Replacing exhaust system at home

[Pudge Ate Me]

Sorry if I am posting this in the wrong section, I am getting ready to replace my exhaust and the only problem is I dont know where to take it to get it replaced. Can I jack the car up from the rear and get under the car to do it myself or do I need to find someone with a car lift? Any good companies I could take a purchased catback system to to get it installed? Thanks for any input.

[JimmyMac]

You can just jack the car up, put it on stands, and do it yourself. Exhausts are pretty simple and fast installs if you have the right tools. Depending on what you are changing out, you can even just back up onto ramps and do it. Where in NC are you?

[ModBargains.com]

You can do it yourself, but be careful of course, you'll want to make sure that you jack up the car with a floor jack of course, but to put jackstands on all four corners. If you do it at home and your driveway is any bit at an angle towards the street, not completely flat, I'd maybe reconsider doing it at home. As long as you get four jackstands on there, good jackstands might I add, it's not that bad of an install. Of course you'll want the car high enough where the car isn't in your face, you'll need room to access everything properly.

[Pudge Ate Me]

I am in Winston Salem and I have a big flat driveway. Could I get away with using no jackstands and just pumping up the rear end and blockin the front wheels?

[ModBargains.com]

Originally Posted by Pudge Ate Me

I am in Winston Salem and I have a big flat driveway. Could I get away with using no jackstands and just pumping up the rear end and blockin the front wheels?

I would always use jackstands in every situation that you're under the car without using a proper 4 post or 2 post lift... I've seen what happens when the floor jack fails without jackstands, it's not pretty, and especially knowing how low this car sits, I'm sure you wouldn't want that to happen... I'm sure you see where I'm going with that without going into details, but it has happened, you never know, even on new floor jacks.

Just be safe, we wouldn't want to see a thread about you getting your exhuast done, then all of a sudden we hear you turned into a pancake

[Lee358]

Originally Posted by Pudge Ate Me

I am in Winston Salem and I have a big flat driveway. Could I get away with using no jackstands and just pumping up the rear end and blockin the front wheels?

Nooo! Jacks can fail. With you under the car if it fails thats a lot of car coming down on you.


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[MattF]

I wouldn't do it without jack stands. When you lift something as high as you need too in order to change your exhaust you really need to use jack stands.

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[Innova]

The axel back section can be done fairly easily without even lifting the car. Mine took about 10 min. It's only 2 bolts and 4 rubber hangers.

[Pudge Ate Me]

Allright so jackstands it is. And it would be a catback I dont understand spending money for no performance gain so axlebacks are somewhat pointless to myself.

[wheelhaus]

To answer the other half of your question, any automotive shop with even a moderate level of skill should be able to swap your exhaust for you, if you schedule an appointment they can probably do it while you wait. A tuning shop that specializes in aftermarket parts installation can also do it.

If you want to do it yourself (or any other work under the car in the future) I also strongly recommend jack stands for safety. The only other safe alternative (besides a lift) are ramps. Probably won't get the car high enough. Exhaust work is not difficult, but the bolts are notorious for being tight. If you have a set of metric sockets and combo wrenches you should be good, a hammer/mallet would be handy if you find a stuck bolt. If you're replacing the section with the O2 sensor you will need a special larger size wrench. You may want a friend to help remove and lift the exhaust parts, they can be kinda heavy and awkward. Dropping the muffler on your face probably won't feel good.

If you're not comfortable doing typical oil changes, wheels swaps, or brakes, you might want to just have someone do it for you. If you're more mechanically inclined and are confident doing "nuts and bolts" work on your car, you should be good to go.

Don't forget the gaskets!

[Pudge Ate Me]

What do you mean remember the gaskets? And I always do my own maitinence on my cars and motorcycle just never replaced an exhaust system before. Any good jackstand recomendations? And should I use the 4 corners of the car or the 2 mid points front and rear?

[ModBargains]

When I change out exhaust systems at home, I use a rhino ramps to get the car lifted in the front, jack up the rear, and put 4 jack stands on all 4 corners of the chassis.

[roddy]

I did mine yesterday. It is a very simple car to change exhaust on. I jacked mine up and used stands. The stock exhaust will come out from the cat back in one piece by removing two bolts at the cat and sliding 5 rubber rings off the hangers at the back. Easy-peasy.

[Foobar]

Originally Posted by roddy

I did mine yesterday. It is a very simple car to change exhaust on. I jacked mine up and used stands. The stock exhaust will come out from the cat back in one piece by removing two bolts at the cat and sliding 5 rubber rings off the hangers at the back. Easy-peasy.

Can you disassemble the stock cat-back down to small enough parts to fit in the trunk (with seats down if necessary) without breaking anything?