After waiting a month and a half I finally received my stebro cat back. What a hassle. When I originally ordered I asked about custom tips and Dan told me that they would send me pictures of what they can get so I could ok it. Never happened, long story short, The last time I called to bug em for the pictures the exhaust came UPS right after. Bad customer service.

I was told it was a 68mm system, mandrel bent. Thats just shy of 2.7". I received the sytem and the piping is obviously not mandrel bent and the piping diam varies from almost 2.5" in the largest spot to about 2" in the bends between the resonator and muffler with odd variations and bulging throughout. The two pipes off the Y pipe are 2"'s on both sides. Those dimensions are smaller than my stock exhaust with the exception of the two pipes off the y matching exactly. I know that the muffler design is what will mainly help the flow, but the quality just doesnt seem worth putting on my car.

(Sorry, No pictures. I cant get the driver to work for my dvc on this comp.)

I called and told Dan about the build quality and he said he would talk with the people who built it. Considering their track record with service, I dont think that's going to get me anywhere.

Currently I have a PES G2 charger and headers will go on next spring, so I'd think a slight increase in diameter along with the better flowing mufflers would be ideal.

I've heard good things about their exhaust, but there are other companies that would actually have a smooth mandrel bent exhaust in the diameter they claim.

So now I decide if I send it back. Opinions from stebro owners, suggestions?

End of rant

Tim

Maybe I'm just that stupid, or it has been too long, but I believe that my Stebro exhaust was mandrel bent. I've been really happy with it (mine is 2.67"); the sound and performance have been great. Though many may say it is solely psychological, I could definitely feel the power I was getting from the system (maybe it is because it was my first mod after three years of ownership). I've always been happy with the Stebro, and have made every effort to promote the company both here and to a few VW-owning friends.

I hope that things work out for you; I'm sorry to hear about your exhaust. It is strange that your exhaust isn't like mine.

Ben

Did you measure the piping to confirm that it was 68mm? I wonder why mine varies so much..

The only thing I can think of is maybe the piping staying small, or in the this case decreasing in size, would compensate for the free flowing components to help maintain the low end torque. Still doesnt explain why the diameter varies so much if it should be mandrel bent.

Your exhaust seems very different from the one on my car. I didn't in fact measure the exhaust to confirm it was 68mm, but a month before that I had bought a 2.75" exhaust for an A4 1.8T, and the size of the exhaust seemed substantially similar. Second, there were no kinks or welds in my exhaust, everything seemed to be bent very smoothly. I don't remember any noticeable lack of uniformity in the size of the piping either.

I ordered my exhaust in May of 2003. Perhaps Stebro has undertaken some changes to their design since? I can't imagine why.

Ben

I think there must have been some sort of change in the company for this many problems to come up in the last year or so.

I got mine in 2000. Def. mandrel bent, no size variation. Good luck man, stay on 'em, it's really the only way to get anything done, call 'em every day or every other until you get the problem resolved. It sucks, but so does wasting your money on something that isn't built the way it should be :(

Thats what I heard, so I went with it. Now having it, I think its going back in favor for something else. Their bending techniques arent mandrel. They dont have crimps or welds but the bends are shrunk and its all bulgy..