*Editor’s Review of the Best. About the selection criteria. This material is subjective, not an advertisement and is not a guide to purchase. Before buying it, it is necessary to consult with an expert.
The car owner has to constantly maintain the performance of his iron friend. When the car starts to “growl” and vibrate unusually, it is necessary to pay attention to the exhaust system. The role of a vibration damper is played by a bellows, which is often the weakest link in a silencer. This detail can burn through, and often fails after hitting a curb or a stone. Many service stations are ready to replace the corrugator, but they offer the owner to buy a new part on their own. Expertology experts advise to pay attention to the following points when choosing.
How to choose the right
First of all it is necessary to define the overall dimensions. This information is most often given by the service station specialists.
- Faceplate diameterdepends on the outer thickness of the pipe that is connected by the corrugation. Usually the tubes go inside the bellows, and then the joints around the circumference are fixed by welding. The smaller is the gap between the bellows ring and muffler pipe, the tighter and more reliable is the weld.
- Silencer lengthThe stainless steel bellows should be somewhat larger than the standard part. This is explained by the fact that a burned-out corrugation is usually cut along the joint or along the pipe. That is why the length of the new part should be longer, in order to provide 10-20 mm of pipe penetration on each side.
An important parameter that affects the service life of the socket is the choice of the manufacturermaterials for manufacturing.
- Budget models are made of ordinary steel, to give the product a beautiful look and shine is carried out galvanic treatment. But the duration of corrosion protection is small, so the bellows quickly burn through.
- The use of stainless steel inevitably leads to higher production costs. But the bellows can withstand temperature fluctuations and corrosive environment for a long time.
In the market of our country many domestic and foreign manufacturers sell spare parts for the exhaust system of the car. Expertology experts have scrupulously analyzed the market and selected the 11 best muffler bellows manufacturers. All of these brands arouse confidence among domestic motorists, as evidenced by the reviews.
11 best muffler bellows manufacturers
| Nomination | Place | Name | Rating |
| 11 best muffler bellows manufacturers | 1 | Bosal | 5.0 |
| 2 | FORTLUFT | 4.9 | |
| 3 | MASUMA | 4.8 | |
| 4 | ZEKKERT | 4.7 | |
| 5 | KORTEX | 4.6 | |
| 6 | WALKER | 4.5 | |
| 7 | Garde | 4.4 | |
| 8 | EuroEx | 4.3 | |
| 9 | Tixona | 4.2 | |
| 10 | ATRON | 4.1 | |
| 11 | Catanet | 4.0 |
Bosal
Rating: 5.0
The market leader in exhaust systems is the Belgian company Bosal. Since 1959 the company supplies its products to assembly lines of famous car plants. The awarding of the “Supplier of the Year” title by the renowned GM. Bozal came to the Russian market in 1995. After another 20 years, a large logistics center was opened in Russia, thanks to which the manufacturer manages to deliver spare parts to Russian partners in the shortest possible time. The range of corrugations numbers more than 6000 items. Many leading manufacturers VW, GM, Rena cooperate with Belgians
- t, Land Rover, Jaguar, Honda, Mazda, Volvo. According to experts, the parts of the exhaust system Bosal effectively dampen vibration through a combination of strength and flexibility. Belgian corrugators have a long service life, which they consider an asset. The company is a winner in our review.
Domestic motorists are satisfied with the quality of parts manufacturing, reliability and durability. The only drawback they mention is the high cost.
FORTLUFT
Rating: 4.9
“To be better, to be timeless” – this is the mission of FORTLUFT, the largest international company. The manufacturer’s headquarters is located in New York, and production facilities are spread throughout Europe, Asia and the United States. Experts emphasize modern corporate management system based on innovative technologies and competent management. The high quality of FORTLUFT parts is confirmed by international certificate ISO/TS 16949:2009. The brand appeared on Russian market in 2012 and occupied successfully its niche due to smart price policy. In the manufacturer’s catalog you can find a wide range of spare parts, quick delivery to Russian partners the company carries out thanks to the rich stocks at the terminal in Moscow. The brand wins silver in our review.
In their reviews, local car owners praise FORTLUFT corrugators for an adequate price, quality manufacturing and a variety of models.
MASUMA
Rating: 4.8
The Japanese MASUMA brand has become the biggest player on the Eastern European market. It specializes in producing parts for Toyota, Honda and Nissan models. Production facilities (about 80 plants) are concentrated in Japan, Taiwan and China. Total in the manufacturer’s catalog there are over 10000 references of parts and components. The main achievement of the Japanese brand, according to experts, is an exceptionally low percentage of defects (less than 0.06%). All corrugators are of high quality, but the most accurate and durable products leave the conveyors of Japanese factories. The company is ranked second in the survey.
Unfortunately, the popularity of MASUMA did not go unnoticed by shady dealers in the automotive market. That’s why there are a lot of fakes in the retail network. Domestic car owners should pay attention to the design of the package with comical text in the form of hieroglyphs. Domestic users are satisfied with the combination of price and quality, they trust the Japanese brand.
ZEKKERT
Rating: 4.7
Young German company ZEKKERT (founded in 2014) produces a wide range of consumables (over 13,000 items) for car maintenance. Most manufacturing facilities are located in China and South Korea. Such a move helped the Germans to attract the attention of customers by affordable prices for their products. Experts believe that the brand has achieved success in a short period of time thanks to well-coordinated teamwork of professionals. There is a strict control at each stage of the production cycle. Not surprisingly, ZEKKERT parts comply with the quality certificate ISO/TS 16949. The manufacturer pays a lot of attention to new developments, for which it has created its own research and development centers. In our laboratories we test and inspect finished products. The brand gets bronze in our review.
