Exhaust Hanger

[KirkEvil]

Are the exhaust hangers in different positions in 98-02 f bodies? I recently picked up a hooker catback that came off of a 01 T/A. When I went to hang it up the passenger side hanger was about 3" off from where it should be to accommodate the over axle pipe.

[LTb1ow]

Well is there a difference if you are buying one new? Like is it just 98-02 or do you have to pick what year you have.

[KirkEvil]

yeah I checked that out and everywhere new lists 98-02. They could send different brackets with a new kit for specific years?

[LTb1ow]

Maybe that guy was bs'ing you?

[Tru2Chevy]

The used part could just be bent as well.

- Justin

[LTb1ow]

No way, it was way way off. Like one hanger had the one tip jammed up on the bumper.

Like trying to get a triangle through a circle.

[Mike]

the hangers are all the same

[LTb1ow]

I think he screwed you then, if all the hangers are the same.

[JL8Jeff]

The intermediate and over axle pipes might be different and therefore push the exhaust back too far.

[LTb1ow]

Well the hanger on the driver side would have that side tip way to tight to the bumper and when we tried to get the other side even close to that hanger it was obvious something was way off. This was just the muffler and tips.

[JL8Jeff]

Swapping just the muffler and tips may not work depending on who made the I-pipe and over axle pipe. That's why you usually see complete cat-backs and not just the muffler/tailpipes. You may need a different I-pipe and over axle pipe or to have a muffler shop reweld the bracket to get things to line up.

[LTb1ow]

It was a complete kit.

[JL8Jeff]

So you did put in a new I-pipe and over axle pipe along with the muffler and tailpipes? Does the car have headers or stock manifolds and y-pipe? Headers and y-pipe will most likely move things around and mess up the alignment as well. My cat-back isn't close to fitting the way I want it to but mine is a mixture of parts.

[LTb1ow]

Its got headers and it has an SLP LM catback on it.

[JL8Jeff]

The Hooker cat-back doesn't really give you the ability to rotate the muffler because of the 3 bolt flange so the headers and y-pipe might be misaligned causing the I-pipe and over axle to be out of position enough to not allow adjustment. Did you try disconnecting the I-pipe from the y-pipe and see if you can get the muffler and tailpipes to line up? That might show you how far off the exhaust is.

[LTb1ow]

The muffler, unattached to the I bolt, would not hang correctly from the passenger side hanger. We could not even get it close.

We got it hooked to the driver side hanger and then tried to get the other side to the hanger. No where close.

[JL8Jeff]

So the muffler with over axle pipe has the bracket connected to it, right? Then you remove the hanger bracket from the stock piece and bolt it onto the Hooker over axle pipe. Do you have any pictures of the over axle pipe, bracket and muffler?

[LTb1ow]

The muffler was just tips, and muffler. Kirkevil should chime in here, he has the catback, I was just hired help.

[JL8Jeff]

The muffler doesn't have the bracket on the passenger side, that is attached to the over axle pipe. You can't trial fit it without the over axle pipe connected to the muffler.

[LTb1ow]

Oh yea, **** my bad, I hit my head to many times....

But with it hooked to the driver side hanger, if I tried to even the muffler/tips out, the driver side tip would get way to tight against the bumper.

[JL8Jeff]

The driver's side tailpipe should be able to rotate on the muffler unless somebody welded it up. If the tailpipes are welded to the muffler then yes, there's a good chance he won't be able to line things up on his car.

[KirkEvil]

I have it as a full bolt on system (I pipe, overaxle, muffler...). We bolted the over axle pipe to the muffler by the 3 bolt flange, then tried to hang it up to mock where the tips would come out. While trying to hang it up, the passenger side bracket (on underbody) was about 3 inches from connecting to the bracket on the overaxle pipe. In order to get the brackets to match up, the overaxle pipe had to be pushed in until it hit the heat shielding over the axle. If the system was hung to match the braket as described, the I pipe would not match up to the overaxle pipe.

Confusing...but no pics as I have the borlamouth back on.

[LTb1ow]

Borla mouth FTW ! Woo

[JL8Jeff]

It's hard to imagine it could be bent that badly but try to get a picture of the over axle pipe, muffler and hanger bracket for us. I don't know if the LT1 version of the exhaust would be much different other than the I-pipe portion.

[LTb1ow]

Well the LT1 I pipe runs down the side of the versus LS1 which runs down the center. But supposedly the catback was off of an LS1...

[sweetbmxrider]

so ur aren't getting rid of the borla :sad:

[KirkEvil]

not until I get this hooker figured out

[LTb1ow]

We like practicing catback installs.