Hello everyone! Today we will be talking about aftermarket exhausts for the Explorer ST. Enjoy!
The goal for aftermarket exhaust is to improve sound and improve airflow out of the engine. The more efficient the engine gets rid of spent exhaust, the more power it can make. So the biggest exhaust possible will be the most beneficial right?
“You call it an tunnel, I call it a concert hall.”
Well no. The engine only expels a certain amount of gas. Even though a stock exhaust may have a lower maximum flow rate then an aftermarket exhaust, that increase potential could never be realized if the engine doesn’t need that extra capacity. This is the case for the Explorer ST. The stock exhaust flows very well, and does not become a restriction until you start upgrading turbos or going FBO (fuel system, E85, all other upgrades). So for basic bolt-on ST’s, exhausts won’t benefit them.
Aftermarket Exhaust Comparison
This doesn’t mean exhausts are a complete waste of money for basic bolt-on cars. The stock exhaust is built very poorly. The welds are prone to breaking and the metal is no better than scrap metal, and the stock exhaust tips look horrible. And of course, the main reason. Sound!
Nicer tips
If you like the quiet exhaust but want something better looking than the tiny 2” quad-tips that come stock, it is quite simple to make it look better. 3” quad-tips with a 2” inlet slips right on with no fabrication. It is as simple as cutting off the stock tips, and welding in or screwing in the new exhaust tips. I do not recommend screw-in type tips, as they have a good probability of falling off however. 4” exhaust tips will fit with some fabrication, but you will need a 2.5” inlet so that you can properly space the tips. They will fit in the diffuser perfectly but are not as easy as just slipping them on.
Muffler Delete
A very cheap option is to do a muffler delete. It sounds decent, but it will drone like crazy on the highway.
Resonator Delete
A resonator delete usually does wonders, as shown in the Mustang GT for example. Unfortunately the res delete on these Explorer’s will give it a very tinny sound as well as some drone.
Borla and Ford Performance
The Borla and Ford Performance exhaust (simply a rebranded Borla exhaust) are not good choices. The Borla and FP exhausts do not replace the flex pipes (which are prone to rattling) like all other offerings near the price point do. This is especially disappointing because the Borla is priced the same as the AWE and Thermal units, and the Ford Performance exhaust is the most expensive exhaust. On top of that, it still retains the stock diameter 2.25 in. exhaust piping.
Valvetronic (custom)
A custom option that a few people have done is make a custom exhaust with a pair of modified Valvetronic mufflers. It takes some work to get it to work, but some may enjoy the option of having valved mufflers. A neat feature is that you can program the mufflers valve actuators to the garage door opener.
Flowmaster
Hands down the worst exhaust setup, is the Dronemasters….ahem, Flowmasters Flow FX exhaust. Poorly designed, and droning a lot, it sounds horrific.
Corsa
A decent option is the Corsa cat-back exhaust. It is decent, but has a tendency to drone when paired with downpipes.
Thermal 2.5” Exhaust
A great choice if you do not want something too loud, is the Thermal 2.5” exhaust. Stock-like when driving around town, and pretty mild on WOT.
Thermal 3” Exhaust
One of the top all-around exhaust is the Thermal 3” exhaust. Zero drone, mild sound when normal driving, and awesome sounding on acceleration.
AWE Exhaust
Another exhaust that is great, and my personal favorite, is the AWE Exhaust. Same pros as the Thermal, zero drone, mild sound when normal driving, and awesome sounding on acceleration. The exhaust tips are awesome too, 4″ exhaust tips fill in the rear valance awesomely. It does have a deeper exhaust note I noticed over the Thermal.
Down Pipes
I will leave this for another article, but it is important to know. Downpipes help power quite a bit, and therefore are not in the same boat the exhausts.
Warranty vs Aftermarket Exhausts
Any aftermarket part has the possibility to void warranty, there’s no way around that. However, exhausts run a very low risk of voiding warranty because they have a really low failure rate (if any), and would be very hard for Ford to falsely point to and say caused a problem. If you want to read more about warranty and modding, check out the article below:
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Explorer ST Enthusiasts 