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What Is The Function Of Exhaust Tips?

Drivers often neglect the components under an automobile, and usually pay significant attention to the engine of their car. While you might know the importance of installing a good exhaust system for improving performance and fuel efficiency, most people don’t know the purpose and function of exhaust tips.

You can even catch some car enthusiasts saying these accessories for your exhaust system play an important role in boosting a car’s horsepower and torque. This is not true at all. Exhaust tips do not “do” anything really. They are usually just added as a cherry on top of your cake (as a garnishment), or for improving the sound your vehicle makes.

How Do Exhaust Tips Work?

How Do Exhaust Tips Work?

An exhaust tip is a car accessory that helps the engine vent out fumes and adding flair to your vehicle. Technically, exhaust tips do nothing, and hence it is a tad difficult to explain how they work. Since these tips are simple to install, they have a strong reputation in the car world as a well-liked “aftermarket” upgrade.

So, the right question would be how can you install exhaust tips, rather than how exhaust tips work? Typically, you can find many types of styles, brands, and shapes available for exhaust tips. From rectangular, round, square, and oval, the market is flooded with different types of exhaust tips. You can also find unfinished, polished, and chrome variants of exhaust tips on the market.

Mostly, these exhaust tips can be attached to your car’s tailpipe via screws. However, different variants may use welded joints or clamps. You can also install exhaust pipes by simply sliding them inside the tailpipe. If your car has dual-exhaust pipes, you can easily install a stylish and excellent sounding exhaust tip on both pipes.

Here is a handy YouTube video to help you install exhaust tips.

Gibson Exhaust Tip Installation

The Benefits Of Exhaust Tips

The Benefits Of Exhaust Tips

Improved Sound

An aftermarket exhaust tip adds a more powerful and stronger sound to your stock exhaust system. Made from strong and durable materials, these accessories produce a throaty, deep roar that makes your engine sound louder and more badass than it is.

Even a simple oval-shaped tip on your tailpipe can provide improve the sound. Therefore, exhaust tips are a cheaper alternative for improved sound, rather than installing an entirely new exhaust system. The difference in sound is quite noticeable.

Exhaust tips with longer tips help project the sound and larger tips make the tone hollower. You can easily discern the difference after installing an exhaust tip in this YouTube video. The sound of the exhaust is unrefined and unappealing before installing the tips. Nevertheless, after the installation, the tone is nicer, more detailed, and appealing.

Improved Style

The main task of stock exhaust systems is providing the basic function of emitting unclean and polluted air from the engine. As a result, the pipes and the tailpipes are not appealing in terms of aesthetics and overall style. Aftermarket or branded exhaust tips, on the other hand, improve the overall style and appearance of your tailpipes. As you install these exhaust tips on the tailpipes of your vehicle, they add a more distinctive and unique appeal to the rear end of your car.

Whether it’s an exhaust tip made from chromium, aluminized steel, or stainless steel, the appearance of your vehicle will improve. Add this to an improvement in sound and your car will seem akin to a sports car or at least a car with a modified engine.

Types Of Exhaust Tips

There are many types of exhaust tips available in the market, each with a unique design and material combo. Read on to learn about the different variants, along with recommendations, for the best products.

Straight Cut

These exhaust tips feature a traditional, yet cavernous appearance that enhances the beauty and visible blind of the rear end of your vehicle. Even if it is stock equipped in a car, a straight cut tip offers the appearance of a performance exhaust system under your bumper.

Angle Cut

This exhaust tip blends remarkably well with aggressive body styles, or muscle cars to be more particular. The end of the tip boasts an attractive “slant”, adding a sharp, edgy, and muscular appeal to a car. It is a favored option for 4×4 vehicles.

Intercooled

As compared to other exhaust tips, the intercooled variant boasts a secondary tube, surrounded by fins that give off a turbine-like appearance. These exhaust tips are most favored and adored by owners of exotic cars. Their unique styling adds a high-performance feel and looks to your vehicle.

Rolled Edge

These exhaust types boast a curved-inward, beefy-type appearance with a rounded, yet smooth outlet edge. The rolled edge on the tip is responsible for adding “internal depth”, which makes your exhaust system sound and look larger. Often, you would leave onlookers thinking your car features an aftermarket exhaust system.

Single Wall

As the name implies, single wall tips feature a single layer in its metal tubing. All types of exhausts with a solo layer are referred to as “single-wall exhaust tips”. The main benefit of purchasing this type of exhaust is it proves lighter on the pocket, as compared to dual-wall exhaust tips.

Dual Wall

These exhaust tips create the illusion of being heavy and solid. With their two-layer construction, they prove highly attractive. As these tips are available in a range of designs, you can select the one you feel is more suitable for your car, for example, angled or straight cuts.

Turndown Exit

Turndown exit tips, also popularly known as “dump outs”, typically bend towards the end of the tip. They include more chrome than other exhaust tips. Since they look down on the tip from the curb, these exhaust tips bounce sound waves off the road. This results in a slightly louder sound than other exhaust tips.

So, if you want to enhance the sound and look of your automobile, do not hesitate to install exhaust tips. The above product recommendations can give you a good idea of which type of exhaust tip will best suit your automobile. Feel free to ask us/drop by a comment, if you have any questions.

About George Bradley

George is an enthusiastic blogger and an auto mechanic expert whose mission is to provide the readers with the best tips, guides, and recent events in the automotive industry. He has been involved in researching on various topics that are essential to the car owners, especially when it comes to an understanding, maintaining and handling their vehicles.

5 thoughts on “What Is The Function Of Exhaust Tips?”

  1. I am wanting to add exhaust tips to my car, but am curious to know if there are any tips for going about doing it. It’s good to know that when it comes to doing it that I might have to use welded joints or clamps to install it. I think that this might be the best way to go about doing it so that I feel like they will actually stay on.

    Reply
  2. I have a 4.0ltr V6 ford explorer and have put a super turbo muffler on and now the sound is a bit noisy inside the car, will a down turned tip take the sound away from inside the car.
    Cheers John

    Reply
  3. I didn’t realize that a downturned exhaust system tip would actually make more noise than one that is facing straight out. That explains where some cars are so loud when they pass by our house! Are there any benefits to having an exhaust tip like this, specifically in fuel efficiency or anything like that?

    Reply
  4. I have been hearing more noise out of my car lately and I think it because of my muffler. I wanted to look up some tips and really appreciated how it talked about the different types of exhaust. I will have to keep in mind that each unique design and material combo some may work better for my car.

    Reply

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