New JBA Headers On A 2007 Nissan Frontier - More Power And Mileage From New Pipes!

  |   2007 Nissan Frontier headers Our '07 Nissan Frontier has earned the name "Zippy the Wonder Truck" because it's a blast to drive and it gets awesome gas mileage. The 4.0L V-6 has no trouble motivating the truck, and if you aren't careful you'll find yourself doing 80 mph on the highway without even trying. This truck is a speeding ticket waiting to happen because it's so quiet and geared to put the motor in its sweet spot at 80 mph. But can we improve it? Of course we can. If it's got wheels and an engine, the crew at Sport Truck will find the parts to make it lower, louder, faster, or more fuel-efficient. We looked to JBA for a new set of headers to see if we could squeak out a few more ponies and maybe a bit better fuel economy from Zippy, and the company responded with its Cat4ward header system. At around 370 bucks, these stainless steel and ceramic-coated beauties are a bargain, and indeed they did add some valuable power throughout the rpm range of our engine. The only drawback to this install is the fact that Nissan packed the engine bay so tightly that you have to install the passenger-side header through the wheelwell of the truck. It's not an impossible deal, but we took the truck to a professional shop just the same. What's In The Box?
The Cat4ward header design features one-piece, 3/8-inch-thick, laser-cut flanges and 1-5/8-inch primary tubes, which merge together into JBA's Firecone collector. The kit (PN 1410S) includes new gaskets and uses the factory hardware.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

  |   2007 Nissan Frontier headers The Final Word
The Frontier's 4.0L V-6 is rated at the crankshaft with 261 hp and 285 lb-ft of torque. Our truck put 221 hp and 238 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels in stock form, as measured by a Dyno Dynamics Dynamometer. That's a 16-percent loss through the drivetrain. Still, our truck routinely averaged between 19 and 21.2 mpg on the highway. The addition of the Cat4ward headers added 9 hp and 6 lb-ft of torque, and we saw a 3-mpg improvement in fuel economy. The horsepower peaked at 5,900 rpm, while the torque fell off at 4,150 rpm. On the highway, Zippy was still zippy but with a slight growl through the new tubes. The power improvement wasn't noticeable from the seat of our pants, but the increase in fuel economy is substantial.