When you start a conversation with your friends or other fellow car geeks about various exhaust system mods, which is the best, functional, and practical, you may find yourselves in the middle of a heated “friendly” debate.
An amicable debate that’s as hot as the exhaust system of a running car. Suppose you poll several car enthusiasts on their choice for straight pipes vs. catback exhaust systems. In that case, there’s a pretty good possibility you’ll get half of the answers and explanations from each side they favor.
If you’re seeking sound and horsepower enhancement for your car, experimenting with the exhaust systems is the most straightforward method you can do. This article will describe the two most common kinds of exhaust systems, straight pipe and catback exhaust.
Also, we’ll be discussing the primary distinctions among them and the implications on efficiency and added power. Which one should you go for, straight pipes or catback exhaust?
Generally, it would be best to choose catback exhaust over the straight piping. Catback exhaust systems are legal and significantly increase horsepower and loudness – they are ideal for every day drivers or those who often run on the street.
Straight piping or axleback exhaust often fails emission tests and makes your vehicle extremely noisy. However, this is a good option for automobiles that need a lot of horsepower and are handled on the racetrack. Its pipe comes directly from the exhaust manifold, which results in more power production.
What Is A Straight Pipe Exhaust?
If your exhaust system is fitted with a straight pipe or axleback exhaust system, that means the pipe begins at the exhaust manifold or exhaust header. It may equip your car with additional horsepower and torque. However, this setup is often authorized only with race cars on race tracks.
Except for specific jurisdictional exclusions, the straight pipe exhaust or axleback exhaust setup cannot be used on a public road since the straight pipe does not prevent the flow of harmful gases produced by the engine.
A straight pipe exhaust is a straight pipe that allows exhaust gases to flow freely into the atmosphere without using a muffler or catalytic converter. If you install this setup to your car, you may extract extra horsepower from your engine. Additionally, your car will be much louder with this exhaust setup.
After reviewing your local emissions and noise regulations, you may weigh these particular advantages and disadvantages to determine if a straight pipe exhaust or axleback exhaust is a suitable solution for your needs.
What is a Cat-Back Exhaust?
The term “Catback” applies to the area of the exhaust system between the catalytic converter’s output and the exhaust tips. Typically, a catback exhaust system consists of a pipe connecting the catalytic converter towards the muffler and the muffler to the exhaust tips.
On the other hand, Catback exhaust systems often use bigger diameter pipes than the factory exhaust pipe. A well-designed setup would have mandrel-bent curves that enable exhaust gases to leave with the least amount of backpressure as it can.
Often, the catback exhaust system contains glasspack mufflers to help alleviate back pressure. If the setup is designed primarily for aesthetics rather than usefulness, it can be tuned to augment the low noises produced by high revs of low-displacement engines.
Catbacks boost performance by modifying the stock exhaust system pipe with a bigger diameter pipe and a more economical mid-pipe. While the catalytic convertors stay, the emissions are not altered. But, automobiles will have an increased exhaust tone, higher fuel efficiency, and lighter weight.
You may be afraid that installing a cat-back exhaust system is unlawful as the straight pipe setup. Well, it’s not; the emission regulations aren’t impacted because you aren’t eliminating the catalytic converters.
As usual, let your morals be your guide when it comes to loudness. Due to noise restrictions, even though it’s legal, you may have to be gentle on the gas pedal in certain places.
Straight Pipe Exhaust vs. Catback Exhaust
Most automobiles come with a standard factory-installed exhaust system intended to maintain emission and noise under acceptable limits.
However, what about removing the components of the factory-installed exhaust system and replacing them with a straight pipe or a catback? What’s with these petrolheads’ exhaust upgrades?
Now that we understand what a straight pipe exhaust and a catback systems are let’s go and compare them further. We’ll go more in-depth and compare straight pipe vs. catback in various ways.
Performance
Both straight pipe and a catback can’t provide a significant effect on horsepower increase if they remain untuned; you’ll get a bunch of noise with the same power as the stock exhaust can. However, if both are correctly tuned, a straight pipe can perform better than a catback.
- Straight Pipe
When it refers to possible horsepower gains, straight piping has the edge. Because all parts of the exhaust system are eliminated, allowing exhaust gases to flow completely and freely. To accomplish this, you must tune your vehicle after the installation. Otherwise, the increase in horsepower is insignificant.
- Catback
Catback exhaust systems try to alleviate the limitations by substituting aftermarket components for standard components. This could function, but eliminating the parts entirely like the straight pipe setup would certainly provide better results.
Emission
Though both of these setups are loud, they have a significant distinction in emissions. Here’s why:
- Straight Pipe
The straight piping exhaust setup requires you to remove your car’s catalytic converter, which leads to tons of emissions each time you run your vehicle.
- Catback Exhaust
This exhaust setup will not affect your car’s emission since you don’t eliminate the catalytic converter from the system.
Noise
Both straight piping and catback can significantly enhance the sound your engine produces. However, the sound produced by a straight pipe could put you in trouble with the authorities.
- Straight Pipe
Straight piping eliminates the need for the primary components of an exhaust system, such as the catalytic converter, resonator, and muffler, which implies that the noise of combustion is not muffled. This results in extreme and powerful engine noise.
