I'm not sure how I managed, I think I made it a whole month before I started messin' with my truck 'cause of you guys.... **grin** that's all changed now... LOL
I'm thinking of doing just this, removing the muffler and replaceing with straigt pipe. I will have to re-install the tail pipe, as my truck has a utility bed on it, and I want the exhaust to come out the back right corner of the truck. I also use this truck for work, electrican on service calls in residential nabourgh hoods, and don't want to be rattleing the windows of every house I drive by, in a big yellow (company color) truck with my name on the side!
Let me know how much louder your truck is once you get the tail pipe back on. It's still a stock exhaust otherwise tho, right?
Greg