Poor quality Stainless steel exhaust

Just purchased new SS exhaust from a well known supplier and it looks to be very poor quality perhaps not even stainless steel. Certainly not chrome shinny as advertised. Has anyone else had issues.

Same as mine but I got it after two budget systems that lasted a total of three years. The SS one has been on for four or five years and is still in one piece. It’s not marine grade stainless and yes it has discoloured and grown some rusty looking bits but it’s by no means rotted.
I think the SS ones are a good intermediate system for the price. The only down side is they sound a bit tinny. Mine is diesel so no doubt the wadding in the silencer was blocked with cack within weeks but I’m not a boy racer and can put up with it not sounding like a nitro V8.

Oh and don’t bother querying a ‘popular suppliers’ webpages. “It’s only a stock photo sur”.

Been there, done that. Lying baskets

Not sure what you mean by the second post?

Are there any recommendations for a good proper SS exhaust company?

Try putting a magnet to it, that'll give you an idea of the grade. If it sticks a.little bit, good grade, if holds on like a limpet, poor grade, if it dont stick at all, miracle.

Col

Yes done that holds on like limpet

I phoned the manufacturer and they said it is 409 steel which, as I understand it is the lowest of the low stainless steel. Not sure you can even call it SS. I think I get get returned as it’s very poor and nothing like the advertised image.

Good idea. All that time everyone spends under your banger will pay dividends.

409 is widely used on argri/trucks nowt wrong with it for exhausts.

Landyfella said:

Not sure what you mean by the second post?

Are there any recommendations for a good proper SS exhaust company?

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You bought cheap. You got cheap. There are plenty out there but their price reflects the quality.
SS is a brand name for one of the budget manufacturers or al least the retailer. You can even get a company that custom fits one out of bits while you wait as long as your willing to pay up front and be booked into their nearest approved fabricator. They guarantee all sorts of performance promises but it’s a series land rover so you won’t get much bang for your buck.
If it’s just shiny you want you can still get Brasso and a rag.

My mate fitted a good quality stainless steel exhaust to his p6 rover in 1976/7 it cost him almost £200, a huge sum in those days. The exact same system today would be over £1000. It was shiney but it made the rest of the car look drab.

Col

Colthebrummie said:

My mate fitted a good quality stainless steel exhaust to his p6 rover in 1976/7 it cost him almost £200, a huge sum in those days. The exact same system today would be over £1000. It was shiney but it made the rest of the car look drab.

Col

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I like the idea of them looking standard. Stops it being liberated on ASDA car park.
Bit like a galvanised chassis. If you don’t paint over it some git will nick the damn thing and put their plates on it.

409 is a ferritic stainless steel with less chromium and very little nickel. It less expensive to produce than 304, but also provides less corrosion resistance. These two alloys the most common stainless steels used for car exhaust systems.

The one on my 90 was 2nd hand when I bought the car over 10yrs ago, it is still there, looks poorly but is actually very good.

lynall said:

The one on my 90 was 2nd hand when I bought the car over 10yrs ago, it is still there, looks poorly but is actually very good.

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Duz it not twinkle like the stars in your eyes.

Bobsticle said:

Duz it not twinkle like the stars in your eyes.

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It is like me, dull as!
It is typical stainless and used to crack as the shti just does not give like mild steel, fitted flex joint solved that.

lynall said:

It is like me, dull as!
It is typical stainless and used to crack as the shti just does not give like mild steel, fitted flex joint solved that.

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The cheap crappy ones don’t crack. Well mine ain’t.

Bobsticle said:

The cheap crappy ones don’t crack. Well mine ain’t.

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I think it is due to the rip snorting fire breathing bhp that my defender makes!

Colthebrummie said:

Try putting a magnet to it, that'll give you an idea of the grade. If it sticks a.little bit, good grade, if holds on like a limpet, poor grade, if it dont stick at all, miracle.

Col

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Yes the austenitic stainless steels are non magnetic and do not rust but the ferritic stainless will rust and also magnetic,
I have the double S and as Bobstickle says can look rusty but been on 10 years now

Double S is fine. Not best but good enough. Expect 15 years minimum. Why do you expect it to shine? It's not a sink or a mirror. It will 'grey' soon enough. Make sure fit is A1, else it'll fracture with fatigue, not rot. Put proper clips on, not the cheapies.

If you go to your local fabricator it'll cost not much more, but very heavy gauge, not because of quality, or out of goodness of his heart... because it's cheaper to weld than the labour-bill for the thin stuff. It'll outlast you.

I bought a good priced SS sys years ago...20++ looks rusty.....but its only surface rust very light coating.....its still very very sound....I was surprised at first the finish..seems cosmetic only.

The weak points are the flanges....only mild steel.

One failed on the box....contacted to maker.....said sent to box back.the fitted a new one......years after I 1st bought it.....worth every penny.