- Catback Exhaust
A catback exhaust system replaces the restrictive standard muffler with a lesser restricted one. This implies that combustion noise can be muffled somewhat, giving a more forceful and more robust sound.
Fuel Economy
Both straight pipe exhaust and catback exhaust can significantly affect your car’s gas mileage regarding the fuel economy. Here’s how:
- Straight Pipe
A straight piped exhaust system is much lighter than the standard exhaust, which means better fuel economy. Many people are unaware that eliminating the catalytic converter and mufflers reduces the engine’s backpressure. This indicates that a straight pipe exhaust will reduce fuel consumption.
- Catback Exhaust
A catback exhaust system replaces the entire exhaust system from the factory, up to the car’s catalytic converters. The pipes have been expanded for better performance. Additionally, the mufflers are intended to aid in the proper drainage of the exhaust gases. Catback exhaust systems increase both fuel economy and engine sound.
Legality
Besides toxic exhaust gases emission that blows out of your tailpipe, the exhaust noise of a vehicle is another factor to determine if it’s legal or illegal. But both straight pipe exhaust and catback exhaust are loud. Here’s why is one of them is unlawful, and the other could be not.
- Straight Pipe
Straight piped exhaust will never be street legal in most places because of its noise and the high exhaust flow or emission it produces since it does not have a functioning muffler.
- Catback Exhaust
The catback exhaust system still has its catalytic converter and muffler, producing fewer emissions. Also, you can choose a catback exhaust pipe that creates engine noise below the restricted limit.
Cost
- Straight Pipe
A substantial part of the cost of straight pipes is influenced by your place or the city where you live. Likewise, the make and model of your sweet ride are a factor for the price. Typically, you’ll pay between $1000 up to $1500 to do a straight piping mod. If you choose to get the pricey titanium alloy material, you will have to spend additional money.
- Catback Exhaust
Catback exhaust systems are an excellent method to improve your vehicle’s performance, sound, and aesthetics without needing to get out a minor loan. A standard catback or aftermarket exhaust system will cost about $300 and can run up to $3000, based on the brand or type you wish to install.
Why Go For Straight Pipe?
If you happen to be starting your hobby as an amateur racer, or maybe racing your car during the weekend for fun, legally, of course; which you must! Go and try the straight pipe.
A straight pipe can significantly enhance your car’s top-end speed and horsepower, even more so if your car is equipped with a turbocharger. It is because you eliminate all restrictions in the exhaust system, allowing your engine to operate more smoothly.
It will enable you to bring the most mileage out of your car. If you wish to maintain the car’s maximum performance, you must tune it. Straight pipe exhausts will draw attention to your vehicle’s system and make them stand out. With the option of changing the color by welding, it seems more attractive to the eye.
Additionally, installing a straight pipe increases the engine’s sound. The engine generates its authentic sweet sound. This is very advantageous for people on the racetrack. Based on the car you are running, you can even blast flames from your exhaust tips.
Straight pipe exhausts are the simplest to install — all you have to perform is take off the existing exhaust and bolt the fresh new straight pipe on. Make no mistake about the straight pipe being less expensive. The main reason it is less expensive is due to its easy installation.
Why Go For Catback?
If you wish your ride to stand out and be extra loud while still legally running on the streets, catback may be the best.
If you buy an aftermarket exhaust system, such as a catback, you have complete control over the sound production and horsepower, as you can choose the muffler type and pipe’s size in diameter.
Also, catbacks have wider pipes to help your car breathe easier. However, exceeding the recommended maximum diameter limit will result in performance degradation as gases accumulate and leave the system slower, resulting in horsepower, rpm, and torque loss.
Thankfully, experts or shops specialize in exhaust systems you can visit and will assist you in choosing the best catback system and immediately provide pipe diameter alternatives optimized for your engine’s efficiency.
Additionally, you’ll have control over the muffler type. Catback systems often come in straight-through or glasspack mufflers, designed to function with the other system elements to minimize backpressure.
Each of these muffler variants affects the amount of noise produced – better than your stock muffler. Flow-through or straight-through mufflers have pierced chambers and packing substances that reduce noise absorption while maintaining a modest output.
Due to its structure and absence of noise-absorbing packing material, glasspack mufflers behave similarly to resonators, which are often louder and high-pitched.
Conclusion
Choosing between the battle of straight pipe vs. catback exhaust relies only on your desires. Installing them in your beloved car is primarily for performance reasons.
Knowing about each of these exhaust systems enables you to select the ideal one for you, based on your tastes and preferences.
Although a catback can be more costly, it has fewer minor downsides, is more environmentally acceptable, and is also street legal. Good luck and may you have the best choice!
FAQs
Is straight pipe better than Catback?
Deciding which of the two is better relies on your needs and preferences. They both have advantages and disadvantages in their own ways. It’s totally up to your taste and purpose which of them is better.
Does cat back exhaust make a difference?
Certainly! Catbacks often result in increased performance because of the higher efficient exhaust flow through upgraded components such as bigger pipe diameter, more systematic mufflers, superb sound, and less weight.
