Technical Resources

Why Barker’s Uses Clamps Instead of Brackets to Hold Our Muffler in Place

From time to time we’re asked why we use External Clamps to hold our Mufflers onto the machine instead of a welded on bracket that you can just bolt on. We thought this would be a great little blog post to explain why.

The first and main reasons why we use a clamp is for its strength and durability. Aluminum is a very strong lightweight material that is hard to beat. It has a very high tensile strength and can take a lot of abuse. We use all 6061-T6 grade on our canisters, end caps, and clamps. 6061 aluminum comes in a precipitation hardened state which basically means it’s somewhat hardened and holds its shape and strength very well. Aluminum does, however, Anneal at a much lower temp than Stainless or Regular Steels.This means that at a certain temp it will become very soft and pliable.

Aluminum does not like to be bent back and forth and will almost always crack where there is a lot of stress or movement in it. So when welding a bracket onto a Canister you're technically softening up the material right at the point of the weld. This coupled with hours and hours of vibration can lead to cracking and failure. You may have seen a cracked exhaust mount on a muffler. We always strive to avoid welding onto our mufflers unless the design won’t let us work around it.

In addition, with our Bright Drip Anodizing, we can offer some pretty amazing clamp colors!

Barker's Exhaust Oval Billet Clamps

So let’s say you have an exhaust that has a cracked hanger bracket on it. This will definitely put you in a bind. You’ve got a few options, leave it and pray it doesn’t break the rest of the way if it hasn’t already, replace the ENTIRE muffler now, or take it somewhere to have it welded and repaired. Yet this can lead to another issue, welding aluminum needs to have as clean of surfaces as possible. Normally, a well-used muffler is far from a clean surface free of Carbon.  So the repair is not going to look the best and most likely will further anneal the aluminum around the area potentially leading to another failure down the road. We’ve heard more than once, “I’ve welded this thing like 4 times now and have to replace it.”

Most big names will want you to just purchase an entirely new system. With a Barker’s Exhaust System you won’t have this issue with our Solid Billet Machined Aluminum Clamps. If you break this clamp you’ve probably wrecked and most likely smashed a lot more in doing so. Even still many times we’ve been able to supply customers with a new section of pipe to help get them back up and going still using the existing canister.

Another reason that really helps with durability is that the Clamp design allows for it to be placed on the muffler wherever it’s needed. Many times there are slight variations in the mounting holes on machines due to factory tolerances, minor mishaps, or from crashes that tweak the subframes or whatever. Our clamp gives some flexibility for this and basically can be placed in the optimal position on the machine.

Yamaha Raptor 700 Barker's Exhaust with Blue Billet Clamp

Proof of this design for us comes in the form of Baja desert racing. Baja racing includes racing over incredibly long distances through extreme desert conditions, terrain, and obstacles. Our sponsored rider, Juan Dominguez, has dealt with exhaust mounts and cracking for years racing Baja. He has said many times it was a miracle to finish the race without an exhaust issue. After multiple exhaust brands he then found Barker’s. Before we even sponsored him, they used our same pipe for multiple races across two racing seasons with zero issues, and only required regular repacking and maintenance.

We truly do strive for quality here at Barker’s and making an entirely separate Exhaust Clamp out of a fully machined solid block of aluminum is no cheap feat. Most big brands have a chunk of Extruded Aluminum that they cut off, do a few quick machine ops, and weld it onto the Muffler. These aren’t necessarily a bad design, but the point where you weld them onto the can is almost always a possible failure point in the exhaust. This also commits the mounting holes to that point only, so there’s no room for error. Below is an example showing some of our Maverick Clamps in the process of being machined.

Barker's Billet Clamps Before Manufacturing for the CanAm MaverickBarker's Billet Clamp for CanAm Maverick

So we can’t say that we never weld onto a Muffler because some designs are going to require using a welded on bracket to the muffler. We can tell you, though, that when we do cracking is our main concern so we are extremely mindful of how they are welded on and what kind of stresses might be there.

