Not many vehicles have this but the main goal of a Navara is to provide the most powerful and capable 4x4 without sacrificing smooth operation and compactness. A vehicle that not many will praise for its powerful engine as well as advanced infotainment features. The Navara also comes equipped with the latest safety features such as AEB and seven interior airbags. With a payload capacity between 880 kg and 1112 kg, the Navara is not far behind its competitors. But like its competitors, your Navara D40 needs a replacement or a tune-up from time to time.
Benefits of Aftermarket Exhausts
Fuel Economy
The most versatile and needed replacement, especially if you've owned your Navara for a long time, is an aftermarket exhaust system. One of the most notable improvements you'll notice with a new D40 Navara exhaust has to do with fuel economy. While this won't be a game changer, it will give your Navara a worthy boost of efficiency.
Power
Another big reason why you'd want an aftermarket Navara D40 exhaust is the difference in performance it'll make. No matter if you're going up hills or driving on the smoothest roads, you'll definitely feel less back pressure and more HP in your engine.
Sound
While this may be a totally personal preference, changing the tone of your current Navara D40 exhaust can be done by replacing either the whole system or a part of it. What better way to do so than with an aftermarket upgrade? This way you can make your Navara D40 sound more or less aggressive.
Options
Aftermarket upgrades in general offer more customisability and the same goes for exhaust systems. You get to replace as many or as few exhaust parts as you want and go for whatever option suits you best. You don't get that with OEM parts.
Types of Exhaust Systems
Header-Back
What is known as a full exhaust replacement has every component and piece of exhaust hardware replaced with a new one. A header-back exhaust upgrade will take the most out of your time and pocket but it will be well worth it as it can completely change the way your D40 performs both on and off the road.
Axle-Back
The complete opposite of a header-back system is an axle-back upgrade. Axle-back exhausts take the least amount of time to install and are also the most affordable. But don't expect much of an improvement from your stock exhaust. This is because they replace the least number of components from the rear axle to the muffler.
Cat-Back
If you want a bigger improvement than an axle-back upgrade and a less time-consuming one than a header-back upgrade, a cat-back exhaust is your best option. Cat-back upgrades replace everything from the catalytic converter back. With a cat-back upgrade, you can expect a moderate increase in both performance and fuel economy.
Important Features
Resonated vs Non-Resonated
You also have the option to choose from different types of exhausts with each upgrade mentioned above. An aftermarket D40 exhaust system can be either resonated or non-resonated. What this means is that it can have all its resonators on or have none at all. The resonators are there to make the exhaust quieter and without them on, your new D40 exhaust system will be a lot louder. This may not always comply with local regulations, though, so make sure to check them out first.
Valved vs Non-Valved
Just like resonated and non-resonated exhausts, valved and non-valved systems share the same nature of differences. Non-valved systems have no valves and thus you don't have the ability to control the noise they produce. Valved systems are therefore more versatile since they allow you to open and shut their valves to increase or decrease the amount of noise they create.
Material
There are different types of materials your new Navara D40 exhaust can be made of. This is mainly steel and it comes in different grades such as 409, 439, 304 and aluminised steel.
A 409 stainless steel D40 Navara exhaust is going to last you up to 10 years with just a little bit of surface rust on it. Having surface rust is not the same as having a rusty exhaust as the former can be cleaned off with a wire brush. This is possible thanks to its chromium content ranging from 10.5% to 11.75%.
439 stainless steel exhausts are known to be better at fending off corrosion thanks to their chromium content of 18%. This makes a 439 stainless steel exhaust last longer than 10 years and it can have a polished finish too.
304 stainless steel is the best material an exhaust system can be made of. This is because it has a chromium content of 20% coupled together with 10% nickel. This makes it have the best corrosion resistance and a lifespan greater than 10 years.
Aluminised steel exhausts are also known as mild steel exhausts as they have only an aluminium-silicone alloy coating. This type of exhaust can last you anywhere from 3 to 5 years and it has a decent level of protection from corrosion.
