F150 Exhaust Headers
Exhaust headers are a proven way to boost horsepower, improve exhaust flow, and add a deeper, more aggressive tone to your Ford F150. By replacing the restrictive factory manifolds with high-flow tubular designs, performance headers help your engine push out exhaust gases more efficiently, resulting in better throttle response and increased power across the RPM range. Our selection includes both shorty and long tube headers built to match a variety of F150 engine options and driving goals. Shorty headers are ideal for bolt-on gains with stock catalytic converters, while long tube headers are perfect for maximizing high-end power in performance builds. Many options feature mandrel-bent tubing, thick flanges, and ceramic or stainless steel finishes for improved durability and heat resistance. Installation requirements vary by design, with some setups being direct fit and others requiring tuning or additional exhaust modifications. Whether you’re chasing more power for towing, off-roading, or weekend performance, a set of quality headers is a key upgrade that delivers real results. Pair your headers with a high-flow mid-pipe and cat-back system to complete your exhaust upgrade. Ford F-150 Fitments: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 Ford F150 Submodel Fitments: FX2, FX4, King Ranch, Lariat, Limited, Platinum, Raptor, STX, Tremor, XL, XLT, Lobo Some exceptions apply. Please see individual product pages for specific fitments.
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Choosing the right F150 Headers
As with most F150 parts, there's more than few different types of headers to choose from, and it can be tough to find the right set of headers for your truck. With differences in header type, primary size, and mid-pipe types it can be a pain to find the set of headers that works best with your F150. Shorty vs. Long Tube HeadersShort tube (shorty) headers or long tube headers is a question we get often, and there's some major differences between the two that may seriously effect your decision. Shorty headers are basically drop-in replacements for your truck's manifolds. They're less expensive than long tube headers, and don't require a shorter Y-pipe, which saves you money. Many shorty headers are also CARB-approved. However, shorty headers don't get you anywhere near the power of long tube headers, and are really just meant to replace worn or cracked factory manifolds. Long tube headersfeature long primary tubes that taper down to a collector which all work together to improve exhaust outflow from your engine to provide power gains, Long tube headers also require their own short Y-pipes for fitment, which also help with power gains, but also cause long tube headers to be fairly expensive. The oher downside is that off-road and high-flow catted header systems and Y-pipes aren't going to pass emissions.
Long tube header systems for the F150s tend to come in two basic flavors these days: those with 1-5/8" primary tubes and those with 1-7/8" primary tubes. Bigger is better, right? Well, not exactly. The issue with 1-7/8" headers is that their large diameters tend to alleviate too much back pressure which leads to a drop in low-end torque on most engines that aren't supercharged. Granted, you exchange that low-end torque for top-end horsepower, but on a truck application, that's not necessarily a good thing. In general, we recommend sticking with 1-3/4" headers unless your F150 is supercharged or you're planning on installing a supercharger kit or nitrous system down the road.
Whether you should go with a long tube header system that deletes your catalytic converters entirely or comes with a new set of cats is an age old debate. In general, the difference between the two is mostly going to be about what kind of sound you want out of your truck, though off-road header systems and Y-pipes do provide a bit more horsepower and torque at the end of the day. Catted systems (both high-flow and 48-state legal) generate much less drone and rasp than off-road systems, which can be extremely important if you already have an aftermarket cat-back kit on your truck. 48-state legal systems (like the Kooks GREEN Y-pipes) will even pass emissions in any non-CARB state, which saves you hassles on emissions testing. Still, off-road systems do make more power, so if you're willing to deal with both emissions and rasp in exchange for horsepower and torque, then they may be your go-to.
Ford F-150 Exhaust Headers: Unlock the Full Potential of Your Coyote V8
For owners of the naturally aspirated 5.0L Coyote-powered Ford F-150, upgraded exhaust headers are the single most impactful exhaust-side modification you can install. The factory exhaust manifolds on the F-150 Coyote are engineered as compact, cost-effective castings that prioritize packaging and emissions compliance over exhaust flow. Aftermarket headers replace those restrictive manifolds with precisely tuned, mandrel-bent stainless steel tubing that evacuates exhaust gases from each cylinder more efficiently, reduces backpressure, and fundamentally changes the character of the engine. The result is more horsepower, more torque, better throttle response, and a significantly more aggressive V8 exhaust note. If you own a 5.0L F-150 and you've already done intake, exhaust, and a tune, headers are the natural next step and the biggest remaining bolt-on gain on the table.
How Exhaust Headers Work
Every time a cylinder fires, it needs to purge the spent exhaust gases before the next intake charge can enter cleanly. The factory cast iron or stamped steel manifolds on the F-150 Coyote collect exhaust from all four cylinders per bank almost immediately, which creates turbulence and back-pressure as gases compete for space in a small collector. Performance headers use equal-length primary tubes (one tube per cylinder) that merge into a collector at a precisely calculated point downstream. That design creates a scavenging effect where the pulse from one exiting cylinder actually helps draw exhaust from the next cylinder to fire, improving cylinder evacuation and volumetric efficiency. More efficient cylinder evacuation equals more power, more consistent combustion, and a stronger torque curve across the entire RPM range.
