No doubt you’ve been out driving your Tundra and had your head turned by the rumbling exhaust of another full size pickup driving by. There’s just something about the deep, throaty sound of a V8 engine amplified by a set of wide pipes and performance mufflers. Fortunately, there are dozens of options for getting that same aggressive sound on your Tundra – not to mention some nice horsepower gains. Let’s take a look at some of the options out there.

Gibson Exhaust offers aluminized and stainless steel cat-back exhaust systems with single pipes – either rear or side exit – as well as dual pipes with rear or side exits. Pricing starts at about $450 including shipping.

Gibson Performance Exhaust is a bit of an oddball company in the sense that the founders began their exhaust work while looking for a way to improve the performance of their motorhome. Not many people would think to parlay a venture involving Winnebagos into a full-fledged sport exhaust empire, but the Gibson family did and today they are one of the larger exhaust companies operating in the United States. For the Tundra, a cat-back system is available that Gibson claims will increase horsepower between 10 and 15%, while providing a torque boost of 15-20 lb-ft. The term ‘cat-back’ refers to an exhaust system which bolts onto the stock system behind the catalytic converters, maintaining the factory emissions controls, but replacing the stock mufflers and resonators. The extra power from the stainless steel Gibson exhaust comes from the less restrictive mufflers and mandrel-bent piping, which maintains the same pipe diameter without any crimping in the curves.

Flowmaster offers an aluminized steel American Thunder dual exhaust system that can either be configured to exit at the rear or on the side. Pricing starts at about $650 including shipping.

Flowmaster is a name long associated with performance vehicles. The company got its start in 1983 quieting down the engines of Sprint Car racers in order to meet local noise ordinances, and this racing experience has been carried over into their street applications. Flowmaster makes a complete cat-back system for the Tundra that is supposed to improve fuel economy and increase acceleration through greater exhaust gas flow. Interestingly, the company does not make any specific claims regarding power increases.

Borla offers a complete stainless steel cat-back exhaust system. It’s top quality, but it’s also top dollar – pricing starts at $1,000.

Borla is a well known name in the world of exhaust, and they have a long line of products that finds itself used on some of the most potent exotics and sports cars in the world. The company’s original focus was the design and installation of custom exhaust systems on rare European vehicles. Today, they have a wider range of offerings that even covers the Tundra. In fact, Borla has two cat-back systems designed for the Tundra, one with dual side-exit exhaust and one with dual rear-exit. Like Flowmaster, they don’t make any specific power claims, but the price is substantially higher than either of the other two companies we have so far discussed.

Magnaflow cat-back exhausts are available on the Tundra in either a dual rear exit or a single side exit configuration. Starting at less than $500 (including shipping), Magnaflow exhausts are very affordable and, along with Gibson exhausts, they’re an excellent option.

Magnaflow is well known for their stock muffler replacements and performance muffler options, but Magnaflow also makes a complete cat-back exhaust for the Tundra. In fact, they have 3 – one with a single side exit, similar to stock, one with a dual side exit but on the same side, which is unique amongst the companies we have examined, and one which is a dual exit at the rear. While Magnaflow claims that horsepower and torque are increased by their system, they decline to list an exact figure. One of the most interesting aspects of the Magnaflow website is the page where you can actually hear a sound clip of what the exhaust will sound like on your truck. While the Tundra sound clips only include the 4.7L, they promise more sound clips in the future.

Learn more about why you should consider buying an after market exhaust, the differences between single and dual exhausts, and listen to some Tundra exhaust system sound clips.

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Chris writes:

“Thanks for the great info regarding the Tundra 5.7L exhaust. I have a question though. The local muffler shops offer dual in dual out exhaust for the Tundra, but they use smaller crush bent 2.25″ pipes for the exhaust. Will the smaller pipes hurt the performance of my truck or break even with the OEM 3″ exhaust? I want the dual exhaust sound, but not at the expense of performance, so should I just replace the stock muffler and keep the stock single 3″ exhaust pipe or dual it out with a couple of smaller 2.25″ pipes?”

Good question.

Most muffler shops will tell you that pipe size isn’t nearly as important as pipe configuration and layout, but I don’t see any reason why you can’t have both. Smaller pipes increase back pressure, but that can be alleviated somewhat by the use of a louder muffler. But, it’s a very inexact science. Generally speaking, you should try to match the factory pipe size whenever possible.

