Hey guys i need some help here, I have a 1994 ford f-150 lightning and I am thinking of getting straight pipes put on it with no cats. I have heard that by doing this that it will screw up my back pressure and eventually burn up the top end. Is this true and if I still get the pipes but leave the cats on will it be ok then and will this still have a stronger louder sound to it? Let me know what you all think!!

If you run straight pipes you should be fine just run a little smaller pipe to get more back pressure, it probably wont sound as good though. I have the exhaust cut off at the end of the cab with no muffler and it sounds good. With the long tail pipes it pops and krackles more i think.

Well i was thinking about running the pipes out the passenger side in front of the rear tire so the pipes wouldnt be as long to avoid the popping and krackle. But I guess ill ask around some more and see what would sound best. Thanks

That will wreck you RR wheel. Think back to the 1997 F-150.

So i should stick with running em straight out the back then?

If you have 2 cats on there now that are good, use those and go to the back with dual 2". If your cats are shot or not able to be re-routed out of easily, ditch them and use two individual mufflers that you can see straight through. 2-2.25" or so. anygody still make Glasspacks? two long ones of those, 24x2.5" are pretty hard to beat on a V8 in my opinion.

If your motor is stock I would leave the exhaust alone,,I had a H-pipe made for my stang back years ago and killed the bottom end torque,,lost 2 tenths and 4mph in the 1/4,, put the stock cats and H-pipe back on the next day and couldn't beleive the diff,, I also put a set of two chamber flow masters on and went with larger tail pipes 1/2 form factory 1/4,, bottom end was not noticable but I did lose a tenth and 1mph somewere along the line,, I would not mess with the Ford stock exhaust system unless you have mods and need to open it up... R2R

I agree. I had 2 inch true dual with two cherrybomb glass packs and no cats on my 94 f150. I still think it was the best sounding truck iv heard. If you do do this put the glass packs as close to the engine as possible and run the pipes out the back.

2" pipe on small fords sounds like shit! 2 1/4" true duals with glass packs is ok if your tailpipes aren't too long. Long tails and small pipes make it sound like a freakin clown car.
I have done duals on a LOT of trucks and Fords for some reason never sound as good as a Chevy.
This is my opinion and mine only.

My buddy has a '95 F-150 with a 302 with straight side pipes. The truck sounds insane. Without a doubt the best sounding Pick-up I have ever heard. That's my opinion tho, others may not like it. I think they are like 2.5 inch pipes. It's loud as hell as you can imagine.

your kidding right?

I believe he means that the wheel will more than likley become discolored and look like crap. not actually destroyed. we had a 97 150 -first (and only I think?) year with the short pipe exiting in front of the wheel. Ford swapped out the complete setup from the Y back to convert it to the old style. all one piece design like they are now if I remember correctly. that particular XLT also showed up with only one chrome mirror and one black one...somebody goofed on the line.

it wont do anything to it as long as you clean you wheels like once a month lol i have alot of friends who run side exhaust before the tire and it does nothing to them diesels its covers the wheel in soot but your more likely to get brake dust all over them than exhaust grime.

OMG DIESEL

I've replaced many of those 97 F150 wheels and exhaust systems under warranty. It turned the wheels to shit - the steel ones anyways, don't know how it'd effect aluminum like the lightening probably has - I would think it would be worse on aluminum

i have a 97 with side exhaust, bought it new, aluminum wheels still look new, as long as you stay on top of keeping them clean.

Here is my truck with no muffler and the exhuast dumped about where the bed starts. It sounds alot better in person. I'm planning on putting a hi flow cat on it soon and then i'm going to put my thrush muffler back on.

http://www.youtube.com/user/SledNeck9129