[Florida Roadie]

After reading all the horror stories regarding the Nitro 07 models And being of limited intelligence ,I bought my 2008 ,R/T ,4x4 ,AT, Nitro anyway. What I've discoved is that I must be one of the lucky ones. I have zero problems with it. I have read about too hard seats,too much engine noise,unruly tranny's and computers that have a mind of there own.Gas milage that can bankrupt the Waltons.
My Nitro must be a mutant .If it does have a problem it's that it's almost sterile.The engine is so quiet that I'm about to add Dyna-flow dual exhaust just so I have some feedback.The seats are just firm enough to do well on longer trips. The 5 speed tranny could not be smoother or quicker. The gas milage is just about the same in city driving as my former SUV ,a Honda Element. I do think the steering could have a little more feed back but my wife describes it as "Drives like a car ".So if you have an 08 lets hear from you to confirm if things have really improved with the newer model.
Florida Roadie ,
AKA Buzz

 

[MCNABB]

not a r/t

After reading all the horror stories regarding the Nitro 07 models And being of limited intelligence ,I bought my 2008 ,R/T ,4x4 ,AT, Nitro anyway. What I've discoved is that I must be one of the lucky ones. I have zero problems with it. I have read about too hard seats,too much engine noise,unruly tranny's and computers that have a mind of there own.Gas milage that can bankrupt the Waltons.
My Nitro must be a mutant .If it does have a problem it's that it's almost sterile.The engine is so quiet that I'm about to add Dyna-flow dual exhaust just so I have some feedback.The seats are just firm enough to do well on longer trips. The 5 speed tranny could not be smoother or quicker. The gas milage is just about the same in city driving as my former SUV ,a Honda Element. I do think the steering could have a little more feed back but my wife describes it as "Drives like a car ".So if you have an 08 lets hear from you to confirm if things have really improved with the newer model.
Florida Roadie ,
AKA Buzz

florida roadie, i got a 40 series 2 chamber muffler installed on my nitro and it makes a tremendous amount of awesome tone. vvvrrrrooooomm, vvvvrrrooommm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mcnabb in louisiana...........

 

[Florida Roadie]

Awesome tone ?

florida roadie, i got a 40 series 2 chamber muffler installed on my nitro and it makes a tremendous amount of awesome tone. vvvrrrrooooomm, vvvvrrrooommm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mcnabb in louisiana...........

Sadly I haven't heard one Dyna-flow in person. Only those simulated by the mfg. Some where here I heard a set of dual's .They sounded good but I didn't know if they were on a 3.7 or 4.0 engine. Maybe i'll call you on the land line and you can go outside and hold the phone down near the tail pipe. Seriously I don't want a noisey racket for my Nitro. My G 35 has a very cool sound and it's a V6. I guess I'll just have to take my chances.
Florida Roadie.

 

[MyBluNITRO]

After reading all the horror stories regarding the Nitro 07 models And being of limited intelligence ,I bought my 2008 ,R/T ,4x4 ,AT, Nitro anyway. What I've discoved is that I must be one of the lucky ones. I have zero problems with it. I have read about too hard seats,too much engine noise,unruly tranny's and computers that have a mind of there own.Gas milage that can bankrupt the Waltons.
My Nitro must be a mutant .If it does have a problem it's that it's almost sterile.The engine is so quiet that I'm about to add Dyna-flow dual exhaust just so I have some feedback.The seats are just firm enough to do well on longer trips. The 5 speed tranny could not be smoother or quicker. The gas milage is just about the same in city driving as my former SUV ,a Honda Element. I do think the steering could have a little more feed back but my wife describes it as "Drives like a car ".So if you have an 08 lets hear from you to confirm if things have really improved with the newer model.
Florida Roadie ,
AKA Buzz

I have a 2007 R/T built in March. I have had zero problems with it, 7,400 miles now. The R/Ts in general were pretty much problem free from the beginning. There was only one recall early on for the transmission in the R/T, and that only applied to ones built before January 21st 2007. Production didn't start on the R/T until December 4th, 2006, so just over a month of production applied to the transmission recall. This recall was an electronic reprogram only.

Now with the new brake recall, this will apply to all Nitros across the model line-up including all R/Ts. It is also an electronic reprogram. I just got my notice yesterday. I do not feel it imperative that I take it in right away as mine has never displayed any problems braking.

