CHOOSING A EXHAUST SYSTEM FOR YOUR 4x4

There are many considerations when choosing the right exhaust system for your 4x4 - here is some help for you.

• Aluminised v Stainless Steel

The majority of 4x4 Exhaust Systems sold in Australia are manufactured out of 409 Stainless Steel. Aluminsed systems utilise Aluminium Coated Mild Steel pipework and are slightly cheaper - warranty is 3 years compared to 5 years for 409 Stainless Steel. Outback Exhausts offer both for most of their systems. Both materials are painted for added protection.

• Painted or Unpainted

A lot of manufacturers only paint the welded parts of a system - Outback Exhausts paint the complete system with a quality heat resistant paint for added protection & improved appearance.

• Pipe Size - 2.5", 3" or 3.5"

Most manufacturers only offer 3" pipework on their systems - this is fine for most applications however some vehicles respond better to 2.5" or even 3.5" pipework. Outback Exhausts offer 2.5", 3" & 3.5" pipework.

• Turbo back, Manifold back, Catalytic Converter Back & Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF)  Back. 

Which of the above is suited to your 4x4 depends on it's age & the engine you have. For example older non turbo vehicles take Manifold back systems which include extractors ( also called Headers ), Turbo engined vehicles take a turbo back system with the exception of more recent models which have a DPF ( Diesel Particulate Filter ) in the system here they take DPF back systems. Outback Exhausts offer all variants - the listings on our website ( www.factorydirect4x4exhausts.com.au ) detail what is suitable for your model.

• Sound / Note Options -Pipe only/no muffler, Hotdog, Small Muffler/Resonator or Large Muffler

Outback Exhausts offer a number of choices of Sound option on most of their systems including pipe Only for a Loud note, Small Muffler/Resonator for a medium note and Large Muffler for a quiet note.  

Different vehicles respond in different ways to these sound options for example a 75 Series Landcruiser with a 1HZ engine really needs a muffler as Pipe Only does not sound good. A new 79 Series Landcruiser sounds ok without a muffler as the DPF quietens the note. Call us for assistance on choosing the right option for you.  

• Emission Laws - With or without Hi Flow Catalytic Converter , DPF removal, etc

Depending upon the age of the vehicle it is a legal requirement to have a Catalytic Converter and/or a Diesel Particulate Filter in your aftermarket system. We use 200 cell High flow Cats in our systems to keep you legal & offer you greater performance. We also offer not Cat systems most systems - however you risk the possibility of being defected / fined if caught. Happy to run through the options with you so you are aware of the risks involved in breaking Australian Emission laws.

• Mandrel or Press Bent

Most 4x4 exhaust systems sold in Australia are mandrel bent - the pipework in these systems are bent using a mandrel bender that costs anywhere between $80,000 to $400,000 . Its only systems made up by an exhaust shop that are press bent these days - a Press Bender only costs $10,000 to $25,000. Mandrel bent systems maintain the pipe diameter throughout the entire bend for optimum flow whereas press bent squeeze the pipe diameter by around 8%.

• Price

4x4 Exhaust systems in Australia vary considerably in price. The cheapest systems start from around $400 whereas the most expensive can be around $2500. Outback Exhausts are a mid priced, quality system -  locally manufactured in Australia.  

• Quality

As with most products these days there is a difference in quality & fitment  - beware of Chinese made systems, but just because a system is Australian made does not mean it is good quality & will fit well. Buyer beware !!

• Availability / Order Processing / Speed of delivery 

Some of Australia's exhaust manufacturers constantly run out of stock, other can take up to 10 weeks to do a production run. At outback Exhausts we carry good stocks of our systems but should we run out we will usually manufacture a system within 24 hours - we hate losing a sale due to nil stock !

We process orders quickly to ensure you get your system as quickly as we can. We work closely with our freight companies like TNT Road Express to keep freight/transit times to a minimum. This includes export orders where we can usually get a system to New Zealand in 4 days, USA/Canada usually within 5-7 days etc.

• After Sales Service

Outback Exhausts takes pride in offering the same level of service that we would like to receive ourselves. Our business has been built on looking after our customers & getting referrals via word of mouth. Try Us !

When researching an exhaust for your 4WD you will need to know the Make, Model, Year & Engine details to ensure you get the correct system.

The above points are just a quick summary of the decisions you make when buying a 4x4 system... please do not hesitate to call us on 1300 858 857. We love talking 4x4 exhausts !

Outback Exhausts

1300 858 857