I got a 1999 ford ranger swapped with a AWD 1997 explorer 5.0 Im looking to make it louder as now its just straight piped (single exit behind passenger rear tire). I want to do a cat delete but the cats are in terrible places. I've looked everywhere for a y pipe with the correct amount of 02 bungs. I can't find anything. I also can't find out the dimensions so I can have a piece of pipe bent to the right dimensions. The y pipes now come down from the manifolds and have the cats then go into one pipe to the rear about after the front door. What are your suggestions. I like my trucks loud and it just being straight piped isn't enough for me.

 

I would look at Explorer V8 5.0l custom exhausts, won't find much for Ranger, because they never came with V8s, but lots of info for Explorer or Mountaineer V8 exhaust changes

You can make a dual exhaust, so no "Y" pipe needed
You will have an issue with CEL coming on because of no CATS

No CATS is a Federal issue so most shops can't/won't do it, $25,000 fine for a shop, $2,500 for a person who removes CATS, just FYI

Shops can make you any custom pipes you need, just get a larger copper wire and bend it the way you want/need, and they can bend a pipe size of your choice to match it, thats legal for them to do, just don't mention deleting the CATS

Working CATS don't effect performance, but yes they do muffle the sound

 

Whats the loudest setup without removing the cats then? id like to keep to legal if possible. but its not near as loud as would like it.

 

Larger diameter CAT back pipes make for a lower tone, and the straighter the better

Think pipe organ or Tuba, an organ or tuba just uses air pushed thru a tube, larger diameter and longer = lower tone
Low frequencies travel farther, this is why you can hear the sub-woofer from a car 5 cars back at a stop light, lol, can't hear the song but sure can hear the bass sounds
They are not technically "louder" but are more powerful because of the longer waves, definitely will irritate the neighbors in the morning

 

just put high flow cats on there and flowmaster super 10 mufflers. it will sound extra gnarly bro

 

Cheapest high flow cats?