Like any breathing, living being, your ride’s motor has to inhale and exhale efficiently, otherwise it’d end up wheezing and weak. And if your car still has the engine’s stock exhaust system that you bought it with many years ago, you’re probably missing out on that sweet, extra horsepower that can be harnessed from your engine and easily unleashed by the right modifications.

Some of the best exhaust 4×4 systems are the performance exhaust systems. But when you shop for them, you’ll notice different materials and types you can choose from. And since this is a whole system, you don’t have to change it entirely, you can opt to change a part of it only. Here are some things to consider when shopping for an exhaust 4×4 system.

First off, start by determining exactly how much of the system you want swapped out. In a lot of cases, you’ll be able to choose from cat back, header/manifold back or axle back systems. Usually, the more OEM tubing you replace with free-flowing mandrel bent tubing, the better performance you will get out of your exhaust system. Depending on the ride, a header-back system can be impossible or labor intensive. So instead, an axle back system can replace the easiest parts of the OEM exhaust to access, adding nearly as much power as cat-back systems and will sound much better than the stock exhaust you had.

Secondly, depending on whether you live in a dry area of the country, the aluminised tubing that comes with standard exhaust systems will do just fine. But if you live in high moisture areas where road salt is a thing, you will need a stainless steel exhaust system. Something to keep in mind is that not all kinds of stainless steel are created equal. T409 stainless steel is fairly corrosion resistant, and it’s the most commonly used one for exhausts. However, if you find yourself cruising near water, you should look to get a system made of T304 stainless steel.

Some drivers crave for the most obnoxious, loudest exhaust systems. The constant droning they produce can sometimes be annoying if you travel long distances. It’s important to gauge how loud a particular exhaust system can be once it’s installed on your ride. Luckily, there are tons of sound clips on the internet and customer reviews which you can read and listen to in order to get a good idea of what you’d get.

A lot of times the performance exhaust systems can be bolt on with no modifications being made. But you might come across an exhaust kit that will need some minor welding in order to be installed. This is usually noted on the product’s description, so if you’re looking for an easy installation, you should definitely go with a bolt-on kit.