As far as single v. double, single is usually more efficient in terms of performance. One pipe is sufficient to flow the exhaust gases, and the factory system is configured for a single pipe. If you can stand the fact that your truck will sound better on one side than the other, a single exhaust is best. However, all that being said, it’s not a huge difference between single and double (in terms of performance). If you dyno-ed both configurations side by side I doubt you’d notice a significant difference – less than 2 hp.

So, in summary, out of your two options, I like them both. Simply replacing the factory muffler is least expensive, and you might find the sound to be pretty good. If you add two slightly smaller pipes in place of one larger one, you’re probably going to break even in terms of performance and you’ll have a good looking setup. If I were to make one suggestion, it would be to find another muffler shop and get a quote from them. You might like the options they give you better.

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A lot of new Tundra owners upgrade their exhaust systems. In fact, it’s probably the most popular accessory that people add to their new trucks. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it) there are literally HUNDREDS of options. Big names like Borla, Flowmaster, Gibson, and TRD all offer kits for the new Tundra. Of course, if you don’t want to spend that kind of money, or if you like the idea of a custom kit, you can visit your local muffler shop and talk to the experts, and you can even order parts on the internet and install them yourself. Like we said, LOTS of choices.

However a lot of people like to go as “factory” as possible when choosing accessories, and we can certainly understand why. First of all, it’s very easy. If you’ve bought a Tundra, chances are you trust Toyota to make a good product. You can rest assured the TRD exhaust system is a good choice. Secondly a lot of people like factory-backed accessories because they know their won’t be any warranty concerns. Unlike adding an after-market kit, where the directions clearly state “this may violate your factory new vehicle warranty“, you know that a new kit from TRD isn’t going to cause any warranty problems. Finally, there’s just something to be said for having a very “stock” look and feel, even if you have added a bunch of extras.

Whatever your motivation, TRD’s kit is definitely a good choice. To start with, the kit is solid mandrel-bent 409 stainless. 409 stainless is about as good a material as you could ask for, and the mandrel-bent manufacturing process means that any bends in the tubing were done without compromising strength or shape. Since preserving the round shape of the pipe enhances flow, it’s always important to make sure a kit is mandrel bent. Finally, the TRD dual exhaust kit includes double-walled stainless steel tips with an engraved TRD logo. Nice. Looking at a brand new kit, it’s clear that TRD didn’t go cheap.

Installation is also about as easy as they come. This is literally a bolt-on kit. The hardest part of the installation is removing the factory system and dealing with those pesky hangers. If you wanted to, you could definitely put this kit on yourself with basic tools. If you wanted to have someone install it for you, it shouldn’t cost more than $100-$150. Most technicians can have this kit on in under two hours.

Like all after market accessories, there is a lot of argument about just how much power this exhaust kit adds. Generally speaking, after market exhausts by themselves offer little in the way of additional power. Typically, the most you’ll see is a 3-5 hp gain with just about any cat-back system. The TRD kit is no exception — our tests show that the TRD Dual Exhaust for the new Tundra added anywhere from 1 to 5 hp. Unfortunately, the increase in horsepower varied quite a bit depending upon RPM. That’s why we like that “3-5hp” number. Check out the dyno performance graph below.

Click for a larger view.

NOTE: Our dyno tests were conducted in 5th gear, and we truncated the RPM range to ensure that the comparison was as accurate as possible. Unfortunately, tests had to be conducted on different days due to time constraints at the dyno shop. We expect a margin of error of +/- 1 hp.

If the horsepower number doesn’t excite you, when you factor in the feeling you get when you step on the gas, you will feel like adding an exhaust is the best money you ever spent. The TRD kit is excellent in terms of sound — little or no additional noise at idle (almost imperceptible at true idle — very impressive), minimal highway “rumble”, and absolutely fantastic sounds at W.O.T. This kit was designed by Toyota to provide the sound that a lot of V8 owners crave while still being quiet enough to preserve the truck’s finer qualities. This perfect balance of sound is easily the TRD kit’s best attribute.

Here’s some video of the truck’s exhaust — make sure your speakers are on for this one:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Check out this Tundra Solutions thread for more TRD exhaust sound clips (props to mxsjw for posting those sound files).

Like we said in our Toyota Tundra exhaust guide, adding an exhaust system alone isn’t going to get you much power. But if you combine the exhaust system with any other upgrades (like a cold air intake), you’ll likely see a multiplying effect for both. As for adding this kit to your truck, we’ll tell you that the list price of the TRD exhaust kit is $1,154. Some other big names offer kits that are very comparable for less money. We’ll also say that your local muffler shop can probably build you a custom system from scratch for even less than any of the kits you’d buy online, and that your local shop will build a system with equal or better performance than any pre-fabricated kit. In other words, the TRD kit is a little too expensive for our tastes, especially when compared to the local muffler shop. However, if you’re only interested in pre-fabricated cat-back systems, the TRD is an excellent choice.

