Slip joints and V-band joints both seal an exhaust, but they fail differently and come apart differently. A look at sealing, reuse, alignment and where each joint belongs.
Bend radius decides how much a tube wall deforms and how smoothly gas turns. How radius, wall thickness, work hardening and packaging constraints trade off in an exhaust run.
How mandrel bending and crush bending form a tube, what each leaves behind in the cross-section, how to check a finished bend, and which process suits titanium and stainless exhaust work.
Titanium absorbs anything left on its surface, so preparation decides the weld. Residue from cutting and machining, brush and solvent order, handling and cleaning between passes.
Thin-wall stainless keeps the root hot long enough to oxidise. Reducing heat, fitting joints tightly, purging for longer and confirming the inside with a light and a mirror.
Inspection starts before measurement. What a visual check covers, how dimensions and the inside of a joint are verified, and why the check belongs to someone who did not weld the part.
Thin-wall tube bows and flanges pull because heat expands restrained metal. Tack sequence, back-stepping, fixtures and cooling all decide whether a part still fits after welding.
Titanium filler has to match the parent metal, not add strength for its own sake. Matching pure and alloyed tube, sizing wire to wall thickness and keeping a build consistent.
