Pipe Music

All DynoMax exhaust systems feature mandrel-bent tubing, as opposed to the lower-quality serrated bending process. "Mandrel bending involves filling the pipe with a medium so there's no crushing of the diameter," says Stutler.

Maintaining the integrity of the pipe diameter creates a significant difference in flow. The flow area of a 2-inch pipe is 3.14 square inches. When that pipe is bent conventionally, the area is reduced to 2.5 square inches, 20 percent less than in a mandrel-bent pipe. If you're having trouble visualizing the magnitude of the situation - think of a rush-hour freeway with a 20 percent reduction in traffic flow at every curve. That's backpressure!

While DynoMax's cat-back exhaust kits represent the end of the "exhale" system, the company's line of headers provide the same benefits - increased flow and reduced backpressure - at the beginning. Headers, once considered primarily racing equipment, replace the stock cast-iron exhaust manifold with a series of individual pipes that lead from the exhaust ports to a common passage, then on to the muffler.

In addition to increasing exhaust flow, headers can help lower underhood temperatures and maintain horsepower at altitudes. That's good news for enthusiasts who explore desert terrain, crawling through tough washouts at snail speeds or spend their weekends scooting up and down mountain ridgelines

A simple accessory for a DynoMax header is the X-Pipe connector that helps even out the pulses in the exhaust gases and balances the backpressure between both banks of the engine. The pipes not only improve horsepower, but reduce the sound as well.

"We don't know exactly why the XPipes reduce the sound level," Stutler admits. "We've tested it and there is a less aggressive tone, probably from the reduced resonance." That testing is done in DynoMax's anechoic chamber designed to measure sound with no reflective noise.

In addition to the extensive research, design, engineering and testing facilities, DynoMax controls the manufacturing process from start to finish, processing over 72 million pounds of steel into over 4,000 miles of piping each year at its Harrisburg facility. DynoMax exhaust systems are manufactured from heavy (16 gauge) aluminized or stainless steel to hold up against the roughest driving conditions.

The first step in the muffler manufacturing process is a machine that stamps the rolled steel into flattened louver tubes which are then cut to size. These stampings are then rolled into full, rounded tubes. The muffler shell starts as a continuous sheet of coiled steel fed into a press to be cut into shelllength strips.

The canister-shaped louver tubing is assembled with its internal canister. This canister is wrapped with a noisedampening fiberglass mat to reduce any harsh, tinny sounds, and then inserted into the muffler body and welded into place. The canister is loaded into a machine that places the outside cover on the muffler. The head is attached to the muffler and spun locked into place. Once the head bead is rolled, the muffler is complete and ready for a full inspection. Then the finished product goes into DynoMax's extensive distribution system and finally on to your 4x4.

For off-road rigs or tow vehicles that crave that extra boost in horsepower and torque, a performance exhaust system is one of the most cost-effective upgrades available. A DynoMax muffler adds a deeper, smoother tone just for good measure, so you can not only feel the difference, but also hear it.