Vehicle performance depends on a lot of different factors and not just how many HP the engine has or the torque it produces across its RPM range. Also, not all of them have to do with the engine. For instance, not many people know that excessive heat can be responsible for poor performance.
The suspension system can also make your vehicle perform poorly, but not in terms of power, more so in terms of how it handles and behaves on a twisty road. Another factor that can affect the performance of your car is the fumes and gasses coming from the engine. If they’re not handled properly and in a quick enough manner, they can eventually start to “choke” the engine.
Exhaust System
Benefits
There are plenty of benefits you get with an aftermarket performance exhaust. One of the most noticeable ones is the sound of the car, but the most fun one is the level of performance improvements you get with it. This is especially the case with a performance aftermarket exhaust online, which is able to make your vehicle more efficient and thus help you get more MPGs too.
Types
Like with cars themselves, aftermarket exhausts come available in different variations, and cat-back systems are one of them. A cat-back exhaust replaces half of your exhaust system from the catalytic converter back, which means it provides you with reasonable performance improvements and a decent-sounding system.
Header-back exhausts, on the other hand, replace the whole system from the headers to the tailpipes, which means they provide more prominent performance gains and make for a vehicle that sounds more like a performance car.
Turbo-back exhaust systems are no doubt the most geared for getting the best out of your engine in terms of power. They replace not only the exhaust but also the turbocharger with a new one, and if your car doesn’t have a turbocharged engine then you can make it have one. This solution requires an ECU tune after you’ve installed it.
Features
There are other factors you should consider when choosing a performance exhaust online and these include the material, diameter and bends of the system. There are various materials to choose from, but for pure performance gains stainless steel and titanium are what you should go for. The former is more cost-effective, while the latter is more durable and heat-resistant. Aftermarket exhausts should be made with mandrel bends in mind, as well as a diameter that matches the number of HP you have. Every 100HP should be met with an inch of diameter.
Heat Shield
Benefits
A heat shield is a barrier that helps manage the amount of heat coming from a component in the engine bay or from under the floor of your vehicle. With such a thermal shield, you can protect surrounding components from being affected by the said heat source and thus keep them working as efficiently as possible for as long as possible. You also help the component that generates the heat, which is usually the headers, working at its best as some components need more heat than others.
Types
There are different types of heat shields you can put on your vehicle to keep it running as efficiently as possible and those are mats, wraps and solid shields. Solid shields are always found between the floor and exhaust piping as exhausts get hot in order to filter out harmful particles – especially the catalytic converters as they filter them out. Mats are placed on large flat surfaces like behind the pedals or the underside of the bonnet to keep heat from escaping as easily. Wraps are usually found placed on circular components and most often on components with a complex shape to them.
Features
To make sure you get the right type of heat shield for your type of heat source, the form factor it comes in isn’t he only factor to consider. This is why you should take into consideration thickness and material. When it comes to thermal barrier materials, you should look for quality parts from materials like ceramic and aluminium; the first for the fibre fabric, and the latter for the foil glass fibre fabric and foil insulation cotton shields. The thicker these materials are, the better they are at blocking off heat or dissipating it, depending on their use.
Coilovers
Benefits
With coilovers, you get a 2-in-1 solution that’s able to both absorb impacts from potholes and uneven terrain and keep your car driving in as stable of a manner as possible. That’s because coilovers are made of a shock absorber encircled by a coil spring, hence their name. This nifty design makes them a cost-effective solution that also provides adjustability.
Types
There are mono and twin-tube coilovers, with the latter being a simpler and more common solution as they are more affordable than the first. Twin-tube coilovers are more complex but absorb impacts better and keep your vehicle stable at higher speeds and over more challenging terrain.
Features
Coilovers can have different characteristics, and that all depends on multiple factors such as the spring rate, damping and height adjustment. Having all three types of adjustments makes for a more versatile and capable setup at the same time.