1. The JBA system comes complete...
1. The JBA system comes complete with muffler, clamps, hangers, 3-inch mandrel-bent stainless steel tubing, and a chrome exhaust tip.
Over the past few months we have been going through our '97 Chevy C1500 2WD trying to identify what needs to be fixed and what needs to be replaced. One of the first items we knew had to go was the stock exhaust. Not only was it littered in rust, the stock pipes were very narrow with numerous flat bends restricting the flow. And it was super loud, telling us that the muffler was internally destroyed from years of abuse.
Our friends at JBA Performance Exhaust Company have just what the doctor ordered. We got a hold of their 3-inch mandrel-bent stainless steel exhaust system and titanium ceramic-coated headers hoping to gain a few ponies and improve the looks under the hood. There are numerous companies out there making exhaust and header systems just like this, so why did we choose JBA? Looking back over previous projects our JBA-loaded trucks have outlasted several projects with competitive products over countless miles of abuse.
 2. The previous exhaust was...  2. The previous exhaust was worn out and needed to go. The new system would replace everything from the catalytic converter and back. |  3. Almost all of the factory...  3. Almost all of the factory hangers are used with the new exhaust (all except for one). Please read through the installation instructions that come with your exhaust to identify it. Our entire install, including removing the factory exhaust, took 55 minutes. |  4. The chrome tip looks good...  4. The chrome tip looks good but we realize it isn't for everyone. The tip is welded to the exhaust pipe so if you choose to run without it you will need to have it cut off or have a new piece of pipe made to replace it. The truck isn't as embarrassing underneath now and it sounds much better. To top it off, we even noticed a small throttle-response improvement! |
 5. The JBA titanium ceramic-coated...  5. The JBA titanium ceramic-coated Cat4ward Shorty headers really are a thing of beauty. They look great and help improve the exit of airflow out of the engine, increasing horsepower and torque, improving throttle response, and helping with fuel economy. The ceramic coating also reduce underhood temperatures. The headers come with new gaskets and hardware. |  6. It doesn't take a rocket...  6. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see why the JBA headers improve flow and add power. OE exhaust manifolds can be restrictive for numerous reasons-many times due to emissions equipment and/or noise control. They also need to be inexpensively manufactured in mass quantities. An aftermarket set like ours isn't cheap but will improve performance far above stock with higher quality parts while still meeting emissions regulations. |  7. Installing the headers...  7. Installing the headers isn't difficult at all, but it can be frustrating and time-consuming to get to the fasteners to tighten or loosen them. Following the included instructions isn't hard but having a little know-how sure helps. Two things to remember when installing headers: They are hot so allow for ample cooling, and often the header bolts are tough to reach so having the right wobblies and socket extensions is necessary. Our headers went on in just under two hours and really spruced up the engine bay. |
Dyno Results
They say the dyno never lies, right? Before we installed the exhaust, headers, power lines, and spark plugs, our Chevy was putting out 208.2 hp at 4988 rpm and 294 lb-ft of torque at 3247 rpm. After, we achieved 237.1 hp at 4388 rpm and 332 lb-ft of torque at 3306 rpm. That's an impressive 28 hp and 38 lb-ft of torque gained at the rear wheels.