So, yours is typical of all R/Ts built to date. They all ride, drive and feel just like yours. They are super vehicles and do drive very much like a car. As McNabb did, I installed a 40 series FlowMaster with dual exhausts on my Nitro a week after I bought it and have never looked back. The sound clip that you heard on this forum is of my R/T. After reading your recent post, you don't want that much sound. Maybe a Magnaflow would be better for you, it is not as loud as the FlowMaster.

Still, the Nitro is still the most fun to drive new vehicle I have driven in years, and I just got through driving a bunch more on test drives while looking for my sister a new vehicle. She ended up getting a Nissan Rogue, so to each their own.

 

[Florida Roadie]

MyBluNITRO ..Thanks for the input regarding your upgraded exhaust system. You've helped me towards a decision .About the info expressed, based on your personal Nitro experience , is what I expected to see / hear. Although your R/T has performed well ,I think the 08 is even better.
Best wishes & thanks again.
Florida Roadie.

 

[MCNABB]

flowmaster 40 series 2 chamber

Sadly I haven't heard one Dyna-flow in person. Only those simulated by the mfg. Some where here I heard a set of dual's .They sounded good but I didn't know if they were on a 3.7 or 4.0 engine. Maybe i'll call you on the land line and you can go outside and hold the phone down near the tail pipe. Seriously I don't want a noisey racket for my Nitro. My G 35 has a very cool sound and it's a V6. I guess I'll just have to take my chances.
Florida Roadie.

florida roadie, since i have the flowmaster muffler installed on my nitro, these are the changes that have happened. i have only a single tailpipe in the right rear, wish there was room for a second but on opposite sides. when i start the nitro there is a very distinctive vrrooommm that comes out. this is something that actually happened to me. i was at a local fuel station one day and was fueling the nitro and a family from texas pulled along side of me. never made eye contact with any of them. it was hot that day and my mom was with me so i did a no-no and left the nitro running so that the air conditioner would keep her cool. when at idle, the nitro has a constant head turning mild rumbling coming out of its pipe making it sound like there is a beasty thing under the hood, no not my exwife, and i was almost finish fueling and the dad of the family poked his head around the corner and said, "hey, is that one of those nitros?", i said yes, he said "whatcha got a v-8 in there, it sounds good!", nope just a 3.7 liter v-6 and he said, "yeah right" and i said it again, only the v-6 but that i had a flowmaster muffler put on it, then he said, "what is a flowmaster?", i explained. i've had friends tell me that it sounds like i have a small v-8 motor in the nitro because of the sound coming out of the pipe.

i will admit that when i do put the pedal to the metal that there is a minor to moderate amount of extra noise that comes out of the rear and some can be heard from inside the vehicle. at normal 55-60 mph speeds there is a little bit of noise from the rear, so it is definitely never quiet, the only time it is quiet is when it is not running. i have noticed it to be more peppy on the start and especially when i'm running about 60 mph and floor it and it moves quicker to me and the rev of the engine noise can also be heard in the rear of the vehicle from the flowmaster. i have not had anybody else drive my nitro and let me hear what it sounds like when i'm standing outside of it because it's "my nitro!!!!!". don't want others to enjoy the power of the beast that is within!! i have another thread that i am suppose to put a sound bite of the muffler sound on my nitro but i have failed so far on this issue. will try again at a later time.
hope that this will help. if needed, i can let you hear the muffler sound over the phone but then you wouldn't know if it was the nitro or not, but one thing for sure, out of all of the talk and joking on this website, i am not a liar!!

if you can deal with the extra sound and want the feel of the roads moving faster away from you and want people to really notice your nitro then get the flowmaster. if you can't handle all of this then don't change anything. i don't know how the dyno or any other muffler modification would sound, just the flowmaster. good luck to you my friend.

mcnabb in louisiana...........

 

[acx]

I have an 08 R/T with heated leather.

No issues so far whatsoever..

 

[Florida Roadie]

Hey acx ..Thanks for your feedback regarding your 08 R/T.How long have you had yours and approx.how many miles ? Heated Leather Huh !! Gettin a little soft are we ?
Florida Roadie ..Thanks again Bud..

