S&S Headers... are PPE headers the same?
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Driver School Candidate
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 21
Likes: 1
From: FL
S&S Headers... are PPE headers the same?
Hi! I own a 99' and am loving it. Want to get a little more sound out of the V8 but not too much. I wanted a setup where there is no drone, quiet at idle, but loud in the higher range. I stumbled upon this video:
Love the clean sound of this! I found the owner and he ran down the specs of the setup. Told me there was no drone whatsoever yet it barked in the higher revs. He said he was using S&S headers. Sadly this company is no longer around.
Anyone know where I can get a set of S&S headers? Anyone selling them used? Anyone have details on them so I can get them custom made?
Alternatively there is a company that makes headers for my car called PPE. Will these be identical to the S&S? Anyone have them? Will it sound the same?
Love the clean sound of this! I found the owner and he ran down the specs of the setup. Told me there was no drone whatsoever yet it barked in the higher revs. He said he was using S&S headers. Sadly this company is no longer around.
Anyone know where I can get a set of S&S headers? Anyone selling them used? Anyone have details on them so I can get them custom made?
Alternatively there is a company that makes headers for my car called PPE. Will these be identical to the S&S? Anyone have them? Will it sound the same?
If what you want is exhaust sound then headers are completely the wrong way to approach it.
What you want is an exhaust from the catalytic converters back. The sound you are hearing is dictated 90% by the piping, configuration, and muffler choice. In the description of the video that user posted he is using a "Custom X pipe and magnaflow mufflers."
The combination of 2.25" tubing, X-pipe (crossover), and high flowing mufflers is the go-to combination for the LS400 and there have been many members over the years to utilize this combination. That said, removing ALL the stock mufflers and resonators from the car and going down to 2 mufflers total WILL produce some drone without using additional resonators. This is a subjective issue, as you can decide if the droine is too much and have cheap resonators welded in after the fact.
To answer your question, PPE is the only company currently producing 1UZ headers in the US, and they do offer plug and play solutions for the 98-00 LS400 that retain the stock catalytic converters. These are built MUCH better than the old S&S (which were cheaply made and often crack). The S&S are NOT a budget upgrade, costing upwards of $900. Labor to install them is also VERY high (though it's a great time to do your engine mounts as they have to come out on one side anyway.) The headers are meant to make power, not (primarily) influence sound.
A complete cat-back exhaust setup can be built by your local friendly exhaust shop for under $700 all-in very easily.
For reference, I have had a custom exhaust (cat-back) in just that configuration (2.25in tubing, x-pipe, dual magnaflow mufflers, separate tips) for ~8 years, and the S&S headers for ~1.5-2 years. It does drone a touch at ~23-2400rpm but not deafeningly so.
What you want is an exhaust from the catalytic converters back. The sound you are hearing is dictated 90% by the piping, configuration, and muffler choice. In the description of the video that user posted he is using a "Custom X pipe and magnaflow mufflers."
The combination of 2.25" tubing, X-pipe (crossover), and high flowing mufflers is the go-to combination for the LS400 and there have been many members over the years to utilize this combination. That said, removing ALL the stock mufflers and resonators from the car and going down to 2 mufflers total WILL produce some drone without using additional resonators. This is a subjective issue, as you can decide if the droine is too much and have cheap resonators welded in after the fact.
To answer your question, PPE is the only company currently producing 1UZ headers in the US, and they do offer plug and play solutions for the 98-00 LS400 that retain the stock catalytic converters. These are built MUCH better than the old S&S (which were cheaply made and often crack). The S&S are NOT a budget upgrade, costing upwards of $900. Labor to install them is also VERY high (though it's a great time to do your engine mounts as they have to come out on one side anyway.) The headers are meant to make power, not (primarily) influence sound.
A complete cat-back exhaust setup can be built by your local friendly exhaust shop for under $700 all-in very easily.
