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JBA Exhaust Install 2005 Armada

28K views 59 replies 19 participants last post by  S30TRBO 
#1 · (Edited)
So the wife bought her Armada in December 2011 used with 60K miles on it. She bought it from the original owner who at some point put this bolt-on tip on it. :mad:

It lived up in northern Maryland where they love to salt the roads during the winter months even when there is a chance of snow. Due to poor exhaust
material the OEM systems days were numbered and short lived.


Arrived perfect purchased through Autoanything.com for $335 shipped!! Great deal at the time. Part number: 40-1405.


Before

I purchased new mounting brackets and hardware from Nissan.


Muffler Compare


Y-Pipe compare


I ran into a problem on the rear b-pipe studs and nuts. I purchased new ones from Nissan in anticipation of them stripping.

My propane torch did not get hot enough to get these suckers out so I had to take it to a shop with an acetylene torch.

After:











:D :D
 
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11
#2 ·
Looks good. The same thing happened to me years ago, ended up with the JBA and its been great since. I did add a vibrant ultra quiet resonator sometime last year and it completely eliminated the notorious exhaust drone (55-60mph) and cabin resonance.
 
#5 ·
Thanks! The drone really doesn't bother us as much as others stated.

nice write up man! Excellent

How does it sound?
Thanks, it sounds great! I love the engine/exhaust brake when you let off in OD its really noticeable now. Also when you first start it up in the morning the initial crank wakes the neighbors too which is nice then calms down until you step on it later.

thats awesome! how do these compare to the Gibsons? i am thinking of doing this mod next year
Thanks. I'm not really sure what the difference performance wise is. If its cost over function I would make sure and get stainless steel over aluminized as it will last longer.

I am happy with JBA we will be doing the LT headers and b-pipes later. I need to do the 2* timing next..
 
#3 ·
nice write up man! Excellent

How does it sound?
 
#4 ·
thats awesome! how do these compare to the Gibsons? i am thinking of doing this mod next year
 
#6 · (Edited)
Joe,

I have this exact problem and ordered this exact exhaust. Unfortunately it has been delayed and is supposed to ship on 12/14. I'm amazed at how often the same exact flange on the Armada exhaust has failed on so many vehicles. Since it has been delayed I have muffler tape holding it in place.

I was actually going to cut off the flange and use a slip pipe with clamps but I'll leave that as a last resort as the tape seems to be holding up (although slightly leaking).

There were some good tips here - I didn't think to look at the hanger but I'm pretty nervous about the bolts on the b-pipes snapping. I got new nuts for them but on Titan Talk most people said that the bolts would be resusable. Do you think you could have saved the bolts? I'm not sure how I would deal with it without having to go to a shop.

What are your longer term impressions of the sound? I didn't want anything too loud and most people on TT said this was the most tame.

My plan is to clamp it on and live with it for a few weeks. If I'm ok I'll get it welded as is, if not I'll get the Ultra Quiet resonator and have them weld that on along with the connections on the rest of the exhaust.
 
#14 · (Edited)
If that tape falls apart you can take it off from behind the muffler "rear section", unless the muffler support has broken too.

It has a slight drone but we are used to it, next is JBA LT and B-pipes. I wish primoV8 would get his JBA LT installed with write-up for us to see. :D
 
#9 ·
Primo - Thanks for the pic. What made you install it there? Was it upon recommendation or was that just the best location for fitment?

I am wondering how much of an impact it has before / after the muffler and what difference it makes on where it is installed on the pipe.

How would you describe the loudness of this exhaust before the b-pipe install? I'm a little worried I'm gonna hate this as I don't want to be listening to the exhaust while cruising at normal speeds.
 
#10 ·
Similar to Magnaflow's catback, they also have a resonator installed inline, via the tail pipe section.
I also did some reading about the Zoomers resonated tip, but I felt those were overpriced/overrated.

Since the muffler is placed mid-chassis, the length of the tail pipe and exhaust tip helps produce a more audible exhaust tone. Even more so when an aftermarket catback system with larger diameter piping is installed.

When the shop was done installing the vibrant ultra quiet resonator, I didn't even realize they had started the truck up. The difference was night and day and at WOT, the sound coming from the Volant cai demanded all the attention. Gone was the aggressive exhaust tone which I missed but at the same time, the cabin resonance/drone was eliminated.

Even with the current addition of the PRT b-pipes, there is still no cabin resonance/drone and would recommend this to anyone looking to upgrade their exhaust system.
 
#11 ·
Primo - thanks for that detail as it is extremely helpful. I still figure I will live with the JBA setup alone for a bit before I go buy the UQ but that is likely the path I will take.

Now that you have it installed with the UQ, if you were to rate the stock exhaust as a 0/0/0 as far as loudness at startup / WOT / idle, how does the setup rate now ?

Sorry for all the questions ;)


Sent from my iPhone using AutoGuide.com Free App
 
#12 ·
No problem.

Stock exhaust 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 = startup / WOT / idle / crusing speed (50-60mph)

JBA catback 8 / 9 / 4 / 7

JBA catback w/ Vibrant UQ resonator 3 / 4 / 1 / 2

JBA catback w/ Vibrant UQ w/ PRT b-pipes 4 / 5 / 2 / 3
 
#16 · (Edited)
hey primo, was the vibrant uq installed right after the muffler then and not at the end of the tail pipe before the tip? im confused as to where it goes after reading many different posts...
 