 

[Florida Roadie]

Vrrrroooommmm

florida roadie, since i have the flowmaster muffler installed on my nitro, these are the changes that have happened. i have only a single tailpipe in the right rear, wish there was room for a second but on opposite sides. when i start the nitro there is a very distinctive vrrooommm that comes out. this is something that actually happened to me. i was at a local fuel station one day and was fueling the nitro and a family from texas pulled along side of me. never made eye contact with any of them. it was hot that day and my mom was with me so i did a no-no and left the nitro running so that the air conditioner would keep her cool. when at idle, the nitro has a constant head turning mild rumbling coming out of its pipe making it sound like there is a beasty thing under the hood, no not my exwife, and i was almost finish fueling and the dad of the family poked his head around the corner and said, "hey, is that one of those nitros?", i said yes, he said "whatcha got a v-8 in there, it sounds good!", nope just a 3.7 liter v-6 and he said, "yeah right" and i said it again, only the v-6 but that i had a flowmaster muffler put on it, then he said, "what is a flowmaster?", i explained. i've had friends tell me that it sounds like i have a small v-8 motor in the nitro because of the sound coming out of the pipe.

i will admit that when i do put the pedal to the metal that there is a minor to moderate amount of extra noise that comes out of the rear and some can be heard from inside the vehicle. at normal 55-60 mph speeds there is a little bit of noise from the rear, so it is definitely never quiet, the only time it is quiet is when it is not running. i have noticed it to be more peppy on the start and especially when i'm running about 60 mph and floor it and it moves quicker to me and the rev of the engine noise can also be heard in the rear of the vehicle from the flowmaster. i have not had anybody else drive my nitro and let me hear what it sounds like when i'm standing outside of it because it's "my nitro!!!!!". don't want others to enjoy the power of the beast that is within!! i have another thread that i am suppose to put a sound bite of the muffler sound on my nitro but i have failed so far on this issue. will try again at a later time.
hope that this will help. if needed, i can let you hear the muffler sound over the phone but then you wouldn't know if it was the nitro or not, but one thing for sure, out of all of the talk and joking on this website, i am not a liar!!

if you can deal with the extra sound and want the feel of the roads moving faster away from you and want people to really notice your nitro then get the flowmaster. if you can't handle all of this then don't change anything. i don't know how the dyno or any other muffler modification would sound, just the flowmaster. good luck to you my friend.

mcnabb in louisiana...........

McNabb My friend .Although I'm not about to change my exhaust system right away ,I'd love to hear your single pipe sound . I will make the change in another month or two.Right now I'm up to my ass in alligators down here .I have a full plate but soon I will have the time . If I can't find a simulated sound from a mfg.maybe we can work out a way to hear yours.
Stay Safe Bud..
Roadie,
AKA Buzz

 

[MyBluNITRO]

Florida Roadie, this is my Nitro with dual exhaust. The muffler is a Flowmaster 40 series, single in - dual out. It will sound about the same whether you take the duals and split them like mine, or run them both straight out the back more like stock.

 

[MCNABB]

is that a r/t?

Florida Roadie, this is my Nitro with dual exhaust. The muffler is a Flowmaster 40 series, single in - dual out. It will sound about the same whether you take the duals and split them like mine, or run them both straight out the back more like stock.

hello myblunitro, good picture of yours. i was wondering if your nitro is a r/t? not able to see the back of it too good. if so, do the r/t's come standard with dual pipes? my slt has a single pipe and i got midas to look at trying to install a second pipe to equalize the sound in the rear and they looked under it and said, "no way". they were looking in the place where the spare tire is and how it would be too close to it. i notice on your nitro that the left pipe seems to be below the spare tire. is there anyway you can take a closer picture of this area that shows the curvature of the pipe around the spare tire, that way i can show midas what you did to get the second pipe or what the r/t version is. if you can't get the picture, don't worry too much, i'll get over it (sniff....), ha, ha. all i know is that i wanted to put dual pipes on mine, at first for the looks, but after hearing the single pipe, i definitely wanted the second pipe to distribute the rumbling! thanks again for all!

mcnabb in louisiana.............

 

[Florida Roadie]

Many Thanks.

Florida Roadie, this is my Nitro with dual exhaust. The muffler is a Flowmaster 40 series, single in - dual out. It will sound about the same whether you take the duals and split them like mine, or run them both straight out the back more like stock.

