What are the best headers?
 

What are the best headers to use? Kooks,Stainless Works,or American Racing

American Racing hands down. GM Performance Parts even sells them.

American Racing Headers. ARH. Official Chevrolet Performance parts now and run on the COPO. The only ones with American sourced steel and American made.

Thank you

I’d also recommend ARH. I made the mistake of buying Kooks for the ZL1, and ended up with quality issues that I needed to deal with. Kooks did make things right, but I still don’t feel they match the quality of the ARH headers I had on my last car.

The only reason I’d recommend Kooks would be if you want cats. They offer the GESI cats (marketed as Green Cats) for a much better price than ARH. These are really the only aftermarket high flow cats that hold up to big power. ARH can build you a system with GESI cats, but when I priced them out it was a lot more cash vs Kooks. I also bought mine during a Black Friday sale, so that may have made the price gap even bigger.

I have installed American Racing and Kooks on 5th gens and both are very well made. American Racing gets the nod by a fraction. Stainless Works is also a very good brand for the $. I'm not sure how the fitment is for a 6th gen.

I've had several off brands including ARH. Yes they are well made. But even the cheapest brand will get you the same power.

Get them coated to keep some heat out of the engine compartment.

If you are going big power I'd do 2". Otherwise 1 7/8" will give you a fatter power curve.

As for me I am skipping LTs. Not worth the expense and blatty sound. There is plenty of power to be had without LTs. And if you want to put the car back to stock a PIA.

For what it’s worth, I think my car sounds very good with catted headers going into the stock exhaust. I’ve been meaning to strap my GoPro on the back and get some driving vids, but keep forgetting. I believe it’s the cats and stock resonators (at least I think that’s what they are) that make mine sound decent.

And it’s not going to be a huge deal to go back to stock for me. The clamps Kooks supplies should be able to put the stock manifolds back on. At least as a temporary solution. Then I can have it welded back up if needed.

ARH without a doubt! We ran them on our 6th gen racing Camaro and it was a solid system for sure. Hey if Chevy is putting them in the COPO car you can bet they are solid. Let us know if you would like some at a great price :thumbsup:.

Cheers,

Kayla L.
801.545.4215

I assume the warranty is still voided even with the ARH being chevrolet performance products? also, I am intrigued with the headers with the stock exhaust and how it sounds and performs.

...and the rest of us just twiddle our thumbs. :eyebulge:

When you re-flash the ECM to tune for the headers is what voids the warranty, not the headers themselves.

It's a matter of personal taste. At Atco people loved the LT + hiflo cats + NPP suitcase going all out. I wish I was a fan.

Welding = PIA for me. :)