how exactly does mandrel pipe bending work? i know what the end result looks like. but i cant figure out how its done. theres a lot of shops in my area that custom 'mandrel' bend pipes. but when i looked at them they look exactly like crush bent pipes. are they allowed to call it mandrel bent if its clearly crush?

secondly. how much performance do you really lose on a crush bent pipe over mandrel?

 

You can always use the "search" function on this site. Here's what a simple search of mandrel came up with:
https://www.hondacivicforum.com/m_399599/tm.htm

 

crush, as in theres creases in the corners? Yea thats a scam....riceburner told me my piping was press bents, not mandrel bent, and i think he's right, but it seems alot better than crush bent, check my Gallery for pictures of it, if you can find a shop that will do that i think you will be happy

 

that thread was about what the difference is between mandrel and crush or press. i want to know how a mandrel machine works. how does it bend the pipe so that theres no creases or diameter loss.

ps. i already read that thread. = )

 

sorry to bring up am old topic. anyways, i believe mandrel bent tubing is ran through a cnc mandrel or manual machine. I work in a machine shop equipped with one, we do exhaust systems for 797 cat havy hauler dump trucks. So u place the piping between the bearing wheels, and if its cnc type in the angles at which u want the tubing bent and such, then it will feed the piping through the rollers and slowly curve the piping without "crush bending" it. I did some research on this website and someone in one thread said there is not a noticable difference between crushed or mandrel bent tubing so.... anyways heres a link of some of the types of mandrels http://www.vansantent.com/mandrel_bending_machines.htm