ARK GRiP Exhaust Review

[JDM_Man]

Hey Guys!

Glad to see so many users are enjoying their ARK GRiP exhaust system! From our personal experience with the competitors' Stinger systems and user reviews, we can confidently say we produce the least amount of drone for the Stinger out of the exhaust systems that actually increase the volume/note.

Exhaust 101 - the only way to increase flow is to either delete obstruction, like a cat/resonator and/or increase the diameter of the piping so that more exhaust fumes can flow out faster. This has to be done without deleting the necessary back pressure but that's for another post. With that being said, the more room air has to move around the more vibrations the air can make. We combat this in two ways. Helmholtz canisters can fill in at lower exit speeds increasing the travel those fumes need to escape and thus reducing drone. Secondly, a thick steel to reduce the amount of vibration that can escape into the cabin. The thicker the walls of the piping the less the vibration is felt in the cabin. There is a reason why stock exhausts produce hardly any drone. They are heavy (thick) and they are smaller in diameter.

Lastly, we've built headers, downpipes, and test pipes for a lot of vehicles and although power and torque will increase, you will absolutely experience an increase in loudness, raspiness, and especially drone. We're mentioning this for those considering deleting cats and so forth.

The amount of acceptable drone is 100% subjective. The drone can be too loud for some and for others the same volume of the drone is tolerable but the pitch of the drone is wrong for them. We will always try to minimize the drone to a small RPM range without sacrificing the power increase. Drone is part of the package because of the type of upgrade you're going for. The only way to eliminate drone is to keep it relatively close to stock and then we ask ourselves...what's the point?

Here at ARK, we like to focus on three things. How does it sound from the outside? We like a deep growl through the lower RPMs and an increase in pitch during WOT. How does it sound from the inside? Is the drone in the smallest RPM range possible? And lastly, are we increasing the performance of the vehicle? If we are satisfied with those areas then we move on to production.

We are here if you have any further questions about our GRiP exhaust system for the Kia Stinger.

Thank you all!

ARK Performance

Dyno sheet please.

 

[Jonathan]

Dyno sheet please.

Nick from KHARTUNERZ posted a while back a gain of +6 WHP on the facebook group.

 

[Jonathan]

Nick from KHARTUNERZ posted a while back a gain of +6 WHP on the facebook group.

 

[D-C]

Nick from KHARTUNERZ posted a while back a gain of +6 WHP on the facebook group.

Thanks Jonathon

I can look forward to a big power gain when the exhaust is fitted tomorrow

No wonder ARK isn't supplying a dyno sheet of the gains

 

[Anarchy99]

They all make about that... it isn't anything to do with supplying the dyno sheets IMO

 

[Tonkabob]

They all make about that... it isn't anything to do with supplying the dyno sheets IMO

I got 10 hp from my Ark even after swapping in more restrictive mufflers.
The Stinger ecu can be slow to adapt. I did a dyno run with stock airbox vs no airbox no air filter and picked up 0 hp. But we know that isnt accurate, just takes more time to adjust. So i will call bs on 6hp when muffler deletes show 12hp.

 

[Anarchy99]

Good to know. My point was just that they all make about the same HP give or take a couple, I don’t think Ark is “hiding” the dyno. Magnaflow doesn’t dyno either, Ark designed for sound and what they assumed was better flow.

 

[D-C]

They all make about that... it isn't anything to do with supplying the dyno sheets IMO

Some claim to have 5 times more

 

[Tonkabob]

Some claim to have 5 times more

I can't see anyone having more HP gain than Ark. Ark has two cross over pipes (H and X) no sharp bends, no resonators and a straight through muffler. Can't get any better than that.

 

[Anarchy99]

Yea and I seriously doubt it’s that much different. Exhaust is exhaust. Claim depends on so much.... dyno conditions, dyno manipulation etc.

 

[D-C]

I can't see anyone having more HP gain than Ark. Ark has two cross over pipes (H and X) no sharp bends, no resonators and a straight through muffler. Can't get any better than that.

