Works Axle Back Muffler Review (Works ABM)

So after a couple months of use, I think its safe to write a decent review of the Works ABM.

There's not really much out there other than a couple videos on youtube which don't do their justice to the muffler so hopefully this could shed some light and any other owners can chime in to make the review more in depth.

Volume: This is the biggest question I had before purchasing muffler was how loud this thing would be. So hopefully I can do my best to describe the volume to you guys

Cold Starts: Upon starting up the FRS from a completely cold engine, the muffler is definitely loud if you live in a suburban neighborhood. There's no other way to explain it other than that, if you don't have the greatest neighbors, this will get on their nerves if you leave for work every day at 5 or 6. Otherwise I don't think it would piss off the average neighbors, it's not obnoxiously loud but for the 2-3 minutes the engine is warming up, it is something that you can hear a couple houses down.

Idle: Now this is where the muffler shines especially if you live in an area that does dB readings on idle rather than at a certain RPM. The idle is probably a couple decibels louder than stock but it is something which you can't really hear from a couple feet in front of the car. You have to walk up pretty close to the rear of the car to get the volume that the muffler puts out.

Daily Driving: If I could use references of cars for the volume of the mufflers, I would say that it's volume for daily driving is in between a civic si (newer gens) and a newer subaru sti. It's not as quiet as a civic si but it's not as loud as the sti. Another thing with daily driving is drone and I can tell you there is little to no drone in the car at cruising RPMS. I will tell you, however, that there is a slight bit of drone at around 2k when you're putting some load on the engine to get it ready for the next gear. But even then, the slight drone is bearable for DD'ing.

Overall, the volume is great if you don't want to attract too much attention from police. The volume the Works ABM gives out is the volume the car should have came with stock. It's got a good amount of sound when you let the car have it at WOT, otherwise it will more than likely blend in with the rest of the city sounds but stand out when you pass a car enthusiast or someone who knows what a subtle aftermarket exhaust sounds like.

Tone:

The tone of the exhaust is beautiful. As stated before, idle is not really loud, but when you move up to the exhaust and listen to the exhaust note that comes out of the Works ABM, it doesn't sound ricey or raspy or super bassy, instead it has a nice, subtle little rumble to it. This is why anyone who keeps searching for youtube videos of this exhaust should stop right away. Even with good speakers, the videos won't do its justice in capturing the true tone and volume of the exhaust, you're gonna have to listen to it in real life to experience the pure sound.

Design:
This is something that falls a little short. First reason it falls short is because one tip is muffled and the other exhaust tip isn't. Despite what you read or what Works may not admit, there is definitely a dB difference between the two tips. You don't need a dB meter to know this. The left side of the exhaust is certainly louder than the right side. It's almost as if the left side provides all the volume and the right side gives the exhaust note some tone and bass to the sound. Regardless, I think this is a design flaw and if you've heard good exhaust systems you'd point it out easily. Despite this design flaw, exhaust gasses still flow through the right and left tips and it is not the case that the right tip is not-functional. Both tips are functional, but the left is louder than the right.

Appearance:

If you have a pre 2015 FRS, the Works ABM comes with nicely polished 4" tips. pre 2015 FRS's that come with the dinky looking exhaust tips will look a lot better after the upgrade. 2015 FRS's also, in my opinion, get an upgraded appearance as well because the OEM tips were not as shiny as the tips on the Works ABM. The OEM tips of the 2015 FRS seemed darker whereas the Works ABM tips have a more polished look to them. It's hard to explain, but it might be dependent on the differences in certain elements present in the metals of each exhaust tip.

HP Gains: Non Existent

Weight Savings: 11 pounds

Overall:

Overall this exhaust is pretty good if you want a little bit of a volume and tone upgrade from the stock FRS. It's got a decent price to it, it's easy to install and it brings out some smiles. I think if you coupled this Axleback with a header or a downpipe you could bring out some more volume and tone from the system, but even on its own the Works ABM still sounds pretty nice. It's not obnoxious and I don't think it would get you pulled over: When they call it a "gentlemen's exhaust" they aren't kidding, that is a great way of describing this system.

However, if you buy this exhaust I would seriously consider it's lifespan as a potential downfall. There hasn't been much discussion around this from what I've seen because the system isn't old enough; but this exhaust is made out of aluminized steel which is notorious for early rusting in comparison to certain stainless steels. If you want an exhaust that will last a LONG time, I would look into spending the extra cash for stainless steel exhaust. If you're just looking for a cheap, entry level muffler that could suffice for a couple years until you're ready to spend the big bucks then perhaps consider this.

Hope I helped any indecisive buyers and I might periodically update this review as I experience the ABM over time.

Cheers.

[LuckyEinstein]

Thank you for such a detailed and informative review! I'm considering getting this exhaust but like you were, I'm worried about the loudness. I don't want it to be too loud/obnoxious and attract police attention. But with the almost straight pipe design I'm worried it will be loud. Do you know how this compares to the loudness of say the Invidia N1 or MXP Comp RS?

