Here at 4WD Supacentre, we sell a huge range of aftermarket performance 4×4 exhausts to suit a wide variety of 4WDs, from wagons to dual-cab utes. In many cases, replacing a 4×4 exhaust is done to get more power out of the vehicle, because factory exhaust systems are extremely restrictive in an effort to make the vehicle quiet for new-vehicle buyers. However sometimes replacing your 4WD exhaust is needed not just because you’re looking to get more power and torque from your pride and joy, but because your original exhaust simply needs replacing!

If you drive your 4WD off-road even a couple of times a year then you’re in the 1% of 4×4 owners who actually use their vehicle for its intended purpose, but the bad news is your exhaust is one area of your 4WD that cops a lot of punishment. That’s because your 4×4 exhaust gets incredibly hot during use, then gets splashed with cold mud and water and scraped hard against rocks. Here’s five ways you can tell if your 4×4’s exhaust needs replacing with an Aussie-built Domin8r exhaust from 4WD Supacentre!

IT’S RUSTY
The first indicator of a 4WD exhaust that needs replacing with an aftermarket system like the Domin8r Exhausts is that it is going rusty. A small amount of surface rust is one thing; a 4×4 exhaust that is covered in rust from the engine to the tailpipe is another thing altogether. Unfortunately because your 4WD exhaust is subject to those painful operating conditions we spoke about a moment ago, it’s one of those areas of your vehicle that is first to develop problems. Next time you’re underneath your vehicle have a good look at your 4WD’s exhaust and just how bad the rust is. Rust holes in exhaust systems sound horrible and are a safety issue too.

IT’S LEAKING
All the joins in your exhaust are sealed by the use of gaskets. Over time, those gaskets between the flanges of your exhaust do develop leaks owing to their repeated, continued heating and cooling during operation. Sure, you can get a gasket on your 4×4 exhaust replaced but if you’re replacing gaskets then it’s a pretty good indication that your 4WD exhaust’s time has come and passed. If you hear a leak somewhere, often a ‘puff puff puff’ style noise, then look for tell-tale black soot where the exhaust is leaking out past the gasket.

WELDS AND MOUNTS ARE CRACKING
4WD exhausts cop a serious hiding when you’re driving around! The engine end of the exhaust is bolted hard to either the turbo dump pipe or the exhaust manifold, and the rest of the 4WD exhaust is held in place with mounts and hangers that are either steel, rubber or a combination of both. Rubber hangers and mounts are essential to dampening vibrations but over time they perish, and as a result the welds around the gaskets and the mounts themselves on your 4×4 exhaust crack. Welding a cracked exhaust is a futile repair job because you’ll constantly be chasing the next repair and the next one. If you’re dealing with cracked welds and mounts on your 4WD exhaust, it’s time to bite the bullet and buy a new one.

YOUR 4WD’S PERFORMANCE FEELS LIKE IT’S LACKING
Over time, 4×4 exhaust components such as mufflers and catalytic converters (the ‘cat’) can break down internally. The internals of those components can then actually block the exhaust flow so much that you seriously compromise how much power your engine can produce! Imagine trying to drive around with a potato wedged hard up your tailpipe. The really tricky thing is this happens to a 4×4 exhaust over time so it’s difficult to pick sometimes. If your vehicle is really down on power compared to your mates’ identical one and the exhaust looks old, then chances are it’s the factory exhaust to blame.

YOU FREQUENTLY DRIVE ON THE BEACH
Sometimes prevention is better than cure! If you do a lot of beach driving then fitting a stainless steel exhaust early on in your vehicle’s life will ensure that you don’t run into the problems listed above. Stainless steel exhausts last a really long time and are much tougher than a factory exhaust owing to their ability to resist rusting away when in contact with salt water. A stainless steel 4×4 exhaust is a fantastic upgrade for any 4×4, but especially for one that gets used on the beach a lot.