Aluminized?? Stainless Steel??? HELP!

redrider11 · 08-27-2006, 10:18 AM

whats the difference?
besides the hundred dollar plus price.
is it just looks?
does it actually last longer?
(im speaking about exhausts here, but im sure you all knew that)

thanks!

whiteLE · 08-27-2006, 01:52 PM

aluminized steel is carbon steel (in this case, cold-roll steel carbon steel because it is probably 16 ga or .065" wall thickness) with an aluminum coating on top. It could be made of any one of three different coating thicknesses, but the most common is T1-25 or .25 oz of coating per square foot or square meter ( i will verify this).

Stainless is a non carbon (virtually carbon free) or non ferrous steel. There are two types of stainless commonly used, 409 and 304. 409 does not have nickel in its chemisty whereas 304 does. 409 is roughly half the cost of 304 but twice the cost (raw material wise) as aluminized steel with 409 coming on almost every new car made. I am not certain but I believe the Titan has 409. 409 should last about 10 years while aluminized steel, in a climate like MN, will last about 3 years.

There is also a steel mill (AK Steel--domestically) that makes aluminized 409, but that is rarely used in automotive applications.

thanks
white

**gr8titan** · 08-27-2006, 06:59 PM

^^^Well said

Stainless Steel is primarily for longevity and secondarily for looks.
For best looks and longevity, T-304 does the job.

BRACEYOSELF777 · 08-27-2006, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whiteLE

aluminized steel is carbon steel (in this case, cold-roll steel carbon steel because it is probably 16 ga or .065" wall thickness) with an aluminum coating on top. It could be made of any one of three different coating thicknesses, but the most common is T1-25 or .25 oz of coating per square foot or square meter ( i will verify this).

Stainless is a non carbon (virtually carbon free) or non ferrous steel. There are two types of stainless commonly used, 409 and 304. 409 does not have nickel in its chemisty whereas 304 does. 409 is roughly half the cost of 304 but twice the cost (raw material wise) as aluminized steel with 409 coming on almost every new car made. I am not certain but I believe the Titan has 409. 409 should last about 10 years while aluminized steel, in a climate like MN, will last about 3 years.

There is also a steel mill (AK Steel--domestically) that makes aluminized 409, but that is rarely used in automotive applications.

thanks
white

LOL the element table 101.

redrider11 · 08-27-2006, 11:19 PM

wow, thank you kindly for the detailed response Mr. LE
i live in california (sacramento, to be exact) would it be worth it to pay the extra dollas for the SS?
it doesnt ever snow here, and i dont think theres a bunch of salt just laying around.
soooooo...would it be a safe guess to say that paying the extra money for a system that just lasts longer wouldnt be all that much of a bargain?
i know, i know.
im extremely dumb on these topics.
forgive me for my lack of knowledge, but thanks for being so kind in your responses.

Sammy Sandbag · 08-28-2006, 05:46 AM

It's not just road salt, but humidity you have to take into consideration. That being said, I'd guess Sacramento is pretty dry. I've had aluminized exhaust systems on my last two trucks, both were heavily rusted in under a year. The majority of this is surface rust, and there were no structural issues. However, my Flowmaster was full of chunks of rust after about a 1.5years. When I took it off it sounded like a rattle, and I poured about a cup full of rust out of it. FWIW, I live in the South East, where there is no road salt or snow for that matter.

markislive78 · 08-28-2006, 05:56 AM

I bought Banks ehaust, it was stainless....Now it looks rust colored/ Not really rusting just discolored. I don't think the descision should be cosmetic....just one will last longer

Sammy Sandbag · 08-28-2006, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markislive78

I bought Banks ehaust, it was stainless....Now it looks rust colored/ Not really rusting just discolored. I don't think the descision should be cosmetic....just one will last longer

Stainless will discolor under high heat. That is normal, your factory exhaust should look the same.

redrider11 · 08-28-2006, 01:23 PM

ok, so let me see if i understand this...aluminized will rust in about a year or so just because of humidity and road salt, while stainless steel will simply become discolored?
is the factory exhaust aluminzed?

FtWTitan · 08-28-2006, 02:08 PM

No, aluminized won't go to crap that fast. I had a Gibson aluminized on my last truck for over 4 years and not a hint of probs or rust with it. And that's living in 85+% humidity south Louisiana. If you're trying to keep cost down, you'll be fine with aluminized in my opinion...the ss cost is not worth it unless you park your truck in a pond (ok, maybe there's a little exageration there).

P.S. Flowmasters are crap

**gr8titan** · 08-28-2006, 02:55 PM

I'm from the Northeast and use the Titan to tow my boat in and out of salt water. The entire exhaust system is a T-304 SS and the salt doesn't get rinsed off until the truck and boat gets home.

These pictures are worth a thousand words. Judge for yourself.
First was taken 1 yr & 6 mos ago (2/27/05) and the second one is today.