MyBluNITRO ..Thanks for taking the time to post the modified exhaust sounds from your Nitro. I played it over and over again to determine just how loud it really is.Listening to your foot steps in the background,which seem pronounced ,leads me to think your exhaust is a very tolorable sound level.I really don't want to rattle my neighbors windows in the am but I really need to get more feed back gtom present system. Thanks Again,
Florida Roadie

 

[MyBluNITRO]

Guys, I have an R/T. No Nitro comes with dual exhaust. I have seen this particular routing installed on at least 10 different Nitro's. I am going to point you here:http://www.dodge-nitro.com/dodge-nitro/showthread.php?t=488 to my original post on installing dual exhaust. The crucial area to watch out for is not the spare tire, it's getting the left pipe over the suspension linkage and keeping the pipe up high enough so the sway bar doesn't hit the pipe when you drive through a really deep bump. My installers told me that as long as there is 1" air gap from the spare, then the tire will be fine.

This is a better pic of the rear suspension link where you need to maximize clearance.

This is a pic of the rear of my Nitro. As you can see, I got these installed just after I purchased my vehicle. If I was getting them installed today, I would have them set the tips a bit farther back where they would be flush with the rear bumper.

This is a current side view to give you some idea what they look like from this angle.

You guys may have to look around for a while to find a shop willing to install the duals. Others have just copied my pictures and taken them with them to the shop and had no trouble at all.

At start up, they are kind of loud because the engine is running at about 1200 rpm. (They are no where near as loud as glass packs on a V8 truck.) But as the engine idles down, the sound is very tolerable. At 60 mph, the sound isn't much louder than stock and is just loud enough to drown out most of the road noise from the tires.

Good luck to you both.

 

[Florida Roadie]

MyBluNITRO .Thanks for the very helpful explaination regarding the sound level from your dual exhaust application. Although your Nitro looks and sounds SWEET ,I think I'll go ahead with just the single pipe out .McNabb is under the impression that his Nitro performance has improved since he changed to a flowmaster 40. I think it has probably reduced exhaust back pressure to some degree .But I'm wondering if the dual exhaust with all the bends and turns has any significant value over the single other than visual .
Please don't mis read me ,visual has a lot of value in my camp.
Thanks,
Florida Roadie

 

[MCNABB]

guess you'll have to judge for yourself!!!

MyBluNITRO .Thanks for the very helpful explaination regarding the sound level from your dual exhaust application. Although your Nitro looks and sounds SWEET ,I think I'll go ahead with just the single pipe out .McNabb is under the impression that his Nitro performance has improved since he changed to a flowmaster 40. I think it has probably reduced exhaust back pressure to some degree .But I'm wondering if the dual exhaust with all the bends and turns has any significant value over the single other than visual .
Please don't mis read me ,visual has a lot of value in my camp.
Thanks,
Florida Roadie

florida roadie, my impression is not an opinion on the performance increase of my nitro since i got the 40 series flowmaster installed on it.....to me it is a fact. i understand what you are talking about in your posts. i may be pushing the pedal down a little more than usual when driving so that i can hear the flowmaster but above the 60 mph range, when the pedal is pushed all the way, i do feel and notice an increase in power and performance in the nitro because of the flowmaster. i'm not trying to sell you one or make you buy one. totally up to you my friend. if this flowmaster ever falls or rusts off, i'll get another one put on it. i did install a replacement k & n air filter on my nitro and the truth is that i feel nothing with this installation.: you say when and i'll send you an e-mail of number so that you can hear my nitro with the flowmaster muffler.

to myblunitro, excellent job on the pictures, i appreciate them. sure is a tight squeeze around the sway bar like you said. i may just stay with the single pipe for now until i find that right shop that can do the job.

 

[Florida Roadie]

Exhaust upgrade

florida roadie, my impression is not an opinion on the performance increase of my nitro since i got the 40 series flowmaster installed on it.....to me it is a fact. i understand what you are talking about in your posts. i may be pushing the pedal down a little more than usual when driving so that i can hear the flowmaster but above the 60 mph range, when the pedal is pushed all the way, i do feel and notice an increase in power and performance in the nitro because of the flowmaster. i'm not trying to sell you one or make you buy one. totally up to you my friend. if this flowmaster ever falls or rusts off, i'll get another one put on it. i did install a replacement k & n air filter on my nitro and the truth is that i feel nothing with this installation.: you say when and i'll send you an e-mail of number so that you can hear my nitro with the flowmaster muffler.

to myblunitro, excellent job on the pictures, i appreciate them. sure is a tight squeeze around the sway bar like you said. i may just stay with the single pipe for now until i find that right shop that can do the job.

