How to choose a corrugation for a car muffler
Content
There is no unified catalog of muffler corrugations by car brand, since the criterion for suitability for a particular car is the matching of the installation dimensions of the part to the parameters of the exhaust pipes.
Even experienced drivers pay undeservedly little attention to flexible connectors in the exhaust system. Consider their meaning and how to make the selection of the muffler corrugations according to the brand of the car without error.
Why do you need a car muffler corrugation
A corrugation, or bellows for a car muffler, is a part whose exact technical name is “vibration-damping clutch of the exhaust system”. As can be seen from the term itself, it connects different parts of the car's exhaust tract, acting as an elastic element.
During the operation of the engine of the machine, vibrations inevitably occur due to the movement of the pistons in the cylinders. They are transferred to the exhaust manifold and further to parts of the exhaust system. The source of vibrations can be both mechanical vibrations of the exhaust pipe rigidly connected to the engine, and the exhaust gases themselves, which are emitted in a pulsating mode by the exhaust valves.
In old passenger cars, elastic elements were not used in the exhaust tract, and the entire structure of several nodes (resonators, mufflers) was tightly tightened with clamps and hung under the bottom on rubber cushions. As a result, the noise and vibration of the motor were transmitted to all parts of the system, which led to increased acoustic pollution and resonance. This shortened the service life of the assembly and ended in wear and breakthrough of exhaust gases to the outside.
To eliminate this problem, the design of almost all modern passenger cars, including the latest AvtoVAZ models (Lada Vesta sedan, SW and Cross, X-Ray), is factory-equipped with a flexible vibration damping element.
The muffler corrugation of a truck is even more in demand, because there, due to the large size, the parts are rigidly fixed to the cab or frame. It is impossible to transmit vibrations of a running engine to them, which is why for the first time flexible inserts in the exhaust tract appeared on trucks.
Types of exhaust compensators and how they differ
The technical requirements for the device of the vibration damping muffler are determined by its purpose. The detail must be:
- heat-resistant (exhaust gas temperature reaches +1000°C);
- tight;
- capable of stretching, compressing and bending within small limits without loss of mechanical strength.
Exhaust corrugation on a car
By design, these parts are made two- or three-layer, the latter option is more common. The three-layer coupling consists of:
- outer braid (material - stainless steel);
- corrugated thin-walled pipe;
- internal corrugation (InnerBraid systems with a flexible braid or InterLock from a flexible tube, which are durable).
There are also chain mail muffs, consisting of only two layers. Their advantage is higher mobility. The disadvantage is that such products are usually more expensive.
To connect with other parts of the exhaust tract, expansion joints are equipped with nozzles, the fitting size of which must exactly match the diameter of the connecting pipe of a particular brand of machine. Therefore, often the muffler corrugation is supplied without nozzles, and its installation into the system is carried out using welding.
The best models
There are about two dozen brands on the market that offer vibration-damping exhaust elements, but not all products are equally reliable and durable. The rating of the best brands in operation is based on hundreds of reviews from real consumers on popular automotive forums:
- "Hydra" (Hydra), Germany. Expensive high-quality corrugations are completely made of heat-resistant stainless steel. Differ in the increased flexibility. Are included in a factory complete set of a car of the German assembly.
- "Bosal" (Bosal). Belgian brand with 31 factories in several European countries. It supplies parts to the assembly lines of the largest car factories: Volvo, Renault, Volkswagen, Land Rover and others.
- "Miles" (MILES). Another global brand from Belgium with factories in Europe, Korea, China and Russia. Included in the list of leaders in the market of components and spare parts.
- "Masuma" (Masuma) is a Japanese brand headquartered in Tokyo, produces high-quality parts for Asian cars.
Flexible muffler
Small manufacturers can offer goods at an attractively low price. However, the consequence of thrift will be a quick failure of the unit due to the fact that reliable high-quality materials are replaced by cheap analogues. Therefore, buying a spare part with a penny profit is a risk of losing time for an extraordinary repair of the exhaust system.
Selection by car brand
There is no unified catalog of muffler corrugations by car brand, since the criterion for suitability for a particular car is the matching of the installation dimensions of the part to the parameters of the exhaust pipes. If the length and diameter of the fit match, the selection of the muffler corrugations for the car must also take into account such indicators as the stiffness of the coupling, its corrosion resistance and durability, which form the final price of the product.
Usually, for online selection of muffler corrugations by car brand via the Internet, a combination of diameter and length is used in the form of an expression of 45x200 mm (parameters for Lada Vesta) or 50x250 (Renault Duster).