Short-Tube vs. Long-Tube Headers: The Real Difference
F-150 headers are available in two main configurations, and the difference matters. Short-tube headers (sometimes called shorty headers) are the easiest install because they replace only the factory manifolds and bolt up to the stock catalytic converters and mid-pipe. They deliver modest gains, typically 5 to 10 horsepower on the Coyote, and they're legal in more jurisdictions because they preserve the factory catalytic converters in their original location. Long-tube headers use much longer primary tubes that extend further down the exhaust before merging, which is where the real scavenging magic happens. Long-tube headers relocate the catalytic converters further downstream (or include them built into the collector), and they require a matched cat-back or mid-pipe that will mate up to the new header collector. The gains from long-tubes on a Coyote F-150 can reach 20 to 30 horsepower and similar torque, and they deliver the most dramatic sound change of any bolt-on exhaust mod.
Expected Power Gains From F-150 Headers
Header gains on the 5.0L Coyote F-150 depend on the header design, the tube diameter, the collector sizing, and whether the rest of the exhaust system has been upgraded to match. On a truck with a stock cat-back and factory tune, headers alone will produce modest gains, because the rest of the system still bottlenecks the airflow. On a truck with a performance cat-back, a cold air intake, and a custom tune that takes advantage of the new hardware, long-tube headers can add 25 to 35 horsepower and a similar torque figure, with most of the gain showing up in the mid-to-upper RPM range where the Coyote loves to live. Pair headers with a tune that advances timing and optimizes fuel delivery and you'll feel the difference immediately in how aggressively the truck accelerates and how much harder it pulls toward redline.
Headers and Your F-150's Exhaust Sound
Headers change your truck's exhaust note more dramatically than any cat-back system ever could. The longer primary tubes and the changed scavenging characteristics produce a deeper, rawer, more classic American V8 tone. Combined with a performance cat-back exhaust, a headered Coyote F-150 sounds like a serious performance truck, with crisp throttle response, a more pronounced cold start, and an unmistakable V8 growl under acceleration. If you love the sound of a Coyote V8 and want to hear everything it has to offer, headers are the upgrade that unlocks the full voice of the engine.
Material Quality and Coating
Premium F-150 headers are built from 304 stainless steel with mandrel-bent primary tubes, CNC-machined flanges, and TIG-welded construction for maximum durability and flow. Some headers are offered with ceramic coating, which provides thermal insulation (keeping exhaust heat inside the tubes where it belongs rather than radiating into the engine bay) and protects the finish from corrosion and discoloration. Ceramic coated headers typically cost more but deliver a cleaner underhood appearance, lower engine bay temperatures, and longer-lasting looks, especially for trucks that see weather. Budget headers built from mild steel or aluminized steel can crack, rust, and discolor within a season or two, so spend the money on quality if you're doing the install.
Pairing Headers With Your Build
Headers are a top-of-the-pyramid mod. They deliver the biggest gains when installed on a truck that already has the supporting upgrades to take advantage of them. The ideal Coyote F-150 build stack looks like this: cold air intake first (easiest, cheapest, biggest bang for the buck), then a performance cat-back exhaust, then a custom tune to tie everything together, and finally long-tube headers once you want to push the platform further. Adding headers to an otherwise stock truck works too, but you'll leave power on the table without the rest of the supporting mods. And whenever headers are installed, the truck should always be retuned to extract full benefit from the improved airflow.
F-150 Exhaust Headers FAQ
Are headers legal for street use? It depends on the state and the specific header design. Many long-tube headers are sold for off-road use only and include disclaimers that they're not legal in all 50 states. Short-tube headers that retain factory cat location are more commonly street-legal. Always check your local emissions regulations before purchasing.
Will headers work on the 3.5L or 2.7L EcoBoost? No. EcoBoost F-150s do not have traditional manifolds that can be replaced with headers because the exhaust feeds directly into the turbochargers. For EcoBoost trucks, the equivalent performance upgrade is a set of high-flow downpipes, which deliver massive power gains by reducing backpressure after the turbos.
How hard is header installation? Header installation on the F-150 Coyote is one of the more involved bolt-on jobs. It requires working around the steering shaft, the motor mounts, and various brackets in a tight engine bay. Long-tubes are significantly more complex than shorties. Allow a full day for the install, plan on replacing hardware and gaskets, and consider having the work done professionally if you're not comfortable with advanced wrenching.
Will headers void my warranty? Under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, Ford cannot void your entire warranty for installing headers, but they can deny coverage on powertrain claims directly caused by the modification. Many F-150 owners install headers after the powertrain warranty expires to sidestep this concern entirely.
