You'd be surprised to find out that the Land Cruiser is Toyota's longest-produced vehicle ever, not even the Corolla comes close. It was first made in 1951, to be used by the military as a terrain vehicle but that wasn't the case as Mitsubishi was the chosen manufacturer.
In 1954 the first Land Cruisers for commercial use were made and exported to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Soon after the Land Cruiser was introduced in the US. Although with a stale first year, the vehicle started to gain popularity pretty quickly. The same happened throughout its whole history as it was introduced to new markets.
What Matters in an Aftermarket Exhaust
Material
One of the most important factors of a new exhaust system is the material it comes made of. There are different materials used for the production of aftermarket exhausts such as aluminised steel, stainless steel, and titanium. A stainless steel Toyota Landcruiser exhaust is the most popular since it's made of a material that can heat and impact well without corrosion affecting its lifespan.
Aluminised steel exhausts are the least common since they are not as impact-resistant or able to handle heat and corrosion as well as stainless steel exhausts. Titanium ones are the most sought after and most expensive too since they are capable of handling the highest of temperatures and are the most durable too.
Bends
The number of bends an exhaust has affects airflow and therefore the fewer they are the better but the type of bends you have also affects airflow. A mandrel-bent exhaust is always a better solution than a crush-bent one since the former has smooth bends and ones that don't change the diameter of the piping.
Diameter
Talking about the diameter of exhaust pipes, the larger it is, the more air can pass through them more easily. While this doesn't mean you should go with an exhaust that fits your fist, you soundly definitely consider increasing the diameter from the one of your current system. A good rule of thumb is to add an inch of diameter for every 100HP which means your new Landcruiser will have a 3-inch system.
Thickness
The thickness of the material the exhaust is made of matters as much as the material itself. A thicker material means an exhaust that can survive heavier impacts and one that is overall more durable. The weight of thicker Landcruiser exhausts may be a downside but it helps reduce annoying frequencies.
Midpipe
The midpipe of an exhaust is the section where the piping becomes one for a moment. This means the pipes merge in order to reduce backpressure and this is mainly available in two configurations, an H-pipe and X-pipe configuration. The latter is superior as it evens out gasses far better and more efficiently but it also costs more than the former.
Tailpipes
The tailpipes, although the only visible part of an exhaust, play an important role in the aesthetics of your Landcruiser. Especially if you go for a pair of them on one side of your rig you'll make it look sportier.
Types of Aftermarket Exhausts
Turbo-Back
The most comprehensive exhaust system you can get is a turbo-back exhaust. It involves replacing the exhaust as well as the turbocharger and if your car doesn't have it, which is the case with the Landcruiser, you can add one. This is more of a performance improvement than anything which is why it costs the most and it takes up the most amount of time to install.
Header-Back
A header-back exhaust is also a comprehensive replacement but it isn't as comprehensive as a turbo-back system or as expensive. That's because you only replace the exhaust and as a true exhaust improvement you get to focus on making a custom Toyota Landcruiser exhaust system.
Cat-Back
With a cat-back exhaust, you get a more tamed solution than both a header-back and turbo-back system since you only replace components coming from the catalytic converter back. It costs less than both of the above Landcruiser exhausts while it improves performance and efficiency up from your Toyota's stock system.
Axle-Back
If you want the most affordable and least performance-oriented exhaust system you should go for an axle-back exhaust. This type of exhaust is the easiest to install as you only have a handful of components to replace and some hangers and that's it.
The Benefits of an Aftermarket Exhaust
Price
The biggest reason why you should go with an aftermarket exhaust to replace your OEM one is because of its price. While you can get an extremely expensive system you can also get one that costs less than your stock system and still provide improvements over it.
Availability
Aftermarket Landcruiser exhaust systems are found everywhere, no matter if it's a physical store or online you'll find what you need. Sometimes even replacement parts are more readily available than OEM ones.
Options
With aftermarket Landcruiser exhaust systems you simply get more options to choose from as you saw above. You can also make your own system from scratch which can make your Landcruiser even more unique in terms of power output and of course, its undercarriage.
