Video Review & Installation

The Roush axle-back for the S197 V6 will certainly be for the owners out there who want to be heard, as this top-rated system will also be top-rated in the volume category as well. Now, you can look forward to a mix of both 409 and 304-grade stainless steel for right around $500 here for the axle-back, and the simple bolt-on installation will get an easy one out of three wrenches on the difficulty meter. But we will have a little bit more on that later on. So the Roush axle-back that we have in this video, much like it's 5.0 counterpart, will be one of the most popular axle-backs for the 3.7, and by a pretty wide margin. In fact, guys, you're looking at over 100-plus five-star reviews for this axle-back here. A big reason for its popularity is, of course, the loud and aggressive tone, but also the relatively affordable price tag when compared to some of your other options in the category. But let's not waste any more time. Let's dive head first into that unique Roush tone that you guys all heard with our sound clips at the very top of this video. What can I say? If you want loud, the Roush here is certainly not going to disappoint. Going to my highly official and highly scientific Wake the Neighbors scale, I have the Roush coming in hot at a strong four out of five on that one to five, or one to Wake the Neighbors scale. Keep in mind, this is still with those factory manifolds still in place. Eliminate those with some aftermarket headers, get rid of the cats, and you are going to effectively peg that Wake the Neighbors scale. Now, I did hear this thing a little bit inside the car while cruising, but I wouldn't categorize it as drone. It shouldn't be anything that will deter possible buyers out there from slapping this onto their V6. But one thing that really does stand out to me about the Roush axle-back that we have here is kind of how it changes or almost transforms the sound of that 3.7 that a lot of us are very familiar with. Now, in my opinion, this thing gives that tone a little bit more of a higher-pitch characteristic, and it's something that I don't really hear with a lot of the other aftermarket systems out there. It is also something that a lot of our customers bring up in the Customer Review section. So check that out. Again, 100-plus customer reviews with the Roush axle-back, and it's just a great way to get a better feel for what you can expect when bolting this thing up to your 3.7. So how does a Roush system achieve that very aggressive, very unique tone? Well, just like the very popular 5L system out there, the star of the Roush axle-back for the V6 cars will be the hollow-chambered mufflers that Roush does incorporate here. Again, it will allow for all that volume, but without any internal packing. So you don't have to worry about the sound of this thing kind of changing on you over the years. But talking about the construction a little bit more here, guys, I did mention earlier, you're getting a mix of 409-grade and 304-grade stainless with the Roush axle-back, and that is the case here. A majority of the system will be the 409-grade stainless steel, including your tubing, the hollow-chambered mufflers we just talked about. But the tips themselves, they're actually going to be made from 304-grade stainless, which is really what you like to see. Right? Because that's what you're going to be seeing the most of, and the 304-grade is definitely better at reducing corrosion compared to the 409-grade stainless steel. Now, the tips are actually finished off in Roush's unique chrome flashing process, which just essentially is going to make for a much more durable finish over the years. At the end of the day, listen, guys. It's Roush. Right? They know what they're doing. They've built some solid stuff over the years, and their products are always very well-made and fit like a glove, which does lead me into the installation here. Again, guys, very simple stuff, one out of three wrenches on the difficulty meter for the S197 axle-backs, maybe 30 minutes to an hour of your time, depending on your setup and how fast you work. As far as your tool list, well, a basic socket set really is going to be the majority of your tools here. I always like to recommend a little spray lubricant as well, to help you with some rusty bolts and those rubber exhaust hangers. Then, of course, just give yourself a little bit more room to work underneath the rear of the car with a jack and jack stands, lift, or race ramps if you have them. Getting started, you need to remove those factory cans first. So go ahead and grab your socket set, remove the clamp closest to the muffler, and then a few bolts on the exhaust hangers connecting the hanger to the actual chassis. At this point, you can drop the factory mufflers down from the car. Transfer those factory hangers over to the new Roush axle-back exhaust system, and then get ready to lift it into place. Now, me, personally, I always like putting one end on the rubber hanger first, before tightening up the clamp closest to the muffler here, just to kind of take some weight off of your shoulders. So go ahead and do that, and loosely tighten that clamp, guys. Don't overtighten it yet, because you will need to make some small tweaks once you get everything bolted down. With that said, go ahead and bolt down the rest of your exhaust hanger, bolt on that tip, and then kind of get it situated right where you want it, in the opening in that rear bumper. Once you have everything in place, go ahead and have a buddy kind of hold that tip into place, hammer home that clamp nearest the muffler, and your installation is complete. So if you want a very loud and very unique tone for your 3.7-powered Mustang all for right around $500, definitely check out the Roush axle-back, right here at americanmuscle.com.