Flowmaster 717889 Flowmaster FlowFX Cat-Back Exhaust System

The package arrived right on schedule. There was a tear in one end of the box, but after examining every item, there was no damage to the product.I installed this exhaust system on a 2022 Ram 1500. The instructions are well written, easy to follow, and gave clear pictures that matched my underbody almost to a "T". Removing the factory Ram exhaust went rather smoothly, except for the one hangar directly above the muffler (even after dousing it with lube it decided to be very stubborn). If you've never dealt with these modern rubber exhaust hangars... do yourself a huge favor and buy an exhaust hangar tool (even if it's just a cheap $10 tool).I did encounter a couple of snags during the installation of this system. Firstly, the instructions indicated that I needed to cut 9" off the inlet pipe. I cut exactly 9" off, cleaned the pipe, and proceeded to install. When I set the extension pipe into the inlet pipe, it was about a full inch longer than it should be to reach the hangar properly (I made double-sure the inlet pipe was fully seated into the extension pipe). I removed the inlet pipe and took an additional 1" off, and everything aligned perfectly after that.The second snag was a bit more of a problem. I installed the entire system just barely snug to allow for adjustments. The 3" pipe clamps worked like a charm, however, when it came to the 2 1/2" clamps, none of them would tighten down adequately. I've dealt with this style exhaust clamp before and it seems that the band material on these clamps is simply too thick to properly seat into the reaction block and therefore stretch onto the pipe properly. After trying by hand to tighten the clamps down, unsuccessfully, I went ahead and put the air on them to see if I could force them to stretch. I broke two bolts before deciding to stop. Fortunately I had several 2 1/2" U-bolt clamps in the shop which worked perfectly. I did go ahead and throw some quick MIG welds on all the joints, but for someone without a welder, those clamps would be a real issue!As far as the quality of the product, I can say that this exhaust system is top-notch (aside from the clamp issue stated above, of course). The pipe is very thick and has been bent perfectly... and all visible welds were clean and professional. I can easily see this system lasting longer than the truck!I was a little disappointed upon examining the muffler, though. Rather than having the traditional Flowmaster welded baffles, the FlowFX appears to have, basically, a "cherry bomb" inside of it (a perforated tube, likely surrounded by fiberglass or ceramic matting for absorbing sound). I've built a fair number of classic muscle cars/trucks in the past and always used Flowmaster 40 series mufflers because they just sound so darn good. That Flowmaster "ping" in the exhaust really sets it apart, in my opinion. This new style muffler just doesn't deliver that whatsoever.Even though I was disappointed with the lack of the classic Flowmaster "ping", the exhaust system does sound really good. It delivers a nice, smooth, deep tone that isn't so loud that you have to shut the truck down in drive-through lanes, but also has plenty of growl when you step on that accelerator. There's also no obnoxious popping or cab drone. Overall I'm quite pleased with the way the exhaust sounds... I wasn't looking for "weekend drag car", just a nice, moderate rumble, and this system does that perfectly.I would have definitely given this product 5 stars if it wasn't for the clamp issue. If I didn't have those extra exhaust clamps in my shop I would have had to go to the store to buy some just to be able to drive the truck. This is the only reason I gave 4 stars.

I’m giving 3 stars because the quality of this system is very nice. I’m only giving 3 stars because I was looking for a powerful deep tone as this system states but it is not so powerful it’s just a deep rumble. I sent it back and went with the Carven catbback