CRACKS? new headers? Calling all people who have exhausts with no flex pipes

I think it's been long enough where people have had exhausts for quite some time with and without flexpipes, but for the people that have had y pipes, borla's, or certain other dual exhaust with no flex pipe...

Have you had problems from the extra strain and stress? cracks? headers breaking? welds breaking? leaks? rattles? vibrations?

One would think that with Nissan shelling out the extra money for flex pipes, they would be required, but some companies make them without the flex pipes, so what has your experience been?


Just to be clear:

The flex pipe is the piece of the exhaust system that allows the engine and transaxle to "pitch" on its mounts when you accelerate, or rev the engine. A longitudinally mounted engine just kind of twists the exhaust a bit, but a transverse mounted engine has the exhaust at a right angle.

 

it all depends on the quality of the welds and steel. stainless steel expands a couple micromillimeters when heated and when the welds or the thickness of the piping is bad then you'll get your cracking. the flex pipes im sure helps a lil but not enough to go all wild over them. most OEM exhaust dont have them and never needed them. i never heard of OEM exhausts cracking. have you?