Topic: What does anyone recommend for a 22RE header??

[lowgeared]

Looking for the biggest bang for my buck.  Any suggestions?

[reklund5]

Doug Thorleys are pretty affordable!  I've got a TRD header on mine and I really like it, but it was spendy.

Ryan

[Uncle Jesse]

I've run two Thorley headers.  One on my 84, and one on my 89 2wd.  I didn't have one problem with the header on the 84.  It was a fully smog legal header, with O2 bung and air injection rail.  The air injection rail was tapped and plugged with bolts until I needed to install the rail for smog.  The 89 header has been a different story.  I spent the longest time getting the header flange to seal.  Come to find out, if you torque the center bolts to spec, the ends of the flange will pull away from the head.  This is because of the welded O-rings.  The flange height at the orings is higher than that of the center bolt holes.  This can be remedied by adding a washer behind the flange for those center holes.  The other problem on the 89 that I ran into is constant leaking at the collector flange.  Its kind of a puny flange, so it warps easily. 
One common problem I've noticed on thorleys as well is the lack of a downpipe to bellhousing bracket.  The stock exhaust has this bracket.  Thorley deletes it.  This tends to stress the header near the area where it turns to go under the truck.  I've seen multiple header tubes crack there.  I recommend adding some type of bellhousing bracket there.
Thorley header gaskets are darn near indestructable.
Thorley headers are a Tri-Y design, which is supposed to improve torque over a 4 into 1 header.  The stock manifold and downpipe are a Tri-Y design.
As far as I know, only thorley and NWOR offer a Tri-Y header.  The NWOR header has beefy thicker flanges, and a ball & socket collector flange.  Other threads here though have posted about poor customer service from NWOR though.  And, they are more expensive than Thorleys
Good luck. 

[reklund5]

...Hence the reason I sprang for the TRD.  No leaks, no problems.  Bolted it on and forgot about it.

Ryan

[To The Floor]

I hear the TRD and the LC Engineering headers are the best headers on the market.  I personally went with the LC Engineering.  it is super nice, 16 guage stainless, then if that wasn't enough they ceramic coated it.  it went in with no problems at all and i haven't had any problems with it since the install.

[MidgetMike]

I dig my LC header probabley cheaper than a TRD but as good, nice flanges and welds, and a definite increase in power they don't list 22re headers because they are the same as 22r, LC headers do pass cali smog for sure so that's nice, I got mine on sale for $250 might be onsale again soon
 
http://209.250.27.45/m1webgear/ProductSearch.aspx?Class=1545

[Uncle Jesse]

Yeah, after those two thorley headers, I told myself I would never buy another header that had the tubes welded on from the backside.

[pimped4Runner]

get the try Y header it is from northwest offroad. there is no gasket!!!!!!!! 3/8 flange and great power and sound!!!!!!!

[brainlessfool]

I've got the NWOR tri-y header. no gaskest at all. but not smog leagel in cal.  like the way it sounds.

but it is kinda $$$

[blyota91]

I have a thorley and I am pleased with it.  This is my first header on anything ever though.  It sounds like it leaks under load somewhere, I  kind of think one of the egr tubes leaks because if I rev it to 3k sitting still I don't hear it, but going down the road at 3k it sounds like it leaks bad, it did this before I had the header too, any ideas?

[kneedownnate]

I'm currently runnin a 4 into 1 header, not sure what brand, cost $35 from a yard.  It has fairly long tubes, collects way down at the bottom and actually has decent bottom end and screams on top.  Sounds good too.....but, I just picked up a used NWOR header off ebay for about $100 and it has a much thicker flange and looks to be better built.  The thin flange one I'm runnin now leaks no matter how much you tighten it or how many gaskets you stack in there, loosens up regularly and has cracked in the past, but not for quite a while now.  I had a Downey that came on a parts truck, but I traded it off like an idiot.  As far as the TRD header, I hafta wonder if they actually make it themselves or slap their name on it like they do with some of their other items, and if so who makes it?   Nate

[backseatwheeler]

my brother and law runs a headman header or borla cant rememebr if the borlas the header or the headman and the exaut is one or the other cant remeber whichs which but he has a very nice sound at low end and sounds real clean at top end i think the headers a headman though and the exaust is borla said he payed 125 for the header thats not to bad