For reference, I have had a custom exhaust (cat-back) in just that configuration (2.25in tubing, x-pipe, dual magnaflow mufflers, separate tips) for ~8 years, and the S&S headers for ~1.5-2 years. It does drone a touch at ~23-2400rpm but not deafeningly so.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 6,128
Likes: 437
From: Long Island
even a simple axle-back exhaust will make somewhat of a deep, rumbly sound. my whole 'system' cost under $300, including the fabrication of parts. the car was in the shop and just for the l0lz i asked my mechanic to just unbolt the second set of mufflers to see how it sounded. after we all concluded that the benefits outweighed the drawbacks (there really aren't any besides a *slight* drone at like 1800-2200) i had them put straight pipes in place of the mufflers, just so the exhaust doesn't end underneath the car like that
this is what that sounds like...
my mechanic (who has a 05 LS 430) ended up doing the same thing to his car after hearing it on mine
this is what that sounds like...
my mechanic (who has a 05 LS 430) ended up doing the same thing to his car after hearing it on mine
Lexus Champion
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 3,124
Likes: 32
From: Texas
If what you want is exhaust sound then headers are completely the wrong way to approach it.
What you want is an exhaust from the catalytic converters back. The sound you are hearing is dictated 90% by the piping, configuration, and muffler choice. In the description of the video that user posted he is using a "Custom X pipe and magnaflow mufflers."
The combination of 2.25" tubing, X-pipe (crossover), and high flowing mufflers is the go-to combination for the LS400 and there have been many members over the years to utilize this combination. That said, removing ALL the stock mufflers and resonators from the car and going down to 2 mufflers total WILL produce some drone without using additional resonators. This is a subjective issue, as you can decide if the droine is too much and have cheap resonators welded in after the fact.
To answer your question, PPE is the only company currently producing 1UZ headers in the US, and they do offer plug and play solutions for the 98-00 LS400 that retain the stock catalytic converters. These are built MUCH better than the old S&S (which were cheaply made and often crack). The S&S are NOT a budget upgrade, costing upwards of $900. Labor to install them is also VERY high (though it's a great time to do your engine mounts as they have to come out on one side anyway.) The headers are meant to make power, not (primarily) influence sound.
A complete cat-back exhaust setup can be built by your local friendly exhaust shop for under $700 all-in very easily.
For reference, I have had a custom exhaust (cat-back) in just that configuration (2.25in tubing, x-pipe, dual magnaflow mufflers, separate tips) for ~8 years, and the S&S headers for ~1.5-2 years. It does drone a touch at ~23-2400rpm but not deafeningly so.
What you want is an exhaust from the catalytic converters back. The sound you are hearing is dictated 90% by the piping, configuration, and muffler choice. In the description of the video that user posted he is using a "Custom X pipe and magnaflow mufflers."
The combination of 2.25" tubing, X-pipe (crossover), and high flowing mufflers is the go-to combination for the LS400 and there have been many members over the years to utilize this combination. That said, removing ALL the stock mufflers and resonators from the car and going down to 2 mufflers total WILL produce some drone without using additional resonators. This is a subjective issue, as you can decide if the droine is too much and have cheap resonators welded in after the fact.
To answer your question, PPE is the only company currently producing 1UZ headers in the US, and they do offer plug and play solutions for the 98-00 LS400 that retain the stock catalytic converters. These are built MUCH better than the old S&S (which were cheaply made and often crack). The S&S are NOT a budget upgrade, costing upwards of $900. Labor to install them is also VERY high (though it's a great time to do your engine mounts as they have to come out on one side anyway.) The headers are meant to make power, not (primarily) influence sound.
A complete cat-back exhaust setup can be built by your local friendly exhaust shop for under $700 all-in very easily.
For reference, I have had a custom exhaust (cat-back) in just that configuration (2.25in tubing, x-pipe, dual magnaflow mufflers, separate tips) for ~8 years, and the S&S headers for ~1.5-2 years. It does drone a touch at ~23-2400rpm but not deafeningly so.
Regarding changes to the pipes I suggest keeping the front Y pipe and even the rear Y pipe and then replacing the middle mufflers with round straight through 2.0” resonators (like Magnaflows) and possibly the rear mufflers or muffler delete. The center resonator can be replaced by a 2.5” straight through or with the slightly larger than stock GS400 center resonator (55mm vs 60mm, 2.2” vs 2.36”, LS400 vs GS400). The front Y pipe works better than most can fabricate and the rear is decent. 2.0” is fine as long as mandrel bends are used otherwise 2.25.
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