#18 ·
Excellent!

You will be glad you waited. I always say auto parts are just like when I bought my Armada. I pulled up to one lot and they did not have the model in stock so I drove down the road to the next dealer. But when one dealer was giving me a 4K better deal to order it and wait I just waited and saved the $$$.

I always say you can get anything right away but you might pay for it.

Enjoy that exhaust as I have it and it made a huge difference in HP and TQ on my rig.
 
#19 ·
Finally Got It

My exhaust finally arrived on Friday so I had it installed yesterday as the weather was getting too cold and rainy to do it myself.

Overall I love it. The exhaust has a deep throaty growl and sounds great at start up and when accellerating.

My only issue is an in cabin drone from 1500-2000 RPMs. I will live with it for a week and if I can't stand it get the UQ Resonator.

Here is a vid that gives comparision of my stock exhaust to the JBA catback:

2007 Nissan Armada - Stock Exhaust vs JBA Catback - YouTube
 
#20 ·
Excellent video. Thanks for the upload. It doesn't sound as bad as the reviews that I've read about the JBA exhaust. I wonder if theres a db phone app. So other members can check the drone in there cars too and post their results.
 
#21 ·
Glad it was helpful. Make no mistake though, the drone is pretty bad at 1500 - 2000 RPMs. Here is a video of it. The sound didn't come out so great but watch the db meter; it peaks at 110 db! I have very sensitive hearing and the frequency of the drone just pierces through my brain.

Looks like I'm gonna get the UQ Resonator as that is supposed to help eliminate it. Too bad though as I worry that the overall sound of the exhaust will be quieted and, other than the drone, it sounds awesome.

 
#30 ·
Did you ever get the UQ installed and a video made? I'm swapping out headers and B pipes this weekend and suspect I'll be moving on to a JBA Cat Back with UQ after the muffler to smooth it out. Wife's rig... :rolleyes:
 
#24 ·
Great Post. Getting ready to do mine. It fell apart on me recently. With snow comes salt. Does AutoAnything have the best price? Does anyone have those extra parts (mounts, bolts, etc) numbers from Nissan? Im stationed in Germay and I cant really go to a dealer and explain to them what I want. Trying to get it done before i deploy in a month or so. Hopefylly it will get in on time, so I dont leave the wife with no tail pipe for 6 months. Thanks in advance.
 
#25 ·
Autoanything.com did when I purchased my JBA, you just have to price check around now. Also they offered free shipping too, I'm sure a bonus for you being in Germany IF they ship.

I used the fiche on courtesyparts.com and got the hardware I needed. Here is a copy from my order:

6 x [081A68201A] BOLT - Armada (TA60) 2004+
3 x [20621M] MOUNTING ASSY-EXHAUST,RUBBER - Armada (TA60) 2004+
4 x [089183401A] NUT-FLANGE - Armada (TA60) 2004+
4 x [20020A] BOLT - Armada (TA60) 2004+

That's all you need, good luck with the B-pipe studs/nuts, start lubing them now. That's what the last two (4x) parts are for in case they break.
 
#28 ·
The UQ I got is here:


It says the dimensions are 15.2 x 8 x 5.5 inches. It's a pretty snug fit in there but it depends how creative the exhaust guy is. To determine what will fit, crawl under the truck with a tape measure and measure where it will go. The inlet and outlet are 3" so you are good there, it's just a matter of finding where you can put it on the pipe between the muffler and tailpipe.

The advantage to the MBRP one you referenced is that it is a skinny tube (easier to fit) whereas the UQ looks more like a mini muffler. That may also be a disadvantage if it does not tone down the exhaust and drone as much as the UQ.

I have no experience with MBRP and went with the UQ because all the Titan guys like them. This could be better or worse but the smaller one is $80 and the larger one is $100. The UQ is now $95 if you have Amazon Prime the shipping is free.

On AutoAnything the 3 reviewers seemed to like them but I would do more research elsewhere as the UQ had many more people saying it was good on this forum and TitanTalk.
 
#32 ·
Cool - thanks for the update. If you have time for a recap video that would be helpful. The wife will freak out if it's as bad as you describe.
 
#36 ·
Are you planning on putting the Borla 40944?
 
#44 ·
Well Got back from deployment in September and my JBA was till in the garage poor wife drove around with a bouncing tailpipe for six months. Finally got it installed after my return. mmmm yeah she hates the drone (the young troops and the locals dig it) and on the German autobahn for an hour + straight driving the drone gets old so, now I have to go with the UQ thanks for the posts guys. She has been asking me what I can do about it. Well I have the answer. Is there a specific part number that will fit the JBA pipes, or is it just universal? Who has the best price right now?

Thanks.
 
#45 ·
I dealt with the drone for a week and I was going insane - she's a good woman for putting up with it for 6 months!

This is the one I got - just the universal 3". If you changed your pipe size then order the correct one accordingly.


Amazon had it for $92, but PM NightOwl to see what deal he can get you.
 
#52 ·
Thanks for the help and replies spta97 and nightowl. Been busy the past few months but tis time to get this thing bought and installed.
 
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