I thought the same looking at the design / layout of the exhaust, another reason why I chose it.

6hp gain just sounds a little funny but I do understand a lot of factors effect that outcome.

 

[Tonkabob]

I thought the same looking at the design / layout of the exhaust, another reason why I chose it.

6hp gain just sounds a little funny but I do understand a lot of factors effect that outcome.

It feels like more power cause it sounds so damn cool!

 

[xot1]

Some claim to have 5 times more

The 30hp gain is BS.
I talked to a lot of other Stinger owners and the consensus was: unless you're touching at the primary or secondary cat, you will not gain any useful HP (=car doesnt get faster). Aftermarket catbacks are only for the sound, not for power gains. In actual races or 100-240km/h times it makes absolutely no difference, even sometimes the stock exhaust is slightly faster.(e.g. JunBL EVC)

 

[Kazz]

But do aftermarket downpipes, replacing the secondary cats, increase exhaust velocity enough that an aftermarket catback starts showing better gains?

 

[Oryan]

Catbacks are for sound more than power..virtually no difference between them in real-world power gains assuming they're all the same size mandrel bent pipe. Same can be said for downpipes as well, it mainly comes down to quality vs price and design.

 

[D-C]

Catbacks are for sound more than power..virtually no difference between them in real-world power gains assuming they're all the same size mandrel bent pipe. Same can be said for downpipes as well, it mainly comes down to quality vs price and design.

Like you said assuming they are the same size, but if you add a larger diameter cat back and add a matching high flow cat or catless system then you would expect to see gains especially at higher boost levels, if your cat back was smaller diameter then it would be the choke or restriction point for exhaust flow. I was under the assumption from other posts the aftermarkets were a larger diameter but I could be wrong.

 

[Oryan]

Like you said assuming they are the same size, but if you add a larger diameter cat back and add a matching high flow cat or catless system then you would expect to see gains especially at higher boost levels, if your cat back was smaller diameter then it would be the choke or restriction point for exhaust flow. I was under the assumption from other posts the aftermarkets were a larger diameter but I could be wrong.

For the most part they're all 2.5" which is enough to support anything anyone is going to get out of the stock turbos. Even borla's 2.25" exhaust probably wouldn't be a hindrance until you're pushing the limits of boost.

 

[D-C]

Like you said assuming they are the same size, but if you add a larger diameter cat back and add a matching high flow cat or catless system then you expect to see gains,

For the most part they're all 2.5" which is enough to support anything anyone is going to get out of the stock turbos. Even borla's 2.25" exhaust probably wouldn't be a hindrance until you're pushing the limits of boost.

Oryan do you know what stock size is ?

 

[Rango]

I purchased the SSR DPs (deletes secondary cat). Haven't installed them yet. They claim about a 30hp increase with stock mufflers. Buying a catback for 10 more hp, and costing $1500 to $2000 is looking less favorable. I'm not really concerned about a "better sound" from my exhaust, stock sounds adequate. I am REALLY concerned about drone. Which do ya'll think would produce more drone ...catless DPs with stock muffler or OEM DPs with a catback. I figure most drone comes from the catback exhaust setup. Also, those with a catless DP and stock muffler ... how does the sound differ inside and out???

 

[Kazz]

I purchased the SSR DPs (deletes secondary cat). Haven't installed them yet. They claim about a 30hp increase with stock mufflers. Buying a catback for 10 more hp, and costing $1500 to $2000 is looking less favorable. I'm not really concerned about a "better sound" from my exhaust, stock sounds adequate. I am REALLY concerned about drone. Which do ya'll think would produce more drone ...catless DPs with stock muffler or OEM DPs with a catback. I figure most drone comes from the catback exhaust setup. Also, those with a catless DP and stock muffler ... how does the sound differ inside and out???

I'm guessing the catback would be the main culprit. That's where the resonators and mufflers are. The aftermarket tries to open those up to make them sound meaner. I'd love to hear what you think once you get those downpipes installed! That's where I'm leaning to start any exhaust upgrades!