I just installed VH Big Radius 2 into 2 chrome which have heat shields, I like the look of wrapping the pipes while keeping the chrome tips exposed. I have heard that wrapping just the pipes without shields can cause the pipes to overheat causing them to crack. Whats the consensus on wrapping over the heat shields? Yay or Nay? Also what wrap do you recommend?

 

i have the same pipes. i took off the upper heat shields and wrapped the bare pipes and then half of the exhisting lower heat shields. it was hot hot hot. i ended up taking it off. i will say this if you dont like it, when you take them off the resin from the wrap will cook onto your chrome and it will take some heavy polish and a lot of time to get it off. i ended up getting 2000 degree ceramic coating paint and primer and painted the upper heat shields and i like it a lot better,

 

Thank you for the reply, so do you think if you had left the upper heat shields on and wrapped them, the heat would of been more manageable? Also that paint job you did looks really clean as well, might have to do that myself haha.

 

I just bought the V&H exhaust wrap. I have short shots so I'm not sure how your pipes are set up but I think only wrapping my pipes would look off because my pipes are very skinny by themselves.

 

i think wrapping the pipes with the heat shields on the heat would not be an issue, it might be a little bit bulky, but its all about what you like. i just got the wrap from autozone and make sure you get the can of paint they sell that keeps them black. the wrap from my bike ended up getting re used on my buddies sportster and it still looks good. i like the way it looks ceramic painted better on my bike but thats just meand my bike , i love wrap but it just didnt jive with my bike and my taste. on my buddis sporty it looks ****.
(the ceraic paint was from autozone as well it a 2000 degree ceramic coating in a spray can, 10 buck a can they have the 2000 degree primer as well, i did 3 light coats of primer and 4 light coats of flat black)

 

You'd still be trapping the heat in I would think. The gap between the pipes and shield wouldnt be open to the open air any more

 

tat2u has a very valid point the purpose of the wrap is to keep heat in on headers to increase horsepower on hot rods, i think it depends on the pipes, on my buddies sporty that we put my wrap on it actually keeps his pipes cooler. without them on his straight pipes would get extremely hot. now with the wrap he can touch his exhaust a few minutes after shutting it off.

 

Damn, well now I'm at a crossroads, what do you guys think the chances of the pipes cracking from the heat would be?

 

In my opinion the chances of the pipes cracking is highly unlikely, ive been using it for 10 years on various hot rods and trucks and bikes and never had a header or pipe crack. i have two rigs with wrap on them right now, one is a 46 ****** jeep with a chevy 4.3l v6 on its second set of wrap first set was on there for 5 years and i rewrapped it back in dec. 2011 and no cracks, i dont know how much different bike pipes are but i also had a few bikes that i wrapped one was a shadow bobber i built that i had wrapped for a year and a half and took the wrap off to sell the bike and had no cracks.

 

I have the stock exhuast. Is it possible to wrap the exhuast then put the heat shield again.
Does that reduse the heat more....