Rompn

I'm looking for a few v-bands to add into an exhaust I'm building and would prefer them to be mild steel or aluminized steel (if they even make them in that). I need them in 2.25" and also 3". Any ideas? I searched around for a little but only found them in stainless. Even then I didn't find any in the 2.25" size. Thanks!

xfactor_pitbulls

iTrader: (16)

You are going to be hard pressed to find that. Look at it this way, if they were MS, they are going to rust, your options are to paint or coat. You can do the same to stainless. Please dont tell me its because of the price, because they are not that high.

MikeGyver

iTrader: (5)

This place has 'em:
http://www.spdexhaust.com/exhaust-fl...ecs.html#vband

JPMuscle

jus out of curiosity but what type of exhaust are you building that would require to use V Bands?

Stampede4ever

What's the price the V-band kits?

Thanks.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (17)

Summit...

The clamps are stainless, but the actual flanges are mild.

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

Says right in notes... "Weld-on rings are mild steel, the V-band clamps are stainless steel."

No 2.25" tho..only 3 and 2.5... I ordered them for my exhaust as well... I like the fact that they are easy to assemble once welded on, and they dont use gaskets. If they are good enough to hold high boost in a turbo application, they will work great on my exhaust...

Justin

Rompn

Well the rest of this exhaust system I'm building is aluminized steel so I was hoping to find a v-band in the same material. Price isn't an issue, was more curious than anything to see if anyone made them. Looks like no one does though so I'll have to pick up some stainless steel versions.

Rompn

I looked around there and didn't see them in the correct material. You found them in alumined steel or mild steel?

Rompn

Actually, this exhaust is a custom front to back setup I'm building from scratch for my 79' Jeep Cherokee I just dropped a small block Chevy into. The way the crossmember is setup for the tranny/transfercase, it will require that I drop the crossmember to install or remove the exhaust. With two, 2.25" v-bands inline, I'll be able to remove it in pieces without dropping anything. The single 3" v-band I asked for earlier will be placed right after the merge collector where the muffler will bolt up to. That way I can build and try different muffler/tip setups from the merge collector back without hacking anything up. Don't know if it is worth justifing the cost of the flanges yet though. The system isn't anything special. Using aluminized, 16g mild steel tubing. 2.25" from each manifold merging to a single 3." Muffler is a Flowmaster 40 series and will have a single 3" exiting the muffler with about 36" of tubing and then a 3.5" tip. Later looking into building the same setup from the merge collector back but utilizing a bullet muffler instead of the Flowmaster muffler to see how I like it instead.

Rompn

What's the difference between just the clamps and the "kits"? It looks like you get about 3" of tubing with the kit yet the price is almost tripled. Has to be more to it than that. If I already have the tubing in place and all, I would just need the clamps themselves and nothing else, correct?

Rompn

Also one last question... are all v-bands created equal with regards to quality? If not, which ones are a higher quality than others?

camaroextra

iTrader: (10)

I wanna do some duals under the axle, and I want to put V bands right before the axle to be able to take them off pretty quick. Thats the only reason I can think to use them on a non turbo exhaust.

Rompn

That's my same reason as well.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (17)

Im doing for the simple fact that I like to over do things. haha. If they are good enough to hold boost and use in turbo piping, they are good enough for my y-pipe and will hold my exhaust pressure without leaking and without a gasket.

The best place Ive foudn them is Summit....following the link I posted above. You might be able to find them a tad cheaper, but Summit only has a $10 handling fee, and they usually ship that same day. In most cases I get my parts next day without paying anything extra.

Ive seen the ones with alittle bit of pipe attached. I cant remember what company it was, but I called and they said it was for a picture reference only. The kit itself would come with only the flanges and no pipe. I WISH mine had pipe attached, because Im having a bitch of a time welding the mild rings to the stainless pipe. Im using a MIG... no tig welder and no 220 or else Ide rent one.

I just ordered some 309L wire...instead of using the 308 that I was trying to use. I hoping the 309 helps. Welding isnt a problem... a leak free weld is.

Justin

Rompn

Thanks for the info. I'm still looking around for v-bands myself. Trying to figure out which ones are good quality and which ones are not. I understand now about the pieces of tube and their purpose. Sounds like I should look into getting that style rather than just the v-band itself due to the fact that I'm using a MIG to put all this together as well. I would like to order these up today so I may give the ones in Summit or Jegs a try.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (17)

The ones in summit and probably JEGS are from a company called dynatec. I talked to a guy in their tech dept. about the flanges and his info is what convinced me to go with them. They seemed like a good company and the flanges I got from them look great.

If you happen to find a company that sells them with the pipe already attached, let me know. My suspicion is that the price will be considerably higher than the $40 I paid for my kits. Only because of the process of welding the flanges to that piece of pipe. Its probably TIG welded and would infact kick the price up. Probably to around $70 or $80 if not more.

The problem I had with my welds, was after I was done, I taped off all the open parts of the header, sprayed soap water on the welds, and blew air from my mouth into the O2 sensor bung. I had leaks alll the way around the flange welds. Really ticked me off. I proceeded to try to reweld it. Still the same problem. Ground it down a good bit and rewelded it again...and well, after all that the damn flange was warped.

So I ordered another, and the new wire. I was using .030 wire thickness too...which probably wasnt helping. I ordered .023 309L wire and Im going to use the second half of the clamp that I ruined to practice. Im keeping my fingers crossed that I can sort through this because my entire exhaust plan (headers, y-pipe, cut out, catback) depends on it.

Justin

Rompn

Ya, from what I have read, the v-bands from Summit and such are from Dynatech. Don't know if that's good or bad. Anyway, I'm worried about the mild steel portion of these particluar v-bands because this exhaust will be on a Jeep that will be seeing lots of mud, dirt, sand and water. I'm thinking that portion of the v-band will rust up pretty quick and either cause a leak or prevent me from removing the v-band when needed due to the rust. I'm looking into something that is all stainless steel with the end tubes already welded on. So far I have found these through Burns Stainless. They even have them in the 2.25" size I was looking for as well. They are $84 a piece though.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (17)

Yup...Burns is where I saw them... I remember the name now. I worried about the flanges rusting, but since they are CNC'd they should last alittle longer. Just due to not having pits and areas for moisture to collect.

I have a Jeep too, and made a custom exhaust out of all mild. Ive had it all submerged in water and mud almost up to the hood and the pipes are still in good condition. Just clean it off after you wheeling trip.

I asked about rust on those flanges when I talked to dynatech, and they said it wasnt really an issue. The guy told me I could tape off the sealing part of the flange, paint the back side of it, and that would help. Because the sealing sides fit so tight and flat against each other, that they dont easily rust. So Im going to hit all my weld areas and the back sides of those flanges with the highest temp paint I can find and just hope that it works out forever. haha.

Justin

Rompn

Are you sure that the ones from Dynatech (Summit/Jegs) are CNC'd and not just stamped?

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (17)

Well, Im positive they arent stamped. Cant say for sure on the process... I dont see how you could stamp a v-clamp flange... Thats the only way you could make sure the sealing surface was consistant. Either way...they are like a solid ring. Real shiny and smooth.

This is pretty close to what mine look like. But alittle different...



J.