Hello 2022 Subaru WRX owners. This may be your first rodeo, figured we would put together a little introduction to the fully configurable catback and axleback exhausts we offer for the '22 WRX and all of the other cars that we make superior hand build exhausts for. We get asked which style of exhaust tip we would recommend more frequently than we would like to admit, so we though it would be advantageous to make a few things clear about the various tips we offer.
There is no difference in the attenuation of our exhaust systems based on the tip style that you choose. The style of tip is purely aesthetic (for looks), and we generally advocate that people choose what they like the look of.
For most factory subaru exhaust systems the tips are 3" in diameter (this is true of a vast majority of the WRX & STi platform from roughly 2008 to 2022 as well as many of the dual exit exhaust systems on the Legacy and Forester platforms), and that is the starting point for our tip sizing.
We usually recommend to match the tip sizing up with the overall look and design you're going with on the vehicle. If it's an aggressive looking car, larger sized tips tend to fit that look; while more practically modified vehicles geared toward weekend adventure and occasional gravel action tend to get equipped with our factory sized offerings.
Beyond size, what's the difference in the tip styles we offer? What's the difference between Single Wall and Double Wall? Brushed vs. Polished? Hand built vs. Off The Shelf? Why are the prices all different? All great questions, lets break it down:
This is the main division between the majority of tip options we offer.
Double Wall is like a stainless coffee cup where the tip is constructed of two formed sections of stainless tubing that have been welded together and polished into a single piece. The result is generally a more expensive design with a more finished and refined look. Double wall also lacks an exposed edge, which results in more protection against corrosive road salts in areas where they salt the roads, so keep that in mind if you're in the rust belt. We qualify ever piece of material that leaves our shop as T304 stainless, but salt can do damage if left on any stainless material.
Single Wall is just a single tube per tip cut at an angle, with a thin 1/16" thick profile. Single walls tend to look a little larger than the equivalent size of double wall, with a more simplified look. Single wall are also a bit more difficult to keep clean during winters where your town or state salts the roads - due to the exposed edge, the salt buildup can eat away at that edge, so maintenence is required more frequently to keep the tips clean of corrosive agents.
Polished vs. BrushedVery simple here, polished is polished to a mirror finish; brushed is taken to a brushed finish using a scotch brite pad. Benefit to brushed is that it is VERY easy to clean, can simply be re-brushed by using a standard red scotch brite pad available at a hardware store. Polished requires more work to refinish, but stays clean easier. The image to the left is a brushed tip, the two above describing the double and single wall styles are both polished.
This is the real division between the more expensive tips we offer and the less expensive entry level options. An in-house tip is built here, the Y segment of the quad tips are mandrel bent here, cut and welded here, cnc machined for a perfect inlet right here on our machines, then assembled and hand tig welded for a stunning overall finished look. The 3.5" Double Wall tips themselves are also cut, formed and hand tig welded right here in our shop. The result is a cat-back exhaust that is entirely manfuactured under one roof right here in the United States of America, and there are no other companies in the market who can say that. Both images on the left above are in-house tips, the single wall 3.5" tip on the right is an off the shelf design.
Get Your 2022 WRX Catback Here Today, or check out the full range of products we offer for that vehicle and others by checking our our entire catalog.