Quote:
Originally Posted by Foobar
They state they used 304 for the tips which means they used inferior material for the rest and we're assuming 409 since that's the logical choice for aftermarket exhaust. Could be mild steel I guess.
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This is why people need to educate themselves and investigate the products.
If it rusts, and they make no claim of it being 304 or better (or even full stainless at all) it is a too bad, so sad situation.
This is why I have been a bit of a d!ck to more than a few vendors when it comes to materials, fabrication method and country of origin.
Materials, people have a basic understanding that 304 is the one to have in exhausts. But there is more to it. Country of origin, or better, country of quality assurance plays a role in more than just fitment or welds cracking. The machinery company I work for buy literally tons of steel and aluminum per year (possibly even per month). The planning and purchasing departments are penny pinching misers. On the occasion that they've sourced cheaper material we've always ended up getting burned. Aluminum sold as 6061-T6 that isn't in the T6 condition (useless as it has half its strength), 304L stainless tubing that is out of round with a wall thickness variance of over 25%, 1060 induction-hardened linear shaft that isn't hardened. Each time it is never the whole batch, but from 10% to as much as 25% in the case of the linear shaft. All of it was Chinese-sourced from small Chinese or Canadian distributors. The stuff from US sources, or Chinese production via large corporations like NSK has had practically zero issues.
Any exhaust company that sources in China has a huge risk of quality issues because they don't oversea/own/partner with the factories. The factories run on razor thin margins and one rejected piece can wipe out the profit from a lot of sales. (Yes there will be ranges of factory quality, ranging from ok to terrible. But never good.) So a lot 'slips through' QA. You end up with a few people getting a good fit and durable system, another that needs a hammer for install, and another that fits ok but rusts out in 6 months. All from the same company.
Now as much as people get boners for the Japanese companies, they are not all huge and powerful to the point of being able to maintain suitable quality assurances over the entire supply chain. Not even Ford (transmissions) or Siemens (? German high-speed train) can do this. Add to the fact that two of the biggest Japanese aftermarket companies Trust/Greddy and HKS have been having tough times financially and you have a recipe for cost-cutting problems.
So you either get outsourced production with unverifiable supply chains, or material substitutions. Or both. (One or both of the Greddy/HKS FR-S exhausts in the DSport review use 409 stainless.)
There's more to this, but this is already too long and too ranty...
TLDR:
Nameless,
Motiv and
JDL are beautifully TIG welded, USA-made with USA-sourced 304L. Nameless is also testing the superior titanium-enriched 321 stainless.
Perrin and
Borla are adequately MIG welded, USA-made with unconfirmed source 304.
Buy from these companies.