Don’t get us wrong — the TRD kit is quality, backed by Toyota, and as good as anything you’ll find. In fact, we’re willing to bet this kit’s sound aspects are probably the best on the market (but we can’t back that up until we do some more testing). “If you have the means, we highly recommend it.” [Incidentally, we were able to find some discounted pricing for the TRD exhaust. We're working on getting it for our readers, so stay tuned.]

Bottom Line: The Toyota Tundra TRD Dual Exhaust is excellent, but it’s a little overpriced. If you want to add a quality, factory-backed exhaust system that won’t make your truck sound like a dragster, the TRD product is an excellent choice.

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Check out our UPDATED Tundra accessory list – the TOP 10 accessories for the Toyota Tundra.

So you have the new Toyota Tundra, now what? For quite a few of you, owning this fine machine is enough. After all, why add something to a truck that’s already near perfect?

But the REAL question is why not?

If you find yourself dreaming about a growling dual exhaust, a ridiculously high lift kit, a tree-pulling (and largely extraneous) winch, or chrome parts everywhere, you’re not alone. According to SEMA, an auto industry group that tracks aftermarket accessory sales, the average new truck owner spends $2,250 on accessories. So what are the most popular options and what makes them popular?

TOP 7 TOYOTA TUNDRA ACCESSORIES

1. Spray-in bed liner: Spray-in bed liners are an EXCELLENT addition to any truck. A spray-in liner is made from an extremely durable plastic-like chemical (typically polyurethane, depending upon manufacturer) that bonds with the surface of your Tundra’s bed to create a protective layer. In addition to protecting the factory bed from scratches, the spray-in liner is a non-slip coating that is resistant to just about everything — even chemical spills. Ranging in price from $350 to $500, these liners can be installed in a few hours and will add value to your truck. Most come with a lifetime warranty. Popular brands include Line-X and Rhino.
2. Custom Exhaust: The most popular Tundra engine is the class-leading, 381hp 5.7 liter iForce V8, and it’s a shame that this engine doesn’t come with a more powerful-sounding exhaust. After all, the 5.7L V8 Tundra is the fastest truck on the road…shouldn’t it come with the fastest sounding exhaust too? If you’re looking at putting an exhaust on your Tundra, we’ve got an aftermarket Tundra exhaust guide that talks about the factory exhaust system, power and MPG gains from adding a cat-back system, and the guide even includes a sound sample. Custom exhausts can range from $200 to $1200, so make sure you do some research on this one.
3. Air Intake: One of the easiest and least expensive ways to gain performance on ANY vehicle is to improve breathing. Simply upgrading the factory air filter will usually net you one or two MPG’s and improve throttle response, while adding a sophisticated cold air intake can add as much as 15 horsepower. There is one trade off with upgrading your engine’s air intake system — you’re going to hear a little more engine noise. But, if you’re willing to put up with the sound of your engine sucking in air at full throttle, there’s no reason you shouldn’t consider this upgrade. Prices range from $60 for a new air filter to as much as $400 for a new cold air intake system.
4. Lift Kit: Front-end leveling kits, suspension lifts, and body lifts are together in this category. While most people will choose a relatively simple and straightforward leveling kit or suspension lift, some will option for an outrageous body lift. While we like ANY lifted truck, we don’t like to recommend a lift over 4″ to the casual truck owner. Serious lifts of 4″ or more usually require substantial modification, and often result in reduced on-road performance. But that doesn’t mean a suspension lift or leveling kit isn’t a good idea. These kits usually don’t require modification of the suspension system, relying instead on spacers added to the stock truck. Because these kits don’t require modification of your stock Tundra, they don’t effect your warranty or the way your truck rides or handles. We also like leveling kits and suspension lifts because they’re fairly inexpensive — $100 to $300 for parts, with another $200 for install. You can even install them yourself. We’ve written up a basic review of Tundra leveling kits, with a suspension lift review on the way. Check em’ out.
5. Tires: The best factory tire you can get on a new Tundra is a compromise. Factory tires are designed to be all things to all people. They must be relatively quiet at highway speeds, offer low rolling resistance to help fuel economy, and have fairly flexible sidewalls for good ride quality. At the same time, they’re expected to be able to go off-road, haul thousands of pounds, and have excellent traction. As you can imagine, no one tire can do all of these things. However, the worst aspect of a factory tire is that it was made by the lowest bidder. Every new Tundra owner should take a step back and ask themselves what they’re tires need to do. While a lot of us are going to be happy with the tires on the stock truck, there are a lot of users that need to upgrade. Considering most local tire shops will offer you good money for your factory tires when they’re brand new, there’s no reason not to investigate swapping out your factory tires for something more suited to your needs.
6. Personality: Adding personality to your Tundra is important. Like it or not, a lot of people judge us by the cars we drive. Adding chrome door handles, a billet grill, or Yosemite Sam mud flaps is a way to make our trucks unique. Luckily, the cost of adding personality is low and most appearance parts can be added easily without special tools or skills. We like billet grills, shift knobs, all-weather floor mats, and custom wheels, but the list of personality items you can add to your truck is a mile long and getting longer everyday.
7. Tonneau Covers, Toolboxes, and Truck Caps: Of all the accessories listed, these might actually be the most utilitarian. Adding a toolbox to your truck gives you additional storage space without substantially reducing the size of your truck bed, and a quality toolbox can both look good and be a secure compartment (watch out for cheap toolboxes — they can be broken into by anyone with a screwdriver). Tonneau covers come in all shapes and sizes, from a basic canvas snap cover to a lockable, gas-strut assisted fiberglass model. We’ve heard that Tonneau covers help fuel economy, but we don’t believe it. Finally, a Truck Cap (aka camper shell) is a great option for making sure whatever you’re hauling in the bed isn’t exposed to the elements, and they happen to be a good place to sleep if the situation calls for it. Good toolboxes can be had for as little as $200, basic tonneau covers start at $100, and a simple painted to match fiberglass shell can be had for $750 (including install).

