Few modifications can provide power, aesthetic, and sound benefits to your car for the same low price of an aftermarket exhaust. Simply put, there’s a reason why this modification is one of the most popular ones that car owners do.
Finding the right aftermarket exhaust system, however, is no easy task.
Read on to learn five essential aftermarket exhaust tips to guide your purchase
1. Consider a Cat-back Exhaust
When it comes to the aftermarket exhaust world, there are two principal kinds of exhausts that one should consider purchasing. The first type is the cat-back exhaust.
A cat-back exhaust is, as the name implies, an aftermarket exhaust system that starts after the catalytic converter of a car. This will typically mean the inclusion of an X-pipe system or a Y-pipe system to manage exhaust flow, along with a different muffler altogether or a muffler delete. Then, of course, the exhaust tips and tailpipe are aftermarket as well.
Because of the number of components that need to be replaced with a cat-back exhaust, these are typically far more involved to install (and more expensive), than the second type of exhaust, an axle-back.
2. Remember Axle-back Exhausts Are Easy
An axle-back exhaust simply replaces components that are back of the rear axle. This only includes the tailpipe and exhaust tips. As one can imagine, installing an axle-back exhaust system is far less complicated than a cat-back.
However, the sacrifice that one has to make is in terms of power gains. While you can still get a lovely throaty rasp out of an aftermarket axle-back exhaust, the power gains won’t be near as much as wider pipes and a performance-oriented muffler would give you in the cat-back. But if budget and complexity are important considerations, then an axle-back is certainly better than nothing.
3. Don’t Use Anything Less Than Stainless Steel
The next thing to consider is to never use anything that’s a lower grade than stainless steel. Most modern cars will use stainless steel components at the very least for their exhaust system, and you don’t want to go to a worse grade of metal when installing aftermarket parts. That will only set your car back instead of moving it forward.
4. Don’t Forget Your Neighbors!
While the loudest exhaust option may seem like a good idea when you’re revving a car in an auto lot, remember that if you live in any kind of proximity to your neighbors there’s no better way to ruin that relationship than by waking them up every morning with a cold start-up as you head to work.
In addition, a loud exhaust can become a pain on long road trips, so make sure that you balance great sound with consideration for your and your neighbors’ eardrums.
5. Choose a Reliable Brand
Last but not least, when installing anything aftermarket on your car, be sure to choose a reliable brand like HKS Exhaust. A poor aftermarket exhaust system can result in poor flow of exhaust gases out of your engine, which can result in power losses, inconsistent pressures across the piping system, and other negative long-term effects.
Essential Aftermarket Exhaust Tips
There you have it β with these essential aftermarket exhaust tips under your belt, you’re all ready to start shopping around for the exhaust system that’s right for you.
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