Exhaust Flanges
Header, turbo, and downpipe flanges are machined to your drawing, including matched V-band pairs.
View product →Parts Catalog
Automotive Parts Catalog
Open a product page for sizes and grades, or send a drawing for a part not listed.
Clamps
T-bolt and V-band clamps join exhaust and charge-air piping. Sizes follow your drawing.
View product →
Tube Fittings
Tube adapters and hose barbs connect intake, coolant, and breather lines. They are turned from your drawing.
View product →
Tie Rod Ends
Adjustable tie rod ends have right-hand and left-hand threads, with a rod end or clevis end.
View product →
Rod Ends
Rod ends and heim joints join steering and suspension links. Each joint swings through its angle.
View product →
Spherical Bearings
Spherical bearings sit in suspension pivots where a link swings through an arc.
View product →
Universal Joints
Single, double, and telescopic universal joints carry torque through a bend in a steering or drive shaft.
View product →
Wheel Bearings
Wheel bearings for trailer hubs are made to your drawing or sample. Vehicle hub units are reviewed against the OE number.
View product →
Custom CNC Parts
Custom CNC parts are made to your drawing when no listed product fits.
View product →
Material Decision
Choosing the Grade by Heat, Salt, and Load
Match the grade to how hot the part runs, how much road salt reaches it, and how much load it carries.
Standard grade
304 Stainless
Grade 304 suits exhaust flanges, clamps, and brackets in normal road service where salt exposure is moderate. Because 304 costs less than 316L, it is the sensible pick when the vehicle does not see heavy winter salt or coastal air.
Exhaust flanges · brackets
Salt-exposure grade
316L
Molybdenum gives 316L better pitting and crevice resistance than 304. That makes it the safer pick for wheel-well hardware and for vehicles used in coastal air or on heavily salted roads. Choose 316L when the part is welded after machining.
Wheel-well hardware · coastal vehicles
High-strength grade
17-4PH
Heat treatment hardens 17-4PH, so a small part carries far more load than in 304 or 316L. Because its pitting resistance is lower than 316L, use it for pins, shafts, and link parts rather than exhaust parts.
Link pins · shafts
| Grade | Minimum yield strength | Pitting resistance (PREN, typical) | Typical automotive use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 304 | 205 MPa | 18 to 20 | Exhaust flanges, clamps, and brackets in normal road service |
| 316L | 170 MPa | 24 to 26 | Wheel-well hardware, coastal and heavily salted roads |
| 17-4PH (H900) | 1170 MPa | Lower than 316L | Link pins, shafts, and high-load parts away from the exhaust |
Values are typical for annealed 304 and 316L plate and for 17-4PH in the H900 condition, given for comparison. The final grade depends on your drawing and operating conditions.
Design Notes
Where Automotive Stainless Parts Fail
Most failures start at a hot flange, a salted crevice, a loose thread, or a dissimilar metal.
Heat
Heat Cycling
Repeated heating and cooling warps thin flanges and can blow out gaskets, especially after the pipe is welded to the flange. Austenitic grades such as 304 also expand more than ferritic grades when heated. For that reason, a thicker flange or a different sealing face can be machined to your drawing.
Warping · gaskets · welded joints
Salt
Road Salt and Crevices
Road salt leaves chlorides in wheel wells, under washers, and in thread roots. Pitting starts in those crevices, so fewer joints and a shape that rinses clean reduce the risk. Compared with 304, 316L resists that pitting better.
Wheel wells · washers · threads
Vibration
Vibration and Loose Threads
Engine and road vibration loosen threaded joints and load the thread root. Put the thread, the lock nut, and the preload method on your drawing. For rod ends, add the misalignment angle.
Threads · lock nuts · misalignment
Contact
Galvanic Contact
In a wet joint, stainless steel is the more noble metal, so the aluminum or plated steel beside it corrodes faster. Isolation washers, coatings, and matched fasteners reduce that effect. List the mating metals in your inquiry.
Aluminum housings · plated steel · fasteners
Exhaust Grade
Exhaust Grade by Position
As exhaust gas moves from the engine to the tailpipe, the heat falls and the condensate rises. That is why the right grade changes along the pipe.
| Position | What the part sees | Grades named in published guidance | Profab route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Header and turbo flange | Highest heat and repeated heating cycles | 304 as the baseline, 321 for sustained high heat | 304 regular, 321 on request |
| Downpipe and mid-pipe joint | Moderate heat and acidic condensate | 304, or 439 as a lower-cost option | 304 regular, 439 on request |
| Muffler and tail section | Low heat, condensate inside, road salt outside | 409 or 439 for cost, 304 or 316L for corrosion | 304 and 316L regular, 409 on request |
Published guidance differs between sources on temperature limits, so this table gives no temperature figures. Send the peak temperature and duty cycle, and we review the grade with you.
Where It Is Used
Automotive Sectors
Each vehicle puts different parts in the heat, the salt, or the vibration. Find yours, then open the product page.
01
Aftermarket Performance
Turbo and exhaust builders need a flange and a V-band joint that match a port, a bolt pattern, and a clamp profile. Exhaust flanges, clamps, and tube fittings are machined to that drawing. Custom linkages on the same build use rod ends.
