What's up, everybody?
I'm Justin with americantrucks.com, and this is going to be my detailed review and install
of the Roush Performance three-inch cat-back exhaust system, featuring the single-side
exit configuration, available for your 2011 through 2014 5-liter powered F-150.
Plain and simple, guys, the Roush cat-back in this video should appeal to the five-liter
truck owners out there who want a loud and unruly system for their rig.
If you like the look of the single-side exit configuration and would prefer to keep things
rather affordable compared to some of your other options in the category.
Speaking of pricing, you're looking at the mid-$600 price point for the Roush system,
giving it middle-of-the-road honors in regards to some of your other options on the site.
It will get a strong one out of three wrenches on the difficulty meter from me, as there
might be some cutting involved, depending on your cab and bed size.
But we will have some more detail on that later on.
Now, Roush is certainly synonymous with Ford and F-150 performance in general, and have
an awesome reputation within the community just simply based off of name alone.
Another reputation they have going for them with their exhaust systems here is that they
are going to be loud.
That certainly is the case with the '11 to '14 5-liter option on the table.
With that said, let's rate this screamer on my patented "Wake the Neighbors" scale.
Honestly, guys, I kinda struggled a little bit.
I went back and forth between a strong four and a soft five, ultimately landing on a strong
four out of five on my one to five, or "one to wake the neighbors" scale.
You're getting plenty of volume here with the Roush, no doubt about that.
But the five is kind of sacred ground reserved for the loudest of loud, your Borla Atak,
your Flowmaster Outlaw, Corsa Xtreme, things like that.
But at the same time, I really enjoy the tone from the Roush overall.
It's a nice deep tone, no real rasp to speak of, and it's kind of a polished or refined
loud.
That being said, you still are getting moments of rawness.
There are some crackles and pops coming down off the revs, and yes.
You're going to hear this thing a little bit inside of the cab of your truck, but I would
definitely not consider this thing drone-y by any means.
Well, let's talk a little bit more about how the Roush system gets its loud and aggressive
tone.
Honestly, you've got two big things working for you here, guys.
First and foremost, there's a lead pipe coming off your cat connection.
I don't have it on the table with me here, because I just simply ran out of room.
But that pipe is going to take place of your factory resonator, eliminating it in the process
and helping to add a little bit more volume to the system.
Secondly, you do have Roush's straight-through by design muffler working for you here in
the system, which obviously doesn't muffle much of anything.
Instead, it just helps add a little bit more bark to the system overall, while making for
a very free-flowing system as well.
As always guys, feel free to check out some of the customer reviews on this product here,
because yes, our sound clips are great.
I do my best to try to tell you what this thing will sound like.
But it's always nice to hear some real-world customer feedback from some guys that actually
have this on their rig.
Now, as far as construction and materials are concerned, well, this is a Roush system
overall.
Historically, we always tend to see nice stuff from them, and that certainly is the case
here with this particular cat-back.
You're looking at 409-grade stainless steel throughout with this particular cat-back.
It certainly isn't the 304-grade stainless you'll see with the premium systems.
But that being said, it will be a lot better than the entry-level material, that aluminized
steel, when it comes to reducing corrosion.
Nevertheless, guys, Roush does back this cat-back with their limited three-year warranty for
a little added piece of mind.
Rounding out the construction, you'll find three-inch mandrel-bent tubing leading into
and out of that straight-through by design Roush muffler, before exiting out the polished
"Y-pipe tip," as Roush calls it, in the factory location right behind that passenger side
rear tire.
Now, the tips themselves, they're actually made from 304-grade stainless, which is nice,
because that's what you're going to see the most and they should remain looking good for
years to come.
Just a quick heads-up here, guys.
Roush does offer the same exact system, but with a rear exit configuration.
It's going to dump underneath that rear bumper on the passenger side.
Definitely a unique look, if that's what you're after.
Otherwise, you can just stick with the single-side exit configuration here.
Let's dive a little bit more into the installation, guys, as promised earlier.
I'm sticking with a strong one out of three wrenches on the difficulty meter here, maybe
an hour or two from start to finish depending on your setup and your expertise.
Yes.
You might encounter some cutting, depending on your wheelbase, or basically your cab and
bed length.
But the instructions will lay out very clearly if and where you need to cut.
As far as tools, what you're looking at, a basic socket set here, obviously, a cutting
tool, Sawzall, fresh metal blade, chop saw, whatever you have access to.
Personally, I always like to recommend a little PB Blast or WD-40 to help you with some rusty
bolts, but also with those rubber exhaust hangers, as they can be a little tricky.
Now, before you can get started with the installation, you have to uninstall that factory system,
of course.
So loosen up that forward-most clamp, slide the system back off the hangers, and then
drop it down.
Just be careful.
It is one piece.
It is a little heavy to muscle around by yourself.
Now, you can get to work installing that new Roush system.
But before you start hanging some pipes, go ahead and reference those instructions first,
just to determine if and where you need to cut.
If you do, go ahead and make your cut outside of the truck, on a table, on a vice, something
similar.
Then, you can get to work actually installing the system.
Once your cut has been made, now you can get to work actually hanging the system.
I always like to recommend starting from front to back here.
That's going to be your best bet.
Another piece of advice, go ahead and hang the entire system first, before your final
tighten up.
Snug things up a little bit, but don't make them too tight.
This way, you can make small adjustments to the pipes, and then of course the tip itself,
before hammering everything home with your socket set or impact gun, and your installation
is complete.
Wrapping things up, guys, what can I say?
The Roush system rocks.
It's loud, it's affordable, and you can grab one right here at americantrucks.com.
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