You don’t want to rob your vehicle of power potential. That’s why you’ve decided to set your ride up with a new exhaust system. But, in order to get the most out of your new exhaust, you’re trying to determine whether you’d be better off with a dual exhaust or single exhaust. To help you make a decision, it’s important you understand the pros and cons of a single exhaust vs. dual exhaust.
The Benefits of a Single Exhaust System
A single exhaust combines the primary exhaust tubes into one collector. It uses a single pipe to route the exhaust gases out. Single exhausts come factory-equipped on most cars and trucks, and they are generally an efficient method of elimination. An aftermarket single exhaust, like the Borla exhaust or the Gibson exhaust, is designed to deliver major power gains, improved fuel economy and a deep, throaty growl.
There are several benefits of a single exhaust system, such as its lighter weight, lower cost, and increased exhaust gas velocity. The only major drawback of a single exhaust is absolute flow, which is limited to the diameter size of your tubing.
The Benefits of a Dual Exhaust System
A dual exhaust, on the other hand, keeps the exhaust streams from the opposing cylinder banks on a V-configuration engine (such as a V6, V8 or V12 engine) completely separate. Because the main purpose of an exhaust system is evacuation, there is very little that can be done by a dual exhaust system that can’t be accomplished by a single exhaust system. One major benefit of a dual exhaust system, like the American Thunder dual exhaust or the Heartthrob exhaust true dual system, is that it allows increased flow from engine to tailpipe without significantly affecting your ride’s ground clearance.
Whether you decide on a single exhaust or a dual exhaust, you’ll want to choose a performance exhaust made by one of the best brands in the biz in order to ensure optimum performance. Names like Gibson exhaust, Flowmaster exhaust and Banks exhaust craft some of the best performance single cat back exhaust systems and dual exhaust systems.
What's the Best Performance Exhaust System for You?
In order to make your buying decision even easier, we off a huge selection of customers' exhaust system reviews on our website. You’ll find reviews on all the top brands, like an MBRP exhaust review. Or, find out what consumers have to say about adding new headers or a new muffler to your exhaust system. We make it easy for you to get all the information you need before making your next purchase.