In layman’s terms, a catback exhaust system provides a smoother, more streamlined path for exhaust gases to exit your car, allowing your engine to work more efficiently. When catalytic converters were first introduced, most vehicles used carburetors that provided a relatively rich air-fuel ratio. Oxygen (O2) levels in the exhaust stream were therefore generally insufficient for the catalytic reaction to occur efficiently.

Straight-through, or flow-through, mufflers have perforated baffles and packing material that provides a conservative level of sound absorption while still keeping sound output moderately loud. Glasspack mufflers perform similar to resonators due to their design and lack of sound-absorbing packing material, so they tend to be louder and higher pitched. For compression-ignition (i.e., diesel) engines, the most commonly used catalytic converter is the diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC). This catalyst converts particulate matter (PM), hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide and water. These converters often operate at 90 percent efficiency, virtually eliminating diesel odor and helping reduce visible particulates. These catalysts are ineffective for NOx, so NOx emissions from diesel engines are controlled by exhaust gas recirculation (2014 ram 2500 egr delete kit).

Exhaust systems are integral to your ride’s performance