Replacing exhaust system at home

[kwood9000]

Originally Posted by 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.

Do you need jacks in the front if you use ramps?

[deucethemoose]

Originally Posted by kwood9000

Do you need jacks in the front if you use ramps?

If you want the car level.

[roddy]

Originally Posted by Foobar

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?

Yes. The mid-pipe bolts to the muffler just aft of the suspension and drive axle.

[j.t.]

Originally Posted by kwood9000

Do you need jacks in the front if you use ramps?

No its not necessary. There is enough room to work with the rear on ramps alone. It is tight, but not that bad.

[Innova]

How about just ramps on the front to change the front pipe? Would this be possible?

[carbonBLUE]

Originally Posted by Innova

How about just ramps on the front to change the front pipe? Would this be possible?

or you can just lift 1 side of the car put jacks stand on that one side pull the ebrake and your car shouldnt move, i would refrain from just jacking up the back because the front wheels are free to move and the car might roll forward

to make the install easier buy new rubber hangers and just cut the old ones off so you arent wrestling the car back and fourth just to get the oem rubber hangers off, rubber hangers dont cost much and will make the process about 5--20 minutes faster depending on your skill level and there is 0 hassle

when tightening the exhaust up, align all sections of the cat back up first with a little bit of play but all the hangers in place and bolts in the correct holes

slowly tighten each bolt a little bit until you find resistance on each bolt in the whole exhaust system, then continue to tighten them down to spec , this is to ensure your exhaust tips align correctly with the bumper cut outs for the exhaust tips


ohh yeah and let the car cool off before instal, like mentioned above a hot exhaust pipe smack against the face is NOT a pleasant feeling, kinda like hot oil in the face

and dont forget the gaskets

[Ravenlokk]

S/Be pretty easy just roll the car onto the ramps, turn it off and leave it in reverse. (Assuming you're on flat ground, its more likely the car will roll foward off the ramp) also CHOCK YOUR WHEELS. scrap 2x4 is great for that if you dont have real wheel chocks.

[Captain Insano]

Originally Posted by 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.

I do this too. I'm paranoid, but anytime I'm under a car I imagine the worst and so I use the ramps and the jack stands.

[travace]

Originally Posted by 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.

slanted driveway's suck so bad. mine is slanted and it limits what it is that i can do with ANYTHING. wish i would have had the knowledge when i was younger and got this house.

[Smudgeous]

Just did mine last night (starting at about 1am). It was my first time doing anything exhaust related, and it really wasn't that bad. There are some annoyingly tight screws that feel somewhat rusted, and my single largest issue was using a crappy jack that only gets up about 13" or so and was too high profile to get started. I had to use the jack in the trunk to get it lifted on the side high enough to get the hydraulic jack under the front jack point. Once that was done, I was able to get jackstands under each point, though they were quite low.

With a jack, 4 jackstands, and GrimmSpeed's Exhaust Removal Guide detailing which tools I'd need, I was able to do everything. I actually wound up using a boxwrench half of the time instead of the ratchet, as there are a lot of tight places. One huge piece of advise I can give you: using WD-40 makes a LOT of the job a ton easier. I can't tell you how long I was tugging on the exhaust hangers before applying WD-40, waiting a minute or two, and then easily sliding them off with my thumb.

[Captain Insano]

Originally Posted by Smudgeous

and my single largest issue was using a crappy jack that only gets up about 13" or so and was too high profile to get started. I had to use the jack in the trunk to get it lifted on the side high enough to get the hydraulic jack under the front jack point. Once that was done, I was able to get jackstands under each point, though they were quite low.

You can drive up onto a couple 2x4 or like boards. I actually (believe it or not) have several thick text books and if a vehicle is too low to get my jack under the side I drive the front or rear wheels or both (whichver side I'm jacking) onto the books and then that creates 2-3 additional inches it sits up in the air. Put it in gear/park, lock parking brake, jack up. I've actually made steps of books for a really low vehicle once to get it high enough to start jacking. Haha. I know it's hillbilly, but it is safe and works faster than getting that little jack out (which I wouldn't trust anyway). Then you can just start with your normal jack versus using two jacks (low and high).... ;-)

[Mitch]

Originally Posted by Captain Insano

You can drive up onto a couple 2x4 or like boards. I actually (believe it or not) have several thick text books and if a vehicle is too low to get my jack under the side I drive the front or rear wheels or both (whichver side I'm jacking) onto the books and then that creates 2-3 additional inches it sits up in the air. Put it in gear/park, lock parking brake, jack up. I've actually made steps of books for a really low vehicle once to get it high enough to start jacking. Haha. I know it's hillbilly, but it is safe and works faster than getting that little jack out (which I wouldn't trust anyway). Then you can just start with your normal jack versus using two jacks (low and high).... ;-)

I'll have to make a build thread soon. I used planks of wood and old text books (calculus and automotive engineering) to get the car elevated, then put my jack on planks to lift the car up so it'd be high enough for my jack stands.

[Ravenlokk]

Originally Posted by Mitch

I'll have to make a build thread soon. I used planks of wood and old text books (calculus and automotive engineering) to get the car elevated, then put my jack on planks to lift the car up so it'd be high enough for my jack stands.

And they say taking calculus has no every day applications.

[wheelhaus]

Originally Posted by 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?

If you're not joking... The gaskets are little thin pads that get squished between the flanges of the exhaust as it bolts together. They create a high heat seal that prevents leaks. (same idea as head gaskets, valve cover gaskets, etc). Slip joints for example, do not need a gasket because one tube wraps around the other and is then tightened down.

I also use 4 jack stands. Use the front central jack point, set up two stands under the side jack points. Move to the rear, repeat. If you need the car higher, see-saw it up, (jack the front up a few inches, raise the stands, do the rear, raise the stands, repeat). As mentioned, be careful if you're really yanking on a wrench or exhaust hangar, the last thing you want is to tip the car off it's stands... A muffler in the face is nothing compared to an entire car trying to occupy the same space as your chest.