2021 RAM 1500 5.7 – Stock Exhaust Sounds Different After Repair

[MattRessss]

Hey folks, first post here, though I’ve been reading the forum since I bought my 2021 RAM 1500 Big Horn 5.7 a couple of years ago.


I’ve loved the truck and it’s been flawless so far… mostly. One thing I really liked from day one was the exhaust sound. As far as I know it was completely stock—quiet overall, but with character. Nice deep tone, and a good (not obnoxious) roar when getting on the throttle. I never felt the need to upgrade the exhaust.


Recently, an exhaust hanger broke and the tailpipe was basically dangling. Because of that, another part of the exhaust system failed as well (around where the two pipes meet near the middle of the truck), and it suddenly got very loud. I took it to a shop and they fixed everything, but now the original sound I liked is completely gone.


The truck is much quieter in the cabin, and the tone has shifted from deep and throaty to a higher, more generic “car-like” sound. To really hear the V8 now, I have to push it much harder than before, which I don’t love.


Is there anything I can do to bring back that deeper tone I had before the issue? I’d really prefer not to change the exhaust if possible—I don’t want a loud truck, just the deeper sound it used to have.


Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[1923bob]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[cuda75]

My guess is there was something wrong with it before being fixed, may have had an exhaust leak and you didn't even know it. The bolts on the flange connector before the muffler are pretty common to rust and break. My 19' had it happen, I barely noticed it getting louder and didn't think much of it. One day it got pretty loud and found both the bolts had broke. I'd ask the shop if they saw anything else that may have been broken before the hanger broke. Mine is very quiet and doesn't have much V8 sound either when everthing is ok, too quiet to me too but don't want to spend the money on it.

 

[mikeru82]

My guess is there was something wrong with it before being fixed, may have had an exhaust leak and you didn't even know it. The bolts on the flange connector before the muffler are pretty common to rust and break. My 19' had it happen, I barely noticed it getting louder and didn't think much of it. One day it got pretty loud and found both the bolts had broke. I'd ask the shop if they saw anything else that may have been broken before the hanger broke. Mine is very quiet and doesn't have much V8 sound either when everthing is ok, too quiet to me too but don't want to spend the money on it.

I would agree with this diagnosis. We’ve owned three 5th gens with the 5.7 from new and the stock exhaust is quite quiet from inside the cab. So I changed out the stock exhaust on all three of them so I could actually enjoy the exhaust sound.

I noticed a lot of corrosion on the stock exhaust bolts when I changed them out, so it wouldn’t surprise me if at least one of them had rusted through and cause a small exhaust leak on your truck @MattRessss .