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Stage 3 Blog

Before You Buy: What is an F150 Resonator Delete and Why Should you Get One?

Posted by Jason Locke on 6/10/2022 to Before you Buy
The stock exhaust system on the 2009-2014 F150s, 2015-2017 F150s, 2018-2020 F150s, and 2021-2022 F150s just doesn't inspire much...of anything. The factory exhaust with its huge chambered muffler and forward resonator just doesn't make much of a sound at all, and while a complete cat-back system is usually one of the go-to upgrades, a more and more popular exhaust upgrade for the F150s are resonator deletes. What an F150 Resonator Delete actually does is pretty self-explanatory once you know how the stock F10 exhaust system is set up, but why should you grab a resonator delete when there's other options that seem to offer a lot more? Well, F150 resonator deletes offer up excellent bang-for-your-buck sound improvements for your F150 in a kit that's extremely easy to install onto your tough F150 build.

F150 Resonator Deletes

How is the F150's Stock Exhaust System Set Up?

Before we get in to resonator deletes and what they do, it's helpful to actually dig into all the components of the factory exhaust system of the F150s and what they actually do. Starting at the motor, the headers/exhaust manifolds allow exhaust gasses to flow out of the exhaust ports. The headers connect to either downpipes (on EcoBoost F150s) or Y-pipes (on naturally-aspirated F150s) which also contain the catalytic converters, which both reduce emissions and are the first component of the stock exhaust system that lowers sound. The Y-pipes/downpipes feed into the resonator which further reduces sound and helps to combat cabin drone at cruising. The resonator then leads into the the muffler, which has a huge, chambered design which further tamps down on sound output. The muffler leads into the tailpipe which exits behind the passenger's side rear tire in it's OEM configuration.

F150 Exhaust Diagram

Why a Resonator Delete over a Full Cat-Back?

With the resonator seemingly playing such a small role in the stock exhaust system over everything else, why would you ever choose a resonator delete over a complete cat-back kit? The biggest benefit of a resonator delete is their price, which is practically always a fraction of a complete cat-back system (especially these days). With less tubing and fittings, a resonator delete is much less expensive and easier to manufacture, thus costing much less to actually sell. The second major benefit over a cat-back is that resonator deletes are much easier to install, since you only have to replace one section of the factory exhaust system. Last, but not least, a resonator delete offers just "enough" sound increase without adding a ton of drone. The huge size of the stock muffler, and the fact that it comes so far forward means that deleting the stock resonator doesn't cause a massive amount of drone, but does produce enough additional sound to at least be noticeable.

2011-2022 F150 Resonator Deletes

F150 Resonator Deletes at Stage 3

The good news is that we here at Stage 3 have a ton of resonator deletes for the F150s available. If you're on a budget, then an aluminized system may be up your alley, though the vast majority of our F150 resonator deletes are made out of either 409 or 304 stainless steel to give them some longevity and resiliency in tough climates and applications. Check out our 2011-2014 F150 Resonator Deletes, 2015-2020 F150 Resonator Deletes, and our 2021-2022 F150 Resonator Deletes to find the right one for your F150 build. Just keep in mind that the resonator assembly is the part of the exhaust that's "sized" to the different F150 wheelbase sizes due to the various cab and bed lengths that Ford offers. The most common wheelbase size is 145", which covers F150s with a SuperCrew cab with 5.5ft bed and SuperCabs with a 6.5ft bed. F150s with a 157" wheelbase are trucks with a SuperCrew cab and 6.5ft bed. The fairly rare 163" wheelbase constitutes trucks with SuperCabs and 8ft beds. F150s with 133" and 126" wheebases (SuperCab 5.5ft beds and Regular Cabs with 6.5ft beds, respectively), don't have resonators at all, so none of this applies to you find folks.

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