Anodised Aluminum & Stainless..Sound Difference?

[Sweetas_VT_SS]

I have a mate with a VY SS and he is thinking about fitting an exhaust. His local place said they do a Anodised Aluminum single 3.5" cat back that sounds better than a Stainless (sureflo) 3.5" catback... Can this be correct? Or are they talking shyte? I would imagine that the difference between those too metals would have SFA to do with the sound...

[pandaman]

I have a mate with a VY SS and he is thinking about fitting an exhaust. His local place said they do a Anodised Aluminum single 3.5" cat back that sounds better than a Stainless (sureflo) 3.5" catback... Can this be correct? Or are they talking shyte? I would imagine that the difference between those too metals would have SFA to do with the sound...

It might sound different. Aluminium is far less dense and so would have different acoustic properties to steel, It'd be a lot lighter than a steel system too. Anodised aluminium would also probably have a lower surface roughness than steel which might give a poofteenth of a kilowatt power advantage over a stainless system, might change the tone as well because there'd be less surface effects. Hate to think how they're forming the stuff though. It wouldn't be cheap and definitlely wouldn't be worth it.

EDIT: Another thing about aluminium, you just need to look at the stuff and it dents. Not a particularly practical material for an exhaust. Ever seen a SIG bottle without dents in it?

[Sweetas_VT_SS]

Point taken, I just thought for a cat back system the audible difference would be hardly noticeble to the ave joe, and even if you put them side by side how much difference could there be to say ones better than the other?

EDIT: They quoted him $1500 fitted with pacemaker extractors included. I told him that was cheap as!

[pandaman]

Point taken, I just thought for a cat back system the audible difference would be hardly noticeble to the ave joe, and even if you put them side by side how much difference could there be to say ones better than the other?

I'd say you've got it right. Average joe is just gonna hear V8. Although by that argument, just pulling the muffler out is gonna get the job done.

[Grennan]

Ive always been told Stainless gives the exhuast a lot more crisp note to it, and like pandaman said, you just gotta look at aluminium and it dints to the ****house. One stray rock and you might have a lovely restrictive exhuast setup.

[Tree cutter]

I would be more worried about the aluminium cracking than getting dented. It would have to be made out of tubing with a thicker wall thickness than stainless so it holds its shape. Different metals will make your exhaust sound different. Mild steel tubing normally has a deeper note than stainless. I remember my old man telling me how they used to make exhaust systems out of copper pipe because it sounded better than steel pipe, but it is illegal to use copper pipe because it creates poisonous gasses somehow. They used to spray black paint on the copper so it looked like a normal steel exhaust.

[VT-565]

hands up anyone who has heard of an aluminium exhaust system before? not I for one. For what it's worth, mild steel is the easiest and cheapest for upgrades. you can work it easy at home if you are a tinkerer like myself and the sound difference may be there, but it's not that significant.

[damez]

haha copper exhaust... id try it if copper didnt cost a s$#%load

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

Are you sure it's aluminium and not aluminized? Aluminized is mild steel with an aluminium coating to stop it rusting. Stainless sounds louder and has a bit of a ring to it if you know what you are listening for. If you had two cars side by side, you would definitely hear the difference.

[Reaper]

Are you sure it's aluminium and not aluminized? Aluminized is mild steel with an aluminium coating to stop it rusting. Stainless sounds louder and has a bit of a ring to it if you know what you are listening for. If you had two cars side by side, you would definitely hear the difference.

I think you are right on the mark here. I have never heard of an aluminium exhaust before but aluminized steel is very common.

FWIW I like the sound from ms exhausts better. The resonance from stainless sounds tinny to me.

Reaper

[greenfoam]

hands up anyone who has heard of an aluminium exhaust system before? not I for one. For what it's worth, mild steel is the easiest and cheapest for upgrades. you can work it easy at home if you are a tinkerer like myself and the sound difference may be there, but it's not that significant.

My motorbike has a aluminium muffler:P

[VT-565]

My motorbike has a aluminium muffler:P

There's always one
I'm sure you know I was referring to full car systems in general.