High-Clearance, Stainless Aftermarket Cat-Back Exhaust System For 2nd Gen (2014-2021) Toyota Tundra – Detailed Installation, Review & Overview
I’ve contemplated changing my Tundra’s exhaust set up from day one of ownership. While the stock exhaust isn’t bad, there’s still something left to be desired.
I’ve had hesitation buying an aftermarket exhaust because every option sounded too loud. I didn’t want to sound like a clapped-out ‘99 Silverado, but I also wanted to add to my big gas-guzzling V8’s growl. I wanted something that made me smile while I paid $10 per stop light pull, but quiet enough to sneak into the fields on hunting trips without waking up every neighboring house and animal within 10 miles. An aggressive growl and quietness don’t quite go hand-in-hand.
I thought I had unobtainable desires until I came across the Runnin 4 Tacos high-clearance cat-back exhaust.
Not only does this exhaust nail the sound profile that I longed for, but it has significantly higher clearance than the stock exhaust. It’s also made of insanely durable stainless steel, which will hopefully weather better than my stock exhaust components after seeing only 15,000 miles.
Stick around till the end for a sound clip of this system! We also included the latest R4T video there as well.
Find It Online
- Runnin 4 Tacos (R4T) High-Clearance Cat-Back Exhaust For 2nd Gen (2014-2021) Tundra: Check Price
Off-Road Exhaust For Tundra
Table of Contents
Build Quality
In the box, you get two pieces; the pipe that goes from the passenger-side catalytic converter and the muffler that goes to the driver-side one. Every other factory gasket and exhaust component is reused for installation.
Everything is packed very well. The first thing I noticed was the crispy welds. Since becoming a YouTube-certified welder, I’ve turned into quite the lunatic in inspecting welds and their integrity. Doing this terrified me when standing on my buddy’s balcony 30 floors up in his downtown condo. Fortunately, staring at this exhaust system and every weld on it was the complete opposite.
This system is built incredibly well and was a breeze to install; let’s get started!
Tools Required
- 14mm Socket
- 12mm Socket
- 15mm Socket
- 3/8″ Impact Wrench
- Exhaust hanger pliers
- 3/8″ Ratchet
- Jack or Lift
Step 1. Lift Truck & Remove Factory Exhaust
If you do not have a lift, you can either drive the truck onto ramps or jack it up and put jack stands under the rear axle for safety. Make sure you have enough room to comfortably sit up while working.
Step 2. Unbolt Exhaust
Locate the four bolts (2 per exhaust flange) and remove them. The driver-side bolts are very obvious and on their respective side of the truck. The passenger-side bolts are a little more hidden and tucked away, especially if you have a catalytic converter skid plate. However, they can still be accessed with an impact wrench or ratchet when using a deep socket.
Keep one bolt loose on the driver-side exhaust pipe running to the catalytic converter. This will keep the exhaust up once the hangers are removed, so you can lower the system slowly when ready.
Step 3. Disconnect Hangers
Once the bolts are all broken loose, start popping the hangers out of the rubber isolators attached to the truck.
Tip: Using your exhaust hanger pliers will make this step a breeze!
Step 4. Remove Tailpipe
After removing the exhaust from the hangers, we can now remove the tailpipe to make dropping the exhaust a bit less cumbersome. Use your 12mm socket to loosen up the exhaust clamp securing the tailpipe to the muffler near the axle and leaf springs. Once that is removed, you can easily pull the tailpipe out.
Step 5. Remove Muffler
With the hangers disconnected and the tailpipe removed, we can now drop the muffler. Support the muffler and remove the bolt that we left intact earlier, then lower it down safely. Keep in mind that the muffler is quite heavy.
After removing the muffler, make sure that the gaskets going from the muffler to the catalytic converters are left intact and are in good condition.
Step 6. Install New Pipes
With the stock exhaust completely out, start by installing the exhaust pipe running from the passenger-side catalytic converter. This pipe has a specific orientation and comes with a sticker saying *THIS SIDE UP*. Make sure to bolt it up correctly with that sticker facing upwards.
Once that’s installed, you can lift the muffler and driver-side pipe to the bolt holes and get those set in.
After installing this pipe into the catalytic converter, you will want to slip your exhaust clamp that attaches to the muffler over the pipe. This is important so that following the muffler installation, the two pipes can be clamped down and secured together.
Step 7. Connect Muffler
With your passenger-side pipe installed behind the catalytic converter, you can now lift and line up your muffler with the catalytic converters and begin bolting up.
Step 8. Double-Check Connections & Reinstall Hangers
Confirm that every hanger is reused and that the muffler has been securely bolted along with the clamps. After double-checking your connections, you’re done!
A novice can easily install the Runnin 4 Tacos cat-back exhaust with basic hand tools in a driveway.
Final Thoughts
After driving around with the Runnin 4 Tacos cat-back exhaust for about a week, I fell in love with it. Admittedly, I was conflicted at first. I was so used to my nearly silent exhaust that going to something just slightly louder was a large adjustment. I love that it’s loud, but not too loud. Aggressive sounding, but not obnoxiously so. It adds a throaty growl but not droney while driving. It even got the fiancé’s seal of approval!
While it may be shocking, I have actually noticed an increase in MPG since installing the Runnin 4 Tacos cat-back exhaust.
I don’t think this is from the exhaust itself but rather a better understanding of how much throttle I’m giving the truck. I definitely attribute that better understanding to the louder sound. It’s easier to hear when I’m pressing the gas pedal harder than necessary. I’ve recently driven routes where I would normally see 9-10 mpg with the factory exhaust and now get closer to 13-14 mpg – pretty crazy!
The Runnin 4 Tacos cat-back exhaust has been perfect for me, and I would highly recommend taking a look at it if you’re in the market. Get that growl out of your V8 that you’ve always wanted!
I am currently running a TRD dual system. In your experience, how does the sound of the R4T compare. Presumably, the R4T would not affect any HP (gains / loss) with my current TRD system?