December 20, 2011

Lawson Industries 3 Step Guide for Choosing The Right Muffler

The job description of a muffler is simple: noise reduction. Once internal combustion takes place, the engine expels exhaust gasses in the form of high pressure pulses. These high pressure pulses create very powerful sound waves, and the muffler is tasked with reducing this powerful sound to a tolerable level.

While the job description is simple, the way in which a muffler performs its main task is more varied and complicated. Ideally, an aftermarket muffler will provide a good performance exhaust tone without creating too much power-stealing backpressure. Depending on the style, a muffler uses some combination of baffles, chambers, perforated tubes, and/or sound deadening material to achieve this goal. Lawson Industries configures these components in different ways to produce different exhaust tones. To help you choose the right muffler for your sound and performance tastes, we’ve created this 3 Step Guide for Choosing The Right Muffler:

1. Find the Right Fit: Inlets, Diameters & More No matter what style of muffler you choose, you’ll need to ask yourself a few questions about your existing exhaust system:
   • Is it a single or dual system? This will help you determine the number of inlets you need on your muffler. For example, a single exhaust will require a single inlet on the muffler. If you’re merging a dual exhaust into one muffler, you’ll need a dual-inlet muffler.
   • What is the exhaust pipe diameter? You’ll need to match your inlets, and in some cases outlets, to match your existing exhaust diameter.
   • How much room is available for the muffler(s)? You’ll need to make sure the outside dimensions of your muffler allow for proper clearance under the vehicle. The right length will ensure easy installation and proper clamping; the right casing size and shape will allow it to fit within the confines of your vehicle’s undercarriage.
     
     
2. Choose a Style: Chambered vs. Turbo vs. Straight-ThroughThe three main muffler styles are chambered, turbo, and straight-through. Each style has its own set of benefits and drawbacks:
   
   • Chambered Mufflers:Ideal for street machines and musclecars, chambered mufflers are designed to reduce exhaust noise while providing a throaty performance sound for the street. They use a series of inner chambers that are configured at specific lengths to reflect sound waves against each other. As the sound waves bounce into one another, they cancel each other out, causing a reduction in exhaust noise. The exact exhaust tone and noise reduction of chambered mufflers depends on the size and number of the chambers. Insynerator Performance Series, Race Series & Big Body mufflers are all chambered mufflers manufactured by Lawson Industries.
   • Turbo Mufflers: Typically use a set of perforated tubes, which often guide the exhaust gasses through the muffler in an S-shaped pattern. Although this design is more restrictive than other styles, the S-design allows the gasses to travel through more tubing for better noise reduction. Ideal for street applications, some turbo-style mufflers also incorporate a sound deadening material, which is packed around the tubes for increased muffling. Lawson’s version of this muffler is the TurboMax.
   • Straight-through Mufflers or Glasspacks: These are designed to allow maximum flow—and horsepower. Straight-through Mufflers or Glasspacks feature a straight, perforated pipe wrapped in sound absorbing material such as fiberglass packing. Lawson Industries manufactures several versions of straight-through mufflers. The Insynerator Resonator Series features our classic glasspack muffler. This is the loudest of our straight-through mufflers. Rush Performance Mufflers are stainless steel mufflers packed with acoustical fiber around a large mandrel bent core. This is our best flowing muffler. It creates almost no flow restriction while offering you a deep and tuned performance sound.
     
     
3. Consider Construction: Aluminized vs. Stainless Steel Mufflers: The muffler body is usually made of aluminized or stainless steel. The advantage of choosing an aluminized steel muffler is cost. Aluminized steel is generally less expensive than stainless steel; however, stainless steel mufflers offer superior corrosion resistance, durability, and life span than the aluminized steel versions. Lawson Industries also offers mufflers with special ceramic and powder coatings to resist weathering and heat damage.

When shopping for a performance exhaust the Lawson Industries 3 Step Guide for Choosing the Right Muffler is a great tool to get you started. There are always other variables to consider depending on your application, but the Lawson Industries staff can help answer any questions you might have.