McNabb my friend. Maybe you misunderstood or maybe I had my head up my A#s when I responded to MyBluNITRO regarding your improved Nitro performance with the Muffler change to Flow Master .What I was trying to express was that you had an improvement from that modification. WITHOUT A DOUBT !! .But that I wondered if ,by adding an extra ehaust pipe ,their was an additionl improvement. With the extra turns and bends required to add this second pipe it probably was limited to a visual improvement. (Not that this is without merit) .I wonder what amount of improvement was actually accomplished with your FlowMaster muffler .I'm thinking along the lines of 1-1.5 % hp increase. I'll Message my info to you tonight and I look forward to hearing that BAD machine of yours.
I'm in total agreement with you that BluNITRO did a super job both with his exhaust and the pictures detailing the work.It's great being in with a bunch of people so willing to share their time and knowledge .Thanks to all of us.

 

[acx]

Hey acx ..Thanks for your feedback regarding your 08 R/T.How long have you had yours and approx.how many miles ? Heated Leather Huh !! Gettin a little soft are we ?
Florida Roadie ..Thanks again Bud..

we see -30 in the winter so it was a small price to pay!

I have just over 3k miles on it, so it is new - but as I said, absolutely zero issues

 

[Florida Roadie]

FlowMaster 40 or 44 ?

Guys, I have an R/T. No Nitro comes with dual exhaust. I have seen this particular routing installed on at least 10 different Nitro's. I am going to point you here:http://www.dodge-nitro.com/dodge-nitro/showthread.php?t=488 to my original post on installing dual exhaust. The crucial area to watch out for is not the spare tire, it's getting the left pipe over the suspension linkage and keeping the pipe up high enough so the sway bar doesn't hit the pipe when you drive through a really deep bump. My installers told me that as long as there is 1" air gap from the spare, then the tire will be fine.

This is a better pic of the rear suspension link where you need to maximize clearance.

This is a pic of the rear of my Nitro. As you can see, I got these installed just after I purchased my vehicle. If I was getting them installed today, I would have them set the tips a bit farther back where they would be flush with the rear bumper.

This is a current side view to give you some idea what they look like from this angle.

You guys may have to look around for a while to find a shop willing to install the duals. Others have just copied my pictures and taken them with them to the shop and had no trouble at all.

At start up, they are kind of loud because the engine is running at about 1200 rpm. (They are no where near as loud as glass packs on a V8 truck.) But as the engine idles down, the sound is very tolerable. At 60 mph, the sound isn't much louder than stock and is just loud enough to drown out most of the road noise from the tires.

Good luck to you both.

MyBluNITRO ..I began researching dealers in my area that sell and install FlowMaster Mufflers .During this search I was asked if I had heard the New FlowMaster 44 ? According to the installer they like the 44 better .My question to you is ,did they have the 44 when you installed the 40 ? Also in eyeballing your Nitro I couldn't help but notice your color matching, Molded Mud Guards. How did you manage this ? Off the rack or have them painted .?
Thanks,
Florida Roadie
AKA Buzz

 

[MCNABB]

did you get the number?

MyBluNITRO ..I began researching dealers in my area that sell and install FlowMaster Mufflers .During this search I was asked if I had heard the New FlowMaster 44 ? According to the installer they like the 44 better .My question to you is ,did they have the 44 when you installed the 40 ? Also in eyeballing your Nitro I couldn't help but notice your color matching, Molded Mud Guards. How did you manage this ? Off the rack or have them painted .?
Thanks,
Florida Roadie
AKA Buzz

florida roadie, did you get that number? if not let me know.

just for your info, when i purchased and installed the 40 series on my nitro, the 44 series muffler never came into the sentence whenever i told midas muffler what i wanted as far as a deep sounding muffler. have not asked them if it was around at that time.

mcnabb in louisiana..................

 

[MyBluNITRO]

MyBluNITRO ..I began researching dealers in my area that sell and install FlowMaster Mufflers .During this search I was asked if I had heard the New FlowMaster 44 ? According to the installer they like the 44 better .My question to you is ,did they have the 44 when you installed the 40 ? Also in eyeballing your Nitro I couldn't help but notice your color matching, Molded Mud Guards. How did you manage this ? Off the rack or have them painted .?
Thanks,
Florida Roadie
AKA Buzz

I have color matched splash guards, side fender vents, side window vent visors, "C" pillars on rear doors, and the upper portion of my side mirrors. Those silver racing stripes are also painted on. I had them all professionally done.

As to the FlowMaster 44. The shop I used didn't have one. They trial fitted several different mufflers for me to hear before I settled on the FlowMaster 40.