Are there any decent options for headers for a 2006 TJ?

Patrick P.

Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2015
Messages
33
Are there any decent options out there for headers for a 06 Wrangler TJ? My stock one has a crack in it and if I am replacing it I may as well upgrade.

Just looking to see if anyone is running headers and how they like them.
 
Keep in mind design/use. Large diameter short tubes equal high rpm horsepower. Small diameter longer tubes produce low rpm torque. I doubt a welded tube will be a better buy, last near as long as the factory casting...

I had a header on my YJ for a bit. Went back to a factory manifold after a few months. The factory casting had way better driveability.
 
As far as the 2000+ TJs go that have the two piece exhaust manifolds, you're much better off either fixing the crack or replacing them with a replacement stock exhaust manifold. Headers on a 2000+ TJ will break easier than the stock manifolds, and in addition to that the gains from them would be minimal at best. You might gain a few horsepower if you're lucky, but nothing to justify the cost.
 
Thanks guys! I think I will just go with her placement stock exhaust manifolds. It doesn't seem like there's much to be gained from headers in terms of power.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jerry Bransford
Mine came from PO with a weird welded setup, cracks in the mid pipe and a Ford muffler with 3" inlet and outlet that exited in front of rear axle. Besides gas smell, it was horribly loud. I replaced with a Rugged Ridge headers that did not fit. Ran into an issue with intake. I was deep into the project and i needed a new intermediate pipe, as well. I got Banks headers, Magnaflow midpipe with 49-state cat, and Banks Monster Exhaust for $800 OTD. I gotta say i'm pretty happy with it. It has a beautiful sound and definitely breathes better. Jeep definitely has more response. $800 worth? Probably not. Money's worth? Probably not. Personally necessary? Absolutely. To get an entire stock setup with a cat would have cost way more. Without cat i still would have been looking at $300 on CL, $600 OEM....So i can justify the money. I live in Phoenix and have to run AC all summer. Maybe it restore the power that the AC robs!!
 
Haha, we've all been there with the expensive mods we tried to justify. That's just half the fun of owning a Jeep!
 
As far as the 2000+ TJs go that have the two piece exhaust manifolds, you're much better off either fixing the crack or replacing them with a replacement stock exhaust manifold. Headers on a 2000+ TJ will break easier than the stock manifolds, and in addition to that the gains from them would be minimal at best. You might gain a few horsepower if you're lucky, but nothing to justify the cost.

Hey, Chris...Question...How much Chrysler is in a TJ? I have a '99 Dodge Dakota with the V-6. I put cat forward shorty headers on, dual Turboflows after the Y pipe, cut out the cats and put in a K&N air filter. Didn't gain anything because it doesn't have a mass air flow sensor. Are TJ's like this as well? Is it a matter of reprogramming?
 
Hey, Chris...Question...How much Chrysler is in a TJ? I have a '99 Dodge Dakota with the V-6. I put cat forward shorty headers on, dual Turboflows after the Y pipe, cut out the cats and put in a K&N air filter. Didn't gain anything because it doesn't have a mass air flow sensor. Are TJ's like this as well? Is it a matter of reprogramming?

You'd have to put some true headers on your TJ like these ones:

https://americanracingheaders.com/collections/jeep/products/jeep-1998-2006-tj-4-0l-long-system
Combine those with a tune via HPTuners MPVII and you'll pickup a good 20-30 HP at the wheels!
 
You'd have to put some true headers on your TJ like these ones:

https://americanracingheaders.com/collections/jeep/products/jeep-1998-2006-tj-4-0l-long-system
Combine those with a tune via HPTuners MPVII and you'll pickup a good 20-30 HP at the wheels!

Yeahhh...the cat forwards on my Dakota don't look anything like that. "There's a sucker born every minute." (P.T. Barnum, I believe.)

KIMG0382[1].JPG
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chris