SO yet again ive been looking for a turbo back exhaust now im looking for one that produces the most power and has a good sound theres so many out there not really sure on which way to go couple people recommened the cobb or hks not sure on what to do?

 

decide on whats more important to you...power gains? exhaust note? looks? loudness or lack thereof?

decide what you really want in your exhaust and go from there...

for example, i care more about looks and exhaust note, so my heart on the greddy ti-c catback, perrin downpipe and mil.spec cat...the fact the ti-c catback tapers doesnt bother me, but some people just HAVE TO HAVE a 3" exhaust...

 

The HKS is junk and has fitment issues (resonator rubs driveshaft), plus it's not stainless it's plated mild steel, Yes I bought one and found out the hard way. Either way, the HKS will not be a top performer anyhow because of the restrictions (resonator and restrictive muffler). I feel like they ripped me off for $700+ dollars for their ill fitting catback and I make it a point to dissuade anyone from buying thier crappy exhaust.

If your looking for performance, you want the lightest, largest diameter, loudest, straightest, non-resonated exhaust you can find. You also want it to fit right. In alphabetical order take a look at AMS, BR, E-bay, ETS, Greddy/Trust, Megan, and Tanabe. You can find sound clips for most of these exhausts on the internet. Good luck with whatever you decide on.

 

ebay exhaust ftw.

 

Previously had a 3" dp and tp with stock exhaust. 3 months ago decided to add a Cobb catback. Big difference in power , at least my butt dyno is feeling it. Install was easy and fitment was perfect. Nothing but smiles so far, not too flashy so no police harrassment. Pretty quiet sound driving around town but gets a bit annoying when making long distant trips.

 

Cobb TBE

 

Ok first off, the OP said he wanted a powerful exhaust - Not a quiet exhaust. Cobb, HKS, etc are very quiet and restrictive and apparently have other issues as well. They both have resonators (probably why they both have rubbing problems as well). I realize their quality (HKS and Cobb) is apparently hit or miss as lots of people praise this stuff, either that or they would like others to suffer with them.

Cobb Rubbing, sounds like the HKS issue.
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ev...st-rattle.html

Cobb welds cracking.
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ev...e-stealth.html

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh....php?p=6395480

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ev...exhaust-3.html

And finally Cobb fitment issues not resolved (questionable, used part)
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/se...aust-ever.html

 

what????

you obviously did NOT get a proper hks product then...not only does my hks carbon-ti NOT rub the driveshaft, but it's also the best looking and one of the best sounding exhausts (behind buschur) on the market. are you sure you didn't buy an "hks style" exhaust off ebay?

EDIT: or you just ridiculously messed the install up...you have to fiddle with the hangars to get it to the right angle that you want. are you sure you installed the exhaust so that it was pointing out towards the right side of the car? you didn't install it backwards did you? upside down?

 

First of all, I'm glad your's fits and doesnt rub, your lucky I guess. You shouldnt assume or imply that people are idiots. There are lots of people that have had rubbing / grinding issues with this exhaust (links and pics provided), HKS has helped none of us. There are a ton of workarounds including cartboy hangars and a big hammer. It's also not due to knock-offs or poor installation - unless you think installation involves bending pipe. BTW.. it was an authentic HKS product purchased from a vendor here on EvoM. Your right, I don't think I got a proper HKS product, I got a POS HKS product. Sadly, the ebay exhaust is a fantastic product compared to the HKS exhaust - 1. It's 100% stainless 2. It fits and doesnt rub 3. It doesnt neck down at the cat 4. It doesnt dramatically reduce the ground clearance of the car.