02
Off-Road and 4x4
Steering drag links, track bars, and suspension links on lifted and off-road trucks see mud, water, and salt. Tie rod ends, rod ends, bushings, and spacers sit at those joints.
03
Commercial Vehicle and Trailer
Trailer hub wheel ends and vehicle linkages see road salt and frequent washing. Wheel bearings, clevis fittings, threaded rod, and universal joints are made to your drawing or worn sample.
04
Motorsport
Race car suspensions use rod ends, spherical bearings, and ball joints at pushrod, toe link, and anti-roll bar pivots. Throttle and shifter linkages use the same joints. Each link is built to the car's geometry. Send the center-to-center length and the thread with the inquiry.
Manufacturing Route
Built Around the Drawing
Three routes cover most vehicle parts. Each links to its product page.
01 / MILLING
CNC Machining
We mill flanges, housings, and multi-face parts to your drawing, with tolerances typically held to ±0.01 mm. 5-axis machining is available on request when a part needs it.
View CNC Parts →
02 / TURNING
CNC Turning
Spacers, bushings, pins, shafts, and V-band flange rings are turned to your drawing or sample.
View CNC Turning Parts →03 / FORMING
Stamping and Bending
We stamp and bend brackets and plates to your drawing.
View Sheet Metal Parts →How It Works
From Drawing to Delivery
Four steps take an order from drawing to shipment.
01
Send the Part
Send a drawing, a sample, or a worn part with the details in the checklist below.
02
Get a Quote
Engineering reviews the grade, geometry, and operating conditions, then issues the quotation.
03
Approve the Sample
Sample parts are made for your approval before production starts.
04
Production and Shipping
Production follows the approved sample. Finished parts then ship by sea, air, or express courier.
Advantages
Why Profab
Vehicle builders and workshops buy small, mixed, drawing-based orders. These are the ways we make that easier.
Why Profab / 01
Direct From the Manufacturer
Vehicle builders and workshops order straight from the factory that cuts the metal.
- Our Own CNC ShopWe turn and mill your flanges, link pins, and spacers in our own factory in Ningbo, so you deal directly with the manufacturer.
- Since 2005Profab has worked in stainless steel for 20 years, since 2005. That experience covers how 304, 316L, and 17-4PH cut and finish.
- ISO 9001Our quality management system is ISO 9001 certified.
- Small Runs, No Hard MinimumA trial run of a new flange or link kit has no hard minimum, though prototype runs typically start around 100 pieces.
Why Profab / 02
Built for Mixed Vehicle Orders
A vehicle build rarely needs one part, so one order can cover the exhaust and the suspension together.
- One Quote for Several PartsA flange, a V-band clamp, tie rod ends, and spacers for one build are quoted together.
- Same Drawing, Different GradesOne flange drawing can be quoted in 304 for a road car and in 316L for a coastal fleet.
- Copy From a SampleWe measure a corroded flange or a worn tie rod end and quote a copy of it.
01 / 02
Inquiry Checklist
What to Send With Your Inquiry
Accepted formats are DXF, DWG, STEP, IGES, and dimensioned PDF drawings, or a sample or worn part.
Send These Details
Include as many of these details as you have, so engineering can check the part against your conditions.
- Vehicle or equipment type, and where the part sits
- Operating conditions: peak temperature, duty cycle, and salt exposure
- Material grade, or the grades you would accept
- Mating parts and metals, such as aluminum housings and fasteners
- Thread, bore, flange pattern, and misalignment angle
- Finish needs and quantity
What Happens Next
We check grade, geometry, and finish against your operating conditions, then quote.
Procurement FAQ
Automotive Buyer FAQ
These short answers cover the first engineering and purchasing questions.
Will stainless steel parts rust from winter road salt?
304 resists road salt in normal service, but chlorides can pit it in wheel wells and under washers. 316L resists that pitting better, so it is the grade for coastal vehicles and heavily salted roads. Rinsing the vehicle regularly lowers the risk further.
Which grade suits an exhaust flange?
304 is the regular choice for most exhaust flanges. 316L suits coastal or salted conditions. Hotter positions may call for 321 on request, and the peak temperature and duty cycle decide whether it is needed.
Can you copy a worn part from a sample?
Yes. We measure a corroded flange, tie rod end, or link and quote a copy. The vehicle and the joint position help check the fit against your part.
What happens when stainless steel touches aluminum?
In a wet joint the aluminum corrodes faster than the stainless steel, because stainless is the more noble metal. Isolation washers and coatings reduce that effect. List the mating metals when you inquire.
Which finishes can you provide for visible parts?
We offer passivation and electropolishing as services for parts that need them. Other finishes, such as blackening or shot blasting, are available on request. Name the finish in the inquiry so it is priced into the quotation.
Do you sell vehicle-specific direct replacements?
No. Profab machines parts to your drawing or sample, so we do not sell by vehicle model. For a vehicle hub unit or a steering part, send the OE number or a sample, because fit, seal, and load are reviewed against it before quoting.