I don't understand?
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7th Gear
Joined: Feb 2011
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I don't understand?
Why in the world are exhaust pieces so expensive...I mean really all they are are bent pieces of pipe in most cases! I can understand something like a flow master cause that takes researching and they have to have pieces inside it welded in and what eve. Is it because the metal itself is expensive or what? could i not just buy some strait pipe cut it up and weld it to fit?
Hotshot
Joined: Sep 2010
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From: RVA
Why in the world are exhaust pieces so expensive...I mean really all they are are bent pieces of pipe in most cases! I can understand something like a flow master cause that takes researching and they have to have pieces inside it welded in and what eve. Is it because the metal itself is expensive or what? could i not just buy some strait pipe cut it up and weld it to fit?
Companies like Magnaflow and Flowmaster offer different options, like aluminized steel as compared to stainless steel. Stainless being more expensive. You're also paying for technology, like mandrel bends which are performed by a very expensive complex computer driven machine that makes perfect bends that keep the inside diameter of the pipe consistent for even flow.
Sure you could "piece" together a system, take hours working on fitment, another couple of hours welding it so that all of your seams are sealed tight, etc. But for some it's just easier to buy a completely engineered system that's usually dyno tested for performance (Magnaflow) and is nearly gauranteed to bolt right up without problems. Most cat back systems that are designed for our trucks will bolt up in less than an hour with basic hand tools.
Hotshot
Joined: Sep 2010
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From: RVA
It's actually a pretty cool process that they go through to develop these things. They build a "mock-up" prototype first. That's just tack welded in place using bits and pieces of tubing. They take that prototype to a table with a robotic arm afixed that has a two pronged fork on the end of it. That fork is used to measure where the bends are, how long sections are, etc and all that data is stored in the comp. The comp then tells the bender what to bend and how. It's all bent from one long piece of tubing so that there are no seams in the pipe itself. Just a seam on either end of the muffler.
So yeah, once you take into account all of that information, it makes more sense. But yes, a full stainless cat back system is still expensive!!
So yeah, once you take into account all of that information, it makes more sense. But yes, a full stainless cat back system is still expensive!!
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Joined: Feb 2011
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From: North West PA
Hey, Chandler, Your reply to Nixxanater is right on target in my opinion. I couldn't have explained the associated cost drivers any better. However I'll add the following observations regarding the cost of exhaust systems. My buddy in West Va put a near identical exhaust on his F150 as I have on my F150 and it cost him more than mine. Another buddy in Missouri put the same system on an F250 and it cost about $100 more. I heard of a guy in Texas with an F350 who wants to build his system from scratch but in the long run I fear he'll end up paying more and wind up with an exhaust system that either needs constant maintenance attention or doesn't serve his performance requirements as well as expected. Nixxanater I guess it just really comes down to your view on exhaust systems and what you want to do with it. Good luck buddy.
Hotshot
Joined: Sep 2010
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From: RVA
I had a custom bent (not mandrel, but the standard pipe bender) pipe and 50 Series FlowMaster on my V8 Explorer. It sounded great, nice low rumble, and was incredibly less expensive than a bolt on kit. The problem was that 7 years of VA weather cause the aluminized pipe to begin to show signs of rust and eventually created a hole about a week before I traded it in last summer.
If I do exhaust on the F150, it will be stainless steel...no question about it.
If I do exhaust on the F150, it will be stainless steel...no question about it.
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the cost is very well worth it. granted i feel as though the OEM has put 1000's of hours of tuning the exhaust to be a perfect mix of horse, torque, and sound, so nothing should be done to them. that being said, i have a straight pipe on mine. the "hours of fitting your own pipe" statement above is a little silly, it took me 30 minutes to fit, bend, and weld up some hangars. biggest problem with this truck is that the hangars on the OEM system are on the muffler itself, so if you don't buy a muffler made for it, you will struggle to hang it.
if you get a cat-back system, it shouldn't take you more than 10 minutes to install.
my straight pipe sounds awesome during full throttle acceleration. it sounds like a cheap honda while i'm holding a speed. it was a personal experiment for me, and i'll be getting a nice aftermarket kit this summer. the drone at 65 mph is too much to bear!
if you get a cat-back system, it shouldn't take you more than 10 minutes to install.
my straight pipe sounds awesome during full throttle acceleration. it sounds like a cheap honda while i'm holding a speed. it was a personal experiment for me, and i'll be getting a nice aftermarket kit this summer. the drone at 65 mph is too much to bear!
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