Russian motorists are complimentary about ZEKKERT corrugators. They are satisfied with the quality of parts, reasonable price and reliability.
KORTEX
Rating: 4.6
KORTEX, a South Korean company, was founded in 2004. The management has carefully analyzed the state of the car market and decided to bet on the European countries. To interest the customer, the manufacturer offered low prices for. Thanks to the high-performance equipment and cheap labor (factories located in South Korea and China), products of little-known company quickly found their followers, first in Spain and then in Germany. In 2010 the brand appeared in Russia, our market immediately became a priority for the Koreans. In the manufacturer’s catalog you can find two types of bellows. The usual models have the name inner
The reinforced spare parts are designated as interlock. The range has over 6000 items, you can pick up a casing for any size of mufflers.
Russian motorists liked the low cost of KORTEX parts. But the bellows go bust after 100 ths. km of mileage. If the car is not operated very intensively, it will need to be replaced after 10-12 years.
WALKER
Rating: 4.5
The leading manufacturer of components for exhaust systems is American company WALKER. Production of this brand goes to assembly lines of such auto giants as VAG, Mercedes Benz, GM, Opel, BMW, Peugeot, Audi, Toyota, Honda, Nissan. The brand belongs to the concern TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE, headquartered in Sweden. But the impetus for increased sales was the merger of an American company with a German firm Heinrich Gillet. The brand should be credited with a high corrosion resistance of the bellows, which positively affects the service life. Stainless steel is used as the basic material. The manufacturer gives a 3-year warranty on the bellows. Included with the part is a fastening clip. For the high quality of parts WALKER gets in the top 6 of our review.
In reviews, car owners confirm the excellent quality of American parts, their efficiency and durability. But the price of such bellows for domestic consumers is too high.
Garde
Rating: 4.4
The young Garde company shows dynamic development. While it can not boast with a wide range of parts (more than 500 items), but it helps to win the hearts of motorists by high quality workmanship and reliability of parts. Corrugators began to be used in the exhaust systems of the Russian major manufacturers Fobos. Experts paid attention to the reinforced three-layer construction, the use of stainless steel for critical parts. Assemblies are hermetically sealed, exhaust gases are evenly distributed throughout the internal space. The outer layer reliably protects the bellows from deformation. It should be noted that the brand does not specialize in the production of components for the exhaust system, so the range of bellows is limited.
The lack of reviews has prevented the company from rising higher in our review. There are no objective assessments of Garde sleeves in runet from Russian motorists. Therefore, you can draw conclusions only based on the findings of experts.
EuroEx
Rating: 4.3
EuroEx was founded in 2008 and is part of the Elprom-Elhovo Group. The brand’s central warehouse is located in Hungary, from where the products are shipped to dozens of countries. Production facilities are located in China, Hungary, Bulgaria and Russia. Since 2016, there is a representative office in our country. Manufacturer specializes in producing parts for car exhaust systems. Experts appreciated the company’s own pioneering developments, the introduction of advanced technologies and modern materials. Careful inspection has improved the quality of the bellows and increased their lifespan. In the catalog you can find parts for many domestic cars, including Lada Vesta. Gifrons differ in design, starting with three-layer models
aid and ending with reinforced interlock or “Kolchuga.
In reviews the domestic motorists praise EuroEx vibration compensators for their affordable price and good quality. But some users report a short service life.
Tixona
Rating: 4.2
Domestic manufacturer Tixona has chosen narrow specialization. The company produces corrugators, flame arresters and oxygen sensor readout correctors. In the catalog you can find corrugators of different sizes with the designation inner
interlock or interlock. They are suitable for the whole AVTOVAZ family of cars. The company decided to conquer the market position on the basis of high quality workmanship. Bellows are made of AISI 304 steel, which is characterized by wear resistance, durability, resistance to temperature fluctuations and to aggressive environment. The side rings are made of chromium steel AISI 409. Brand products have been successfully tested according to ISO/TS 16949. The manufacturer is confident in the quality of the bellows, it gives a 2-year warranty on these parts.
Russian motorists report in their reviews about the successful combination of quality and price of the Tixona bellows. But it is still difficult to judge the durability, since the brand has recently entered the market of auto parts.
ATRON
Rating: 4.1
The company PATRON is considered an international concern. Production brand sites (70 plants) are located in Russia, Belarus, China, Turkey, South Korea, Lithuania, Taiwan, Belgium, Malaysia, Italy. The brand name appeared in 2004, it belongs to the group of companies Chate-M Plus. All products are carefully controlled, they undergo periodic testing in own laboratories. Brand plants are successfully certified according to international standards ISO/IATF 16949, ISO 9001 and IS0 14001. Experts note the wide range of spare parts (over 44000 items); the catalog contains parts for Russian and Chinese cars. The brand is proud of its sponsorship of the Ice Hockey World Championships in 2016-2020. Manufacturer rounds out the top ten brands of mufflers.
Russian consumers are pleased with the variety of corrugations, which allows you to pick up a spare part for a wide range of car models. From the disadvantages they note the low corrosion resistance of parts.
Catanet
Rating: 4.0
The whole range of services, related to maintenance of the exhaust system, the company Catanet renders to the domestic motorists. The young team (on the market since 2013) has managed to quickly gain recognition. Thanks to our own production facilities, we are able to offer individual components or complete exhaust systems at an affordable price. The manufacturer is confident in the quality of its products, the stated warranty period is 3 years. The company sells its own parts, provides services to repair exhaust systems. For this purpose is created installation center, full information about its work can be found in the section of the same name on the official website. Delivery of bellows, catalysts, flame arresters and other consumables is available nationwide.
In their reviews, motorists note the affordable prices of bellows and their replacement. The installation center visitors liked the high level of service. But the range of trims is still small, so not every car model can be provided with a part.