We hope you enjoyed this article and it helps you gain some insight of the thinking behind the Barker’s brand. Thanks for viewing!

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How To Install a Barker's Dual Exhaust on a 2015/2016 Yamaha Raptor 700

You've got your Barker's Dual Exhaust System in hand, so now what? Follow these handy installation instructions to help you remove the stock system and get your new system on your Raptor. 

Tools Needed:

  • 8MM, 10MM, 12MM and 13MM Socket or Wrench
  • Spring Puller

The first step is to remove your Stock Exhaust System. When removing it be careful not to lose or damage the exhaust gasket on the exhaust port of the motor. You will also re-use your two nuts used to hold the stock system on. Once you have removed the stock system you’ll want to unbolt the screw holding your front right fender in place. You’ll have to pull the fender out slightly to get the new header in place.

Start by inserting the split rear portion in first under your frame towards the rear shock. Once you have the rear in there you can carefully put the front into place by holding the fender away a bit as shown in these next few pictures.

Step One - Remove Stock Exhaust - Bend Parking Brake Slightly Down 1 Step One - Remove Stock Exhaust 1

 

 

 

 

 

Now before you can go any further you will need to Bend your Parking Brake Bracket down slightly to clear the pipe as shown in the picture above and below. (Red Arrow)

Step One - Remove Stock Exhaust - Bend parking break out of the way 2Step One - Remove Stock Exhaust 2

Once you have the Pipe in place, make sure you have the Exhaust Gasket in place and go ahead and slide the flange onto the two studs coming out of the head and only hand tighten at this point using the two nuts that came off your stock system.

You will want to snug them just tight enough to hold in place but be able to rotate the pipe freely yet.

Step Two - Install Barker's Exhaust 1

The next step is to remove the bolt shown above and then rotate the pipe until the tab lines up with the bolt hole. Go ahead and insert the bolt back into place and be sure to install the lock washer that we supplied into the hole shown above. You can tighten this bolt down but do not tighten the header nuts yet.

Now that the Header is mounted in place and still able to move, you’ll want to grab each can and megaphone assembly and install your billet clamps onto the cans. Find a nice clean soft place to work so you don’t scratch things up. Also before beginning, make sure you have the clamps with the Tabs facing away from the Barker’s tag.

Now spread the clamp apart and insert a small wedge in the slot to keep it spread apart. This could be a small chunk of wood or some heavy folded up cardboard just something to keep it spread apart.  Carefully slide the clamp over the can watching you don’t scratch it up. The clamp needs to be 5-5/8” from the Tip end of the can as shown here.

Step Two - Install Barker's Exhaust 2Step Two - Install Barker's Exhaust Billet measurements

Now that you have the clamps mounted to the cans go ahead and carefully insert each side into the slip joints on the front Header and start the bolt that holds the clamp but do not fully tighten. Repeat this step on the other side so you have both cans mounted but not tightened down. Bolt holes used are the front bolts on your rear grab bar.

Step Two - Install Barker's Exhaust 3Step Two - Install Barker's Exhaust 4

The next step is to install the Springs that connect the front and back halves of the pipes.

***NOTE*** Make sure you have Safety Glasses on and a Spring Puller to complete this step.  Be very careful when pulling the springs onto the tabs.

Now you should have everything installed but NOT tightened down anywhere.  Before tightening down, you are going to need to look at the split in front of the shock.  You need to center the split so it has equal clearance on each side of the shock. This is done by leaving the rear bolt in place and carefully rotating the front of the head pipe up or down to center it on the shock.

Once it is centered where you like it go ahead and snug down the Header nuts at the very front of the system. You can now tighten down the Billet Clamps that hold the cans in place making sure the cans are aligned equally also.

Final Note:  After you have ridden and warmed the pipe up a few times be sure to go back and re-tighten and check all bolts and connections to ensure everything stayed nice and tight. Now have fun and enjoy your new Barker’s Exhaust!

Barker's Dual Exhaust on 2015 Yamaha Raptor

 

Do you have any tips for installing a Barker's Dual Exhaust System on the 2015/2016 Raptor? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!

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