Varex Mufflers: Features and Buying Considerations

Car upgrades boost engine performance, ensure crisper handling and let you customize the look of your ride. For a performance boost without breaking budgets, aftermarket exhausts and exhaust components, such as high-flow mufflers aid airflow and let the engine breathe. The parts are added to the stock piping, or come as integrated units in axle-, cat- and header-back systems. 

Mufflers might look like any other piece of exhaust piping, but the parts perform several key functions – they muffle or quieten sound waves as exhaust gases move through pipes, and burn any leftover pollutants that catalytic converters and diesel or gasoline particle filters failed to eliminate. This is to meet strict noise and emissions regulations. 

For car enthusiasts however, reducing airflow restrictions, increasing exhaust velocity and tailoring the sound to personal tastes is the key benefit of aftermarket mufflers like those Varex makes, provided these fall within defined regulation requirements and are street legal. 

Why Choose a Varex Muffler?

Not all mufflers are created equal. And not all meet high expectations when it comes to performance. Unless, of course, you choose tailored Varex mufflers engineered specifically for your car. Compared to run-of-the-mill exhaust components, these Australian-made mufflers from exhaust specialist XFORCE benefit your car and your driving experience in several ways: 

• Adjustable sound levels: Varex mufflers come with patented butterfly valves to control airflow and vary sound levels. The mufflers can be set to produce quiet purrs for the street or morning cold starts. Or at full roar with the engine belting out its tune. 
• Customizable settings: Butterfly valves can be adjusted in incremental steps between full closed and fully open to vary the resistance spent gases encounter on their way out. This affects performance and exhaust volumes. With valves fully open, Varex muffler assemblies ensure minimal backpressure and flow resistance, and create a full-bodied loud exhaust sound. Alternately, with the valves closed, gases are rerouted through a chamber path to quieten thing down, much like standard mufflers. 
• Full control: Where XFORCE has put more work is controlling valve position via remote fobs, or with an optional Smartbox module to dial in settings via phone-based apps. Valves can be set to automatically adjust according to defined engine loads, vehicle speed and throttle position. Or by using the Geo-mode with integrated GPS that changes between loud and hushed depending on where you’re driving. 
• Durability and high quality materials: Built from rust-resistant, high-strength 304 or 409 stainless steel, Varex mufflers are ready to take on the heat and pressure that come with spirited drives, and the impact resistance to counter potholes, speed bumps and road debris. The mufflers retain structural uniformity to prevent disruptions to airflow, as well as their polished good looks for an aesthetic upgrade to your car. 
• Compatibility with multiple car models: XFORCE has expanded its Varex muffler range to include universal and compact R series mufflers in varying inlet and outlet widths to suit factory and custom piping. The parts can also be had in single or dual outlets. 

Key Buying Considerations

Vehicle Compatibility 

XFORCE makes compatibility with your car simple. Shop mufflers in compatible mid-pipe inlet widths, ranging from 2.5″ to 4″ to ensure a tight fit. Also consider whether the car runs an exhaust in a single or dual layout. XFORCE sells vehicle-specific Varex muffler assembles ready to be bolted on, and universal variants that are used in custom exhaust builds and tuned vehicles. 

Consider Features and Options 

Simple, manual control units, consisting of control modules, CANBUS-compatible wiring harnesses, motors and remote key fobs let drivers switch valves between open and closed positions. These are available for mufflers with single and dual valve systems. 

For a set-and-forget solution, choose XFORCE’s Smartbox, either as an integrated component within the muffler assembly, or as a separate unit. This provides enhanced control features with IOS and Android phones and apps to adjust valve position in 1% incremental changes. The same controller can also be set to automatically vary butterfly valve positions, based on RPMs, vehicle speeds, and with built-in GPS, vehicle location. Setup is simple, with wiring connecting to the vehicle’s OBDII port. 

Materials 

The majority of the Varex mufflers use durable, high-strength 304 stainless steel. This has extremely high resistance to corrosion, handles high temperatures common in tuned engines with no issues, and goes with cleaner aesthetics to match the mandrel-bent piping in the rest of the XFORCE exhaust range. The clean TIG welds between the muffler body and inlet and outlet pipes are the icing on the cake. 

Where not stated, XFORCE uses 409 stainless steel. This is the entry-level material for aftermarket exhaust parts, providing good heat performance and works relatively well in milder, drier climates, with somewhat lower rust resistance. Its key advantage is the lower cost.  

Installation 

If you’re mechanically-inclined and good around basic tools, installing a Varex muffler takes between 1 to 2 hours, depending on the exhaust layout and the features that you’ve chosen. The installation process involves removing the factory unit, mounting the Varex system with the supplied hardware, and routing the wiring and control units. Alternatively, choose a professional fit from the dozens of US XFORCE partners.