, 03:03 PM