I'll assume your smart enough to know there is no way to install it "upside down" or "backwards". Also there's not much "fiddling" that can be done, the amount of adjustability is the non stainless bolts in the non stainless flanges. I contacted HKS USA and sent them photos and they were zero help. These are not pics of mine.. I was one of the first IX owners to run into this back in 2006, I then found out that it had happened to many people but there were so many HKS nutswingers that were shouting about how great this HKS exhaust is, that this message never made it so I got shafted. So yes I make a point to tell the truth about their crap exhaust. I hope I've accounted for tons of potential victims not having to deal with this problem. What's funny is that some of the people that were telling me how great their HKS exhausts fit like you, show up in later threads complaining about their exhaust rubbing. HKS could have handled the situation and sent me a new mid pipe that fit. Instead they didnt and I'll continue to warn potential buyers about the issue.

If you want a JDM exhaust try TRUST, Tanabe, Greddy, JUN.. I've not seen complaints about these JDM exhausts. Also I can personally say the Tanabe Concept G is top notch plus I got the full TBE for the cost of the HKS catback.

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ev...k-problem.html

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/4170221-post35.html

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ev...s-problem.html

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ev...rain-help.html

 

^ thanks for the info... good to know.

i'd also like to know more feedback on good TBE or CB/DP exhaust setups.
I find it pretty hard to find info on feedback from users regarding exhaust setups.

 

There is the Exhaust thread

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ev...st-thread.html

But the essentials are this.

Materials - Full Titanium - Stainless - Mild Steel. Titanium is light and expensive, Stainless offers a good comprimise and resists rust, mild steel will rust and it's heavy. BTW, the OEM exhaust is stainless. And a titanium tip doesnt make an exhaust lighter. Different materials resonate at different frequency's so this can affect the exhaust's sound as well.

Power vs Quietness - Volume level has a direct relationship with how an exhaust flows. If it doesnt have any restrictions it's going to be loud and flow good. If it's muffled and resonated then the flow is going to be restricted. Size and straightness of pipe is another factor concerning flow and noise level. A sharp bend in an exhaust can make 3" flow like 2.5" or less.

Quality - Does it look like your local muffler shop put it together or does it look like a special robot that never makes a mistake welded it? Is the hardware stainless or is it going to rust? Are there reports of the product being sub par?

Design - Stock mounting points or something that adds weight? Some exit straight, some at a angle, some are burned tip some are not. Alot of this is asthetic but a straighter path could improve flow and a slip fit exhaust could weigh less. Another design factor is the DP, in order to have DP clearance around the tie bars and drivetrain components some DP's are smaller diameter pipe and/or have curves in them. This is especially applicable in ACD equipped cars and MR cars. Also worth noting is some use the stock spring bolts and donut to mount the DP to the o2 while some come with replacement bolts and are hard mounted to the o2 housing - some of these have flex pipe sections to absorb drivetrain movement. Slip fit, flanged, V-band, many different options out there for consumers.

Reputation - This is a mixed bag as we can see in previous posts. Most consumers are going to naturally want to think whatever they have is the best. Also not many people get to try out 6 or 7 exhausts to choose what actually works the best, so you really have to take personal FTW reviews with a grain of salt. Your engine tuner can probably recommend an exhaust that works well because they might have gotten to see many different ones in action. Also, keep in mind if your tuner makes or sells an exhaust they are probably going to be biased towards their own product, and it's possible their's is better. I would personally avoid an exhaust that has any history of problems because there are plenty of exhausts that dont have problems.

Domestic vs Foreign - Buying American is a valid point right now seeing how the US economy is going. However isolationism in a global economy is not going to fix anything. If you want to buy USA we have plenty of top notch US mfr'd exhausts to choose from. AMS, BR, ETS, to name a few. That said, you can save several hundred dollars with a Chinese Ebay exhaust and spend the savings to feed your family or to pay your mortgage. Maybe you want full titanium - burnt tip - JDM , the choice is yours.

 

well i have the cobb tbe and i love it. it is very stock looking so cops stay away and also not loud at all with it being a true 3'' all the way through plus i painted the muffler black so now nobody even knows i have an exhaust by looking

 

buschur racing ftw ...i have the tbe with their bullet muffler sounds amazing and very few bends ...makes for great power

 

thanks for the link, i've been looking for that.

 

take the resomater off, problem fixed and louder. lol everyone is happy