Aligning Tips: Assistance
 

Hi everyone, I searched for this but didnt really find what I needed.

I installed a catback and front-pipe yesterday. I spent quite some time trying to position the tips perfectly in the center of my diffuser, and without one tip poking out more than the other. I cannot get this right for some reason.

I loosened up the bolts, re-aligned, moved the rubber brackets as much as I could and lined everything up. Then tightened the exhaust from the front to back, re-aligning as I go. Once everything is tightened, the end result is always uneven.

Will investing in aftermarket brackets help? Perhaps I have something warped with my exhaust?

Any thoughts or tips/tricks/advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Is the catback or front pipe designed to use the OEM donut gasket or flange gasket. The difference in thickness lost if you're supposed to keep the OEM donut and go to a flange gasket will offset the exhaust.

what exhaust components have you installed?

Thanks for replies. New exhaust mounts to OEM hangers. I've installed front pipe and catback, thats it. OEM header and overpipe.

Well, what we used to do, back in the day, was to loop a length of wire around the piece of exhaust and around something substantial under the car.

Then loosen up the connections; "twist" the wire loop by inserting a screwdriver and tighten till the exhaust part was "straight", then tighten up the connections. If it didn't stay straight, loosen the connections, twist (tighten) the wire some more and re-tighten the connections.

Hey, lemmie alone ..... I said it was "back in the day" .... :)

Sorta like this:

At this point, anything is worth a try! lol.

I got mine to sit in the centre of the diffuser by installing some extra rubber grommets on the metal hanger straps (on the body side which is cooler) to pack out the standard flexible exhaust mounts so it all sat correctly. Needed to do this even after loosening and re-aligning