There you have it. The top seven Toyota Tundra Accessories. Over the coming months we’ll be reviewing products in these categories. Leave us a comment if you have an accessory you’d like to mention.

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The new Tundra is a hell of a truck — anyone who’s looked at one will tell you that. Toyota has made a truck that can haul, tow, and race with any half-ton on the road. However, Toyota fit this truck with a relatively quiet exhaust system. If you think your 381 hp 5.7L V8 ought to sound as fast as it is, then this article is for you (BTW, some exhaust dimensions are listed at the bottom of this post).

To start with, Toyota took the time to design a quality exhaust system. In other words, if you never modified your Tundra’s exhaust, you wouldn’t be disappointed. Toyota designed the whole system to be efficient, starting most importantly with the exhaust manifold. That’s because, basically, the new Tundra comes with factory headers (most trucks don’t).

The exhaust manifolds on this truck are some of the most sophisticated factory exhaust manifolds you’ll find — they are a 4 into 2 into 1 design, which has been found to be most efficient for moving exhaust gases quickly. The exhaust manifold is also made out of stainless steel, which is lighter than cast iron (the material most manufacturers use) and more resistant to corrosion. The tubes on the exhaust manifold for each cylinder are also of equal length. Often times, factory exhaust manifolds have unequal length tubes, resulting in different back pressures on each cylinder and contributing to lower performance. By making sure that that cylinders all have equal length tubes, the Tundra’s factory exhaust manifolds are as good as most products available after-market.

In short, the exhaust manifolds on your new Tundra shouldn’t require any modification. If you decide to heavily modify the top end of your motor, then you may want to look into a quality after-market header (when they become available), but for 99% of users, the factory setup is excellent.

From the exhaust manifold (one on each side of the block), your exhaust is going to pass thru two (2) catalytic converters. Unless you intend to race this thing off-road, there’s no good reason to remove your catalytic converters. First of all, it’s illegal to do so. Second, it’s bad for the environment. Third, and most significantly, they really don’t result in that much of a hp loss. Once upon a time catalytic converters would restrict your exhaust significantly. Today’s designs (in the Tundra and otherwise) are fairly performance friendly. Don’t get me wrong — you’d get slightly more performance without them, but do the world a favor and leave them on. Stick with a cat-back exhaust modification.

After the catalytic converters, the exhaust gases from each side of the motor cool somewhat and meet-up at the muffler. Again, the factory system is pretty good. We haven’t tested one, but typically we don’t see a significant hp and torque gain by replacing the factory muffler (3-5hp, 5-10ft-lbs at the most). We are very interested in any dyno testing that anyone has done to confirm or disprove this. However, if you supercharge or otherwise heavily modify the engine the factory muffler should be replaced.

