Header clearance

[Top Off]

I searched, but did not come up with anything great. What headers hang down the least? My car is lowered, but I am planning on long tubes. Do all of the brands hang down the same, or are there some that have tuck up better than others?

Thanks in advance

[pyroguy]

Can't say 100% that all headers hang the same length down even though I can't imagine that one brand would hang lower than another because then the rest of the exhaust would hang lower, but I'll be helping QmaroSS hang Stainless Works headers on a car lowered same height as yours next week. Either he or I will keep you posted on how they do.

Be prepared for the guy who will say "Speed Engineering is the best header ever made in the history of headers! Buy them now because they're cheap as hell! Who cares if they hang high or low because they're cheap!"

[RLHMARINES]

The Pfadt Tri-Y headers are the only long tube headers that fit the ZL1 without needing to trim the belly pan so this would be my choice.

[Top Off]

I know my Kooks on theG8 hung a little lower than ARH from what I had read. It had to do with the primaries. I know not a fair comparison as two different vehicles. It was not much, like .25 or less if I remember correctly. Very curious to see the comparison between the Kooks and SW once your done.

I know what you mean about the Speed header folks. For the price, seem pretty darn good value but I have read about fitment issues. I also like being able to pick up the phone and talk to the header manufacturer if I have questions/issues.

[frankwjr]

Why change what you have? Looks? If you think you will gain "major" hp gains switching think again...with your setup I would think investing into a cam and tune would delivery greater gains.....shorties with your HF cats flow great....you wanna drag race or road race the go for the headers....

So are you US military station in Germany or local? Either way have fun on the autobahn!!!!

[Blazer098]

You'll be fine with only lowering springs. My car is lowered almost 2 inches and my headers are fine. Speed bumps require just a slight angle, but that's needed anyways for my splitter.

[VvtBEAST]

1.25 drop here running stainless power. No issues yet. Seem to have pretty good clearance.

[2010reddevil]

Originally Posted by pyroguy

Can't say 100% that all headers hang the same length down even though I can't imagine that one brand would hang lower than another because then the rest of the exhaust would hang lower, but I'll be helping QmaroSS hang Stainless Works headers on a car lowered same height as yours next week. Either he or I will keep you posted on how they do.

Be prepared for the guy who will say "Speed Engineering is the best header ever made in the history of headers! Buy them now because they're cheap as hell! Who cares if they hang high or low because they're cheap!"

If this is a shot at me, I have never claimed that they are the best headers made. However, with that said, fitment and quality wise, I can't find any reason to pay double or triple the price vs the other brands. I don't ever remember them hanging down very much either. I didn't check from the side in great detail though. I believe another member has them installed with a good side view pic to show how they hang. My car wasn't lowered and the only time I recall them ever catching on anything was over this one particular speed bump that actually is more like an off road obstacle vs speed bump. Even crawling over it, I still managed to scrape a bit, but that was the only rare occasion I absolutely had to cross it. Primaries never hit, it was the wanna be "cats" the tie the headers into the exhaust.

[pyroguy]

Originally Posted by 2010reddevil

If this is a shot at me, I have never claimed that they are the best headers made.

Nope, not a shot at you specifically. There have been a few people that always say that Speed Engineering is the best thing ever. I was just exaggerating a little to make a point much like the can't understand paying "double or triple" stuff. To each his own. Just commenting how on every header thread lately there's always someone who says "don't buy 'X' brand header when Speed Engineering is the best header ever".

[DOC52]

Originally Posted by frankwjr

Why change what you have? Looks? If you think you will gain "major" hp gains switching think again...with your setup I would think investing into a cam and tune would delivery greater gains.....shorties with your HF cats flow great....you wanna drag race or road race the go for the headers....

So are you US military station in Germany or local? Either way have fun on the autobahn!!!!

Running a cam with shorties? Not the best idea.

[pyroguy]

Hey Top Off, I helped QmaroSS install his SW headers yesterday and while under the car I looked to see how they hung down. The headers themselves were at the same level as the subframe. The cats may have been just a little lower hanging simply because of the size of the cats vs the piping, but the headers themselves did not hang down lower than anything else.

[Top Off]

Thanks for all the updates everyone.

[QmaroSS]

Originally Posted by pyroguy

Hey Top Off, I helped QmaroSS install his SW headers yesterday and while under the car I looked to see how they hung down. The headers themselves were at the same level as the subframe. The cats may have been just a little lower hanging simply because of the size of the cats vs the piping, but the headers themselves did not hang down lower than anything else.

Top Off, I second what pyroguy stated. I just looked again since we installed them yesterday and the cats hang a little lower than the headers because of their size but the headers are right at the level of the subframe.

[Top Off]

That is great news, so just need to be a little more cautious over bumps and such.