Side Pipes & Lake Pipes

Lake pipes are a style of exhaust pipes that are routed from the engine exhaust headers / manifolds to the outside of the vehicle chassis, below the doors, ending in front of the back tires. This design allows the vehicle to be lowered for racing to improve handling and top speed. Lake pipes with mufflers is a further improvement on the design to include noise reduction components within the pipes.

Lake pipes get their name from early hot rodders, who removed their car exhaust system and ran straight exhaust pipes when doing speed runs on the dry lake beds northeast of Los Angeles, California in the late 1940s-1950s. Because the design improved ground clearance so that vehicles could be lowered to improve speed and stability, they were widely popular for this type of racing. The name stuck and eventually spread throughout the hot rod community in the decades to follow.

Depending on the year, make, and model of the vehicle, the routing of lake pipes can change. However, most lake pipes are typically installed below the doors, either along the rocker panels or chassis (if exposed), with the outlets terminating just before the rear tires. At the front they curve inward towards the engine where they bolt to the exhaust headers or manifolds. This allows maximum ground clearance that would otherwise be hindered by a low hanging exhaust system from the floorboards.

The steps to build a muffler or baffle for side pipes can change depending on the side pipe length, size, and style. There are many different ways to hand-make a baffle. One type of home-made baffle first involves measuring the length and diameter of the muffler / baffle so that it fits properly into the side pipes without rattling around from being too short or small. Next, cut a pipe with an outside diameter that is 1/2 " smaller than the inside diameter of the side pipes into several sections. The length and number of baffle pieces will depend on the length of the side pipes and your preference (the more baffles, the quieter the exhaust). Next, you will need to cut out rings that will weld to the end of the smaller diameter baffle pieces and wide enough to match the inside diameter of the side pipes. Then drill a hole on each side of the ring that will match the diameter of the two rods you will need to connect all of the baffle components together. Next, weld everything together with a rod going through each ring hole on each side of the assembly. Then slide the baffle assembly into the side pipe from the inlet side and confirm it fits properly and will not rattle. Once this has been confirmed, the side pipes can be installed and the engine started to test that the baffles are not loose.

A JEGS expert is ready to answer your questions and help you find the side pipes, side pipe mufflers, or custom exhaust system that you need for your street rod, muscle car, or race vehicle.