If you decide to replace the factory muffler, the biggest benefit will be the new sound that you hear coming from the pipes. The rumble that we all associate with a V8 is intoxicating, and there are about a hundred different mufflers to choose from to help you get the rumble you want. TRD, Borla, Flowmaster, Gibson, Edelbrock, Magnaflow, etc all offer quality products. While brand is important, it’s more important to know what you want and find the right shop. Most exhaust mufflers, regardless of brand, are interchangeable. Whatever brand you choose, it’s important to remember a few things and ask some good questions at your muffler shop.

First, what do you want? Most people want to hear the exhaust rumble at idle and under acceleration, but not really while cruising on the highway. If you get the wrong muffler, you’ll end up hearing an annoying drone at highway speeds. The experts at the local muffler shop can help (read more about picking the right shop below). Second, do you want something that people can slightly hear when you drive by, or do you want something so loud that the neighbors know exactly what time you leave for work every morning? I hope that it’s the former, but if you decide for the latter, look for words like “racing” or “glasspack”.

Also, do you want a single or dual exhaust? In terms of performance, you usually see the best increase by copying the factory system but upgrading the components. On the Tundra, that would be a single exhaust. But since you’re not going to see much of a performance difference either way, dual exhausts do look and sound better, and that would be our preference.

What material is best? We think that’s a decision that should be based on geography. If you live anywhere near the corrosive effects of saltwater, stainless steel is the smart choice. While it’s more expensive up-front, it will last much longer than galvanized or aluminized steel. People living in dry climates really don’t need to purchase stainless steel — if rust attacks their system, it will be years before anything is damaged.

What about exhaust tips? First of all, go stainless. Anything else will be hard to keep polished. We’ve gone cheap on this in the past and regretted it. Ask to see the tips you’re going to buy along with a cheaper set. If they weigh the same, you’re probably looking at something with a coating. If the expensive set is lighter, you’ve got the real deal in your hands. Tip size shouldn’t be too big either. If you get huge, coffee-can-sized exhaust tips, your back pressure will drop a lot. That’s actually a bad thing — a little back pressure is needed to help the engine perform (it was figured into the design). We recommend sticking with something the same size as your stock exhaust or just a little bigger.

Last, when choosing a muffler shop, ask a lot of questions. We’ve installed a few exhausts and had some bad experiences, so these questions are based on you not making some of the same mistakes we’ve made.

1. Explain your plan to the shop owner, and then ask for their opinion. If they don’t give you a decent response, you’re not dealing with someone who understands what you’re trying to accomplish. Go somewhere else.
2. Ask for a brand recommendation. The best shops will tell you about their premium muffler (i.e. Gibson, Flowmaster, etc.) but they’ll also mention their shop brand. Ask them which they would choose. If they tell you there is much difference between the shop brand and the premium brand, make sure that’s not because they’re trying to sell you a more expensive option.
3. Find out what vehicles they specialize in and if they work with any local car clubs or racing associations. If the shop you’ve found works with a local SCCA chapter or off-road club, they’re probably excellent. If they specialize in import compacts, you may want to go somewhere else.
4. Ask for referrals and recommendations. Reputable shops will be able to list off five or ten local businesses (mod shops, car dealers, etc.) that they work with.
5. Ask them how they assemble the system, how the tubes will be bent, if they’re going to use the factory hangers, etc. If you don’t like the answers you get, you might want to shop a little more.
6. Don’t spend more than about $600 for a cat-back system (installed). We like the TRD product, but for $742.50 (a recent quote we got from a local dealer) PARTS ONLY, we think you could have a nice exhaust system and a half a dozen cases of beer.

Last, check out this recent install by blackgts2002 (must be forum member to see profile), a member of TundraSolutions.com since 2005. He had a dual Flowmaster 70 series put on his new 5.7L Toyota Tundra. We especially like it because of the quiet tone at idle and at steady RPM, while still sounding very impressive under acceleration. The duals look great (he’s chosen what appears to be a quality tip), and the cost and quality is exactly what we’d expect from a good shop. We hope you have the same success with your custom exhaust set-up.
Nice!

2007 Toyota Tundra exhaust system dimensions:

These were found on the TundraSolutions forum — make sure you check your own setup before ordering anything.

Exhaust pipe outside diameter measurements:

At rear of catalytic converters: 2 3/8 inch

From post catalytic flange to factory muffler: 2 1/8 inch

Out of muffler to exhaust tip: 2 3/4 inch

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