YES I SEARCHED FOR THE PAST THREE HOURS! so don't ask...but if you do find a link that pertains to what i am about to ask, i will be glad to look at it.

I have been looking for many months on which HFC to get and have narrowed it down to ult. racing, fast int., kinetix, and crawford. my breakdown is this (and correct me if i am wrong)

UR, FI, and Crawford all have place for o2 sensor, no rasp, and will not throw CEL.

FI, crawford, and Kinetix all have brace to help support the cats

all add minimal hp gains but help breath better. I am NA and will be for a long time. SO...does anyone have actual info comparing these HFC? I don't just want opinions from people who have only had one brand. If you have had several, then your opinion would have some weight to it. also, i am still running stock exhaust at this time, but will change this later.

Thanks for any input, and if all you are going to do is flame, then post somewhere else and don't waste my time. thanks.

 

i'm kind of in your boat, stock exhaust, plan to change to HFC first...but if i may ask why did you not consider Berks in your search? thats what i was looking at most recently...

 

I have ran both FI and Berk. And I know some friends that run Crawfords. They would have to agree though, after we installed my Berk HFCs, that they are really great quality, come with an extra bung for a wideband, and great price! Definitely cheaper than FI and Crawford.

EDIT: Berks also have a built in CEL fix just in case you still throw a code with HFCs.

 

I have heard great things about both the Fast intentions and the Berk HFC's.
I know someone that has tried some others that they were not happy with, but I forget the maker. I would probably choose the Berk Technologies HFC's.

 

berks don't have the brace if i am correct....so i guess i was just worried this might be a point of increased stress and cause cracks. Ultimate racing looks pretty good at this point...everything i need, very solid construction, no rasp, no CEL. haven't heard of many UR cats failing either, unlike the kinetix and crawford. i do like the FI, but $450 vs $600 (RU vs FI) for the same thing makes a diff.

 

Berks do have a brace.

 

FI is bigger then the others if I read everything correct.. I'd only get it cuz I'm getting there exhaust and I want the same piping size....

 

My berk HFC's were fine without a brace. I also have the nismo exhaust.

 

If it helps I had Kinetix cats when I was NA with a brace on a Fujitsubo exhaust, and the welds cracked on them. Avoid Kinetix unless you like replacing broken parts.

 

Yea they look like *** in the pics I've seen of them.. They look like the stock cats on my old civic.

 

i have pretty much ruled kinetix out actually. looking like FI, Berks, or UR. someone said crawfords are = to????? can't remember, anyone know?

 

I'm getting the berks as well. Heard alot of good things about them. PLus they're only 300. Way cheaper than kinetix or crawford

 

what is the great things people have heard about berks and why those vs FI or UR if price isn't an issue?

 

FastIntentions metallic HFC are very high quality. You do not need or want to brace them as they are light compared to the stock parts and most aftermarket cats and test pipes are more prone to crack IF you try to brace them. Don't!

If you want max performance, get the 300 cell metallic. Otherwise get the 400 cell ceramic (cheaper and just fine for NA). You can get an extra bung for an aftermarket wideband installed pre-cat for $20 (they ship with a plug so if you don't have a wideband right now, it'll work fine).

The Berk units place the extra bung for an aftermarket wideband after the cat when it should be before - I would double check on this before ordering from them (the stock widebands are supposed to be after the cat, but not aftermarket) .

 

why would i want an aftermarket wideband if i remained NA? may be a noob question, but i have no clue what you are talking about. thanks for the info about the bracing also.

 

Do you have a sound clip? I am thinking of getting the berk's with my Nimso exhaust.

 

I do somewhere, but I am not sure where..

However, do not hesitate in purchasing. You will love the "audible bliss", that it produces
I could not have been happier with the end result.

 

^^
Post up the sound-clip! I want to hear some more.

 

^I will post them when I get home from work, they should be on my home pc..
*somewhere*

 

so since most cats have the same cell count, are the same design (in general), and made of roughly the same material, can they really sound that different?