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[P206]Performance Exhaust For Trucks

by Matthew C. Keegan, Mat

Through the years, car exhaust systems have played a significant role in helping sporty cars achieve "hot rod" status. These "after market modifications" are heralded by auto enthusiasts everywhere who are seeking to achieve the highest performance levels possible with their cars. You can put the performance back into your vehicle by carefully choosing only the most select performance exhaust parts for your vehicle.

The 1973 movie classic, American Graffiti, underscored what people thought about their cars: we simply love them! Featuring a heralded battle between a souped up '32 Ford Coupe and a sporty '55 Chevy, the movie projected quintessential American values of fast cars, good looking girls 'n guys, fast food, and lost love. The cars themselves screamed "pure hotrod" and it was in this tradition American car mania reached its zenith.

Since the muscle car era of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s changes have come about in the automobile industry where most cars can only dream about muscle car status. Environmental and safety regulations coupled with changing tastes have transformed the car market into one dominated by SUVs and boxy compacts. Fortunately, saner heads are prevailing and the newest mix of sporty cars on the road evoke many memories of the muscle car era.

So, how can you help your car achieve hot rod status? Well, unless it is already a sporty model, you have your work cut out for you. Nevertheless, current models including the latest rendition of the Pontiac GTO, the Corvette, Ford's Mustang, the Dodge Viper, plus select offerings from Cadillac, as well as trucks and SUVs like the Hummer and F-250 are being outfitted with the likes of and systems. Indeed, to help enthusiasts achieve a "sports car feel" technological advances have brought about exhaust systems that have no bothersome resonance or drone, provide increased torque and horsepower, and give off a great performance sound. For their part, is a proven leader in helping performance exhaust systems become a reality on so many vehicles.

Naturally, when you plan any upgrade to your exhaust system you must take care not to disturb existing emissions control equipment, no matter how tempting that would be. Therefore a "cat-back" exhaust system is your best choice as it would allow you to put large-diameter exhaust pipes and low-restriction performance mufflers into your exhaust system without harming the catalytic converter. With this type of system installed you would be maintaining your car within legal limits while receiving more torque and horsepower, less exhaust backpressure, and a sportier sound.

Yes the original muscle car era is gone, but many of today's cars can and will achieve muscle car status by carefully outfitting them with high performance exhaust systems and parts.

An exhaust header is an after market automotive part designed to improve vehicle performance. The small gain in performance facilitated by an exhaust header is important to high performance drivers who often make other modifications to their vehicles in order to increase speed. These modifications include the installation of larger intake vents for the engine. An exhaust header modifies the exhaust system to prevent back pressure, meaning that the cylinders do not have to work as hard to push exhaust out as they do in a traditional system. There are different types of exhaust headers depending on the needs of the drivers, with some tuned for low performance and others aimed at high performance on the open road.

In a conventional exhaust system, after the cylinders combust, they push the exhaust out into the exhaust manifold, which routes the exhaust out of the vehicle through the exhaust pipe. However, the exhaust manifold can create a back pressure which pushes against the cylinder, meaning that it has to exert more energy to push the exhaust out and prepare for the next firing. As a result, some efficiency can be lost.

An exhaust header works differently, essentially creating a miniature exhaust pipe for each cylinder and routing the exhaust to a centralized collector which is much larger. The pipes of an exhaust header are bent to fit under the hood and cut to the same length so that the exhaust gases will arrive sequentially in the collector as each cylinder fires. This eliminates the back pressure problem and allows the cylinders to operate more effectively.

Aftermarket headers can be bolted in place of the stock cast-iron headers. Small block headers usually use 1-5/8-inch primary tubes and big-block headers use 1-3/4-inch tubes. An important consideration when choosing headers is quality of materials. Header tubing vary in thickness, but a good quality header should use between 18-gauge and 14-gauge tubing. The metal used in the header is also important. Some headers are mild-steel, which will rust and corrode over time. Headers can be coated, either with a ceramic coating or a high-temperature paint. Using 100% stainless steel construction eliminates the need for coatings, but it is usually out many buyer's budgets. When headers are shipped, they sometimes come painted. Be aware that this coating is only for rust prevention during shipping, and the paint will not hold up to the heat once the header is installed. When headers are added along with a cat-back exhaust and high-flow catalytic converter, you can usually gain 20-30 horsepower over stock.

In some cases, an exhaust header can be tuned to pull at the exhaust valve of the next cylinder and suck the exhaust out, meaning even less work for the cylinder. Drivers who desire more power for around town driving and better acceleration under a heavy load usually opt for a low performance exhaust header, while drivers who are looking for speed on the open road prefer high performance headers.

A variety of manufacturers make exhaust headers for a dizzying assortment of vehicles, and it is important to install the exhaust header designed for your car. Because exhaust leaks can be dangerous, the exhaust header should be installed with care, or professionally if there is any uncertainty. An improperly installed header could lead to an exhaust leak which vents into the cabin of the vehicle, causing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning in the driver and passengers.

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Both Matthew C. Keegan & Mike Rosania are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Matthew C. Keegan has sinced written about articles on various topics from Blogging, Nissan and Limousine Service. Matt is a contributing writer for Car Parts Stuff.. Matthew C. Keegan's top article generates over 450000 views. to your Favourites.

Mike Rosania has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cars, Trucks and Cars. I currently have my paired with a Basani. Mike Rosania's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.