Is Your Mini Too Loud Or Not Loud Enough?

How to properly "Sound-Off" with your mini truck.

Mini Truck Zone members like their trucks to be loud. Some use a 40-series Flowmaster muffler to increase the sound of their exhaust. Other people simply cut off the exhaust from the rear of the catalytic converter to increase the sound.

Mini truck owners in California report that they often get pulled over because of loud sound and are asked if they are running a muffler. According to some MTZ members, the fine is hefty for not having a muffler on your vehicle.



There are several things to consider if you want a performance sounding exhaust that is loud. The first is that everyone considers the term “loud” to mean different things. What might be loud to one person may not be loud to another.

Second, mufflers come in a variety of designs that make a difference in the overall sound. Baffled or chambered mufflers absorb and tune sound waves by the addition of deflectors and resonance tuning chambers within the muffler. Depending on how these are arranged inside the muffler will determine the sound levels both inside the vehicle and outside from the tailpipe.

Absorption mufflers are of a different design that uses sound absorption materials to muffle the sound of the exhaust. The materials vary from manufacturer to manufacturer but typically include straight-through, perforated tubing, steel or stainless steel mesh and a high-temperature packing material such as fiberglass or other another synthetic material.

Both types of mufflers can make your exhaust sound better and decrease the amount of backpressure for optimum performance from your engine. Racing style mufflers typically have less sound absorption and/or chambers and are thus louder. But aside of all the different types of mufflers you use, it’s ultimately the engine that makes the biggest difference.

Small four-cylinder engines don’t typically make as much sound as a larger V-8. The engine’s compression ratio and its overall displacement (size) will determine how much of an exhaust pulse is produced and thus determines the amount of noise.

Another factor you may also need to consider is that some mufflers won’t work with slammed trucks that lay on the frame. Some muffler designs are just too big and you may need a lower-profile muffler to fit within the frame rails of your mini truck. Manufacturers such as Magnaflow Performance and Hushpower have low-profile mufflers that can work successfully on a slammed mini truck.

If you want to hear more what mini truck owners think regarding the mufflers they use on their vehicles, click HERE to go to the post on this topic or to add your own comments.