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Originally Posted by Stebro PSD
Q. Are the pipes Mandrel bent?
A. Unless requested the pipes are NOT mandrel bent. It is more expensive to mandrel bend the pipes so as standard practice we don't but we can if requested, and a different price will be the result. Plus unless you’re building the vehicle for show or make HP gains over 500HP it’s not necessary. I also own a performance company dealing with Mitsubishi and have done exhaust testing, on most applications there was minimal to no difference in performance from mandrel bending unless you get close to 400-500HP. From my own personal testing I had an exhaust system that was mandrel bent and we just swapped out the mandrel bent center section (2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart) dyno-ed it before and after...no difference....we did get the gain and sound quality when we changed the muffler as the Stebro is a flow through design and best of all it no longer sounds like the average screaming tuner car out there....you all know what I mean.......
Q. What grade of stainless is used?
A. For the pipes we use 409 stainless. You will get surface discoloration but it will not penetrate the metal. The really shiny piping has higher nickel content and is brittle compared to the 409. The muffler is 304 stainless
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Ok, let's make this clear:
-For a list price of $2500 you get non-mandrel bent tubing and 409 stainless for pipes?
-Just for comparison, the Eisenmann Race exhaust for the E70 X5 uses all mandrel bent tubing and 304 stainless on the entire exhaust and has a list price of $2437.37.
While I agree that mandrel bent tubing is not going to make that much of a difference performance wise, but at this price point we come to expect that level of thoroughness in the manufacturing process. Pressure bent tubing is what I would expect from my local muffler guy, not an exhaust manufacturer that is in the business of making exhausts for high performance cars.
Why use 409 at all? While I agree that 409 is only going to rust on the surface and has no affect on the integrity of the metal, wouldn't it be worth it to spend a little more and use 304 throughout the entire system? I would hate to show someone the exhaust that I paid $2500 for and have it be rusty. People like to see shiny muffler cans and piping, especially if they pay a huge sum for the product.
Here's an example of what 409 will look like after some use:
Who wants to see that under their car? On the e70, you would definitely see the tubing leading from the can to the tips.
I would take a look at the aftermarket exhaust companies making exhausts for BMWs and see what they're producing for the same price, if not lower.