Hello all,

Anyone have any experience w/ the NISMO cat back setup. I had one installed and at highway speeds it DROWNS!!! Damn loud. Sounds like it hits a resonant freq w/ the body between 70-80. And no I will not slow down! Any thoughts? thanks.

As I think you are the first one here to install one that I know of....mmm..you MAY be our foremost xpert on the Nismo exhaust...other than being loud under throttle how is it at idle? Well constructed?? Aluminum or stainless?

The only issue I have with the NISMO is the highway resonance. The unit is entirely stainless from cat to tip. I believe the flanges are stainless as well. The unit shipped with the resonator and exhaust tip thoroughly wrapped in bubble wrap as these surfaces are highly polished. The unit is comprised of three pieces, the y-pipe assembly complete with flex section to mate with the dual cats, the resonator assembly and the tail pipe with a polished exhaust tip. The unit installs much easier than the removal of the stock system since it is a three-piece system.

The curb idle is very pleasant. The performance exhaust tone is present but subdued. The level of construction is first rate. The welds are excellent and the flanges and hanger points line up perfectly. Overall the system is well designed and executed, but this system is I believe on the fringe of being off-road only. Nissan seams to have pushed the full throttle noise level to the upper end of the spectrum legally speaking.

unimorpheus,

I have to be honest, I don't drive that fast most of the time as the New York State Troopers are something fierce near me. However, I have installed a Dynomax muffler in leu of my factory muffler (using the factory piping) and my exhaust is fairly loud, although not obnoxious. It seems to have two peaks, somewhere around 1,200 rpms (which is a low deep tone) and then again at around 2,500 rpms which is a rich mid tone (almost a 60-cycle hum).

I'm curious to know at what rpm is yours the loudest?

-Phil

Hey Phil, Where in NY are ya?

Albany

Phil R,

The exhaust peaks you site are very close to mine. What I have noticed is at 2000 rpm the exhaust is relatively quiet. At 75-80mph and 3000rms the exhaust is quite loud. The X needs another gear or a lock-up torque converter to bring the rpm down to around 2500. 60Hz hum is a good way to describe the sound but a rich mile tone? A 60Hz hum is any thing but rich and mild, particularly at high volume over a period of extended drive time.

It sounds like ours both peak at the same spots. That might be indicative of the 3.3L engine or the resonators used on our trucks. I don't know.

What is pretty clear is that yours must be louder than mine. I like that for my daily driver. My 318ti has a much louder exhaust and in fact is too loud for daily driving. I think that's why I when soft-core with the setup on my X. I do find however that if I get sick of listening to my exhaust at a hight dB level, I just drive slightly faster or slower and "poof" gone. If you can't do that with yours and it's driving you nuts (Ok, that was a bad pun), there's always Ebay.

Good luck and I hope you do enjoy it.

-Phil

this is for a 2004 Xterra. the Y-pipe goes IN FRONT OF the cats (makes most sense)? that makes this a cat-back system with something extra. How's the Y-pipe look? did you have any problems with the instln?

I'm considering this system instead of the Gibson, mainly because it has the cat-forward Y-pipe.

2WD 2004:
Sorry, you are wrong.. The cats are bolted to the manifolds.. The ypipe is bolted to the cat outlets, and the front of the muffler.

unimorpheus:
All xterras have lock up tork converters.

I still think the NISMO system works best w/ the X. Had to deaden the rear of the X but the system is top notch.

HOW did you "deaden the rear"? liner under the carpet? wrap on the exhaust tubing? different muffler?

how much did you get the setup for? and where?