I don't plan on doing any other exhaust modifications in the future so I'm not worried about it getting louder later on. I'm also not too worried about the aluminized steel and rusting as I live in Arizona and it rarely rains.

Originally Posted by LuckyEinstein

Thank you for such a detailed and informative review! I'm considering getting this exhaust but like you were, I'm worried about the loudness. I don't want it to be too loud/obnoxious and attract police attention. But with the almost straight pipe design I'm worried it will be loud. Do you know how this compares to the loudness of say the Invidia N1 or MXP Comp RS?

I don't plan on doing any other exhaust modifications in the future so I'm not worried about it getting louder later on. I'm also not too worried about the aluminized steel and rusting as I live in Arizona and it rarely rains.

If you don't plan on doing any other modifications, you have nothing to be worries about, it is barely louder than a civic Si stock exhaust.

If you ever wanna increase the loudness you can do a cat less fp, but even then it barely increases the volume.


I'm currently running a Berk test pipe with a cat less front pipe and this setup is considerably loud. But if you do the works ABM on its own, you're fine. If police bother you, they probably have nothing better to do

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[LuckyEinstein]

Thanks for the reassurance! Most likely gonna pull the trigger on this exhaust!

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[B-R-Z]

Just discovered this exhaust and I'm considering picking it up. I currently have a Top Speed Pro-1 axle back which I love the sound of, but the tips are not perfectly centered and the tips are a little big for my taste. Looking for something just a tad over stock in sound.

Is the overall consensus that this exhaust is not loud and clean? I currently have a catless UEL and everything else is stock (except for current axle back).

[Xxyion]

Originally Posted by B-R-Z

Just discovered this exhaust and I'm considering picking it up. I currently have a Top Speed Pro-1 axle back which I love the sound of, but the tips are not perfectly centered and the tips are a little big for my taste. Looking for something just a tad over stock in sound.

Is the overall consensus that this exhaust is not loud and clean? I currently have a catless UEL and everything else is stock (except for current axle back).

It depends which model you get. I had the WORKS ABM but their muffler delete version. Heres a video of it both pre UEL headers (open flash headers) and post.

[B-R-Z]

Originally Posted by Xxyion

It depends which model you get. I had the WORKS ABM but their muffler delete version. Heres a video of it both pre UEL headers (open flash headers) and post.

Id definitely get the muffler version of the axle back, trying to get to a little over stock type of sound, which i have now with the too speed pro 1 ABE. So those with the muffler version, how is it both low speed cruising and on the highway?

[Jasonb]

If you’re worried about loud cold starts, there are ways to eliminate that issue. Oft or ecutek tunes can fix that. It’s disabled on the oft tune I’m using. I couldn’t use the exhaust setup I have where I currently live otherwise.

[BRZyJ]

I have the muffler version...I really only bought it because I got an outstanding deal on it used, but it's become one of my favorite mods so far.

I don't think it sounds a whole lot different than Xxyion's video. Then again, I've never heard it from outside the car other than at idle. From inside I'd say it's more than just a little louder than stock but not obnoxiously so. It is pretty damn loud at cold start.
.

[B-R-Z]

I'm surprised/hesitant with this since it looks like only one exhaust tube is muffled, and per the laws of physics the exhaust gas will take the path of least resistance..so doesn't the majority of the exhaust go out of the tube nearest the inlet? I'd really like to hear this in person

[guybo]

Most exhaust gasses and noise exit the bigger passenger side.

I got a Works ABM in trade for a Berk dual exit delete. The Berk was too loud, I've been happy with the works. I also have a cherry bomb so mine sounds a little different

[bababooey]

what guybo said, on their product website it states they engineered driver side tube diameter to be slightly smaller to restrict the flow. so much, barely any soot accumulates on driver compared to passenger. & the fit is excellent @ the tips. it sings when giving it the pedal merging on the interstate.

[B-R-Z]

Reading around I see mixed feedback, some say loud some say perfect..unless those that say loud are referring to the mufflerless version. Wish someone around me had this or the top speed pro 1 and work abm for a comparison.

[Xxyion]

Originally Posted by B-R-Z

Reading around I see mixed feedback, some say loud some say perfect..unless those that say loud are referring to the mufflerless version. Wish someone around me had this or the top speed pro 1 and work abm for a comparison.

The problem is "loud" is totally subjective. I've heard people call the Perrin Resonated 2.5" loud, but to me it was as loud as stock WITH Catless UEL headers.

When i had the WORKS ABM muffler delete, it was definitely loud. Significantly louder than stock. It was also my first ever aftermarket exhaust so i had no idea what i was getting into.

The best way i can describe it, is if its like having a leafblower right outside your window. Its loud. but not quite as loud as if you were next to it. But loud enough that its going to wake you up and bother you while you trying to sleep.