stainless works chambered catback exhaust alignment issue

[CyberSpeedSS]

Hello, I have the stainless works chambered catback exhaust for my ss camaro and i am running into an alignment issue at the cats. apparently my left lead pipe that comes off the cat converter is lower than the right leaving that area of the system at a unsafe position. here, the cat is pushed too far to the left and up against the frame and it rubs up against the heat shield and frame causing a rattle when driving down the road. The factory exhaust system on this vehicle has a 21” center distance between lead pipes and the Stainless Works system I purchased, is only capable of 23 ¼”. Basic math, at least for me, dictates that the increase in overall width would result in shifting the position of the catalytic converters further to the outside of the vehicle. It is at this point that the lead pipes have to be rotated to lower the converters to prevent them from coming in contact with both the frame and heat shield. For my vehicle, this installation leaves the left converter at an unsafe distance below the frame. I have consulted numerous times with stainless works and they have suggested roataing the x pipe, rotating cats, but none have helped. i have asked them to send me two new lead pipes and an x pipe just to see if maybe we got pipes that were cut incorrectly. they still have yet to answer that part of my question. also, when asked about the measurement as stated above they responded that "I honestly don't know what the measurement of our system is" HELLO, HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW? anyway, if someone smarter than the people at stainless works can PLEASE help me in resolving this issues without sending the system back (really dont want to send this good sounding system back) it would be GREATLY appreciated. thank you!

[L99]

I don't know. I'm very disappointed in StainlessWorks.
I just cant seem to get it right, I have had mine worked on three times to keep the exhaust from rubbing something on the car the last time they tried welding the joints to keep it all from moving. Not only that the mufflers leak at the seems, black watery soot runs out of them.
The the sound is good however.

[CyberSpeedSS]

Yeah i feel your pain. they finally decided to ship us two new lead pipes and another x pipe to see if maybe we got some ones that were cut wrong. unfortunately that did not solve the issue that we were having, so we called them up and said that we wanted to ship it back. so now we have kooks exhaust on there and everything lined up perfectly! the measurements matched the stock system and it sounds exactly like stainless works; maybe a little louder. kooks' system included fewer pieces to the system which probably limited the amount of flex. also has nice rounded tips instead of the "cut-your-fingers" tips stainless works gives you. all in all kooks is a 150% better system; it does cost a couple hundred dollars more, but you know, you get what you pay for and this system is worth every penny!

[TRC-SS]

I still have issues with my Retro system, when it heats up the kit shifts back 1.5inches sticking out the back, ive tried welding everything together when cold and still does it, now it rattles and i fix one spot and the other rattles, pissing me off...I hate giving the car a little gas when there is people around cause is sounds like someone is shaking a tin can of nuts and bolts under my car

[was619]

I just installed mine that I purchased from a C5 member and a like to TSC (above) I have an A$$ ton or rattling. Sounds great but not on any type of highway driving(Which i do A lot of.) or medium to hard acceleration.
:bangdesk:

Any good solutions to these issues, Leaking, rattling... ect? aside from welding
Thanks

[TRC-SS]

I finally got all my rattles out. One rattle at at time.

Main issue was the crossbrace in the center. I just completely took it out. Other rattles were the heat shields around the cross brace, so i put the bolts back in that connected the brace, fixed that. then just bend a few of the heat shields in places and stopped other rattleing. Some of the pipes i had to twist to get them to stop rubbing and now no rattles.

Will take some work, but the main problem is that brace and heat shields

[was619]

I will try that I noticed that front most pipes are a little too close to the heat shield an have to be bent a little bit to raise it up and move it away.
How far should the exhaust be from everything? 1/4inch?
Thanks for the help

[was619]

Also originally I tried to put washers in as spaces to make that brave further away but that didn't work. So I'll try to work on it tonight.
Thanks

[TRC-SS]

I took my brace completely out...just put the bolts back in its place to hold the heat shields, then i bent/ creased the middle shields to added strenght. 1/4 inch should be plenty of room, Check the bolt up at he front bend, right behind the connection point of the cats, this bolt is very close....i actually shaved it down and that solved most of my issues. Ps...the dealer shaved that bolt for me.

[was619]

Great! I will take a close look at it and see what I can do to make it nice a quiet again. I also plan on putting in LT header and Cats later this summer but I want it to be 3 inch all the way. Should I just cut these pipes at the furthest point up that they expand to(like 5 inches from the 'fromt') or just deal with it being a smaller connection

[TRC-SS]

Originally Posted by was619

Great! I will take a close look at it and see what I can do to make it nice a quiet again. I also plan on putting in LT header and Cats later this summer but I want it to be 3 inch all the way. Should I just cut these pipes at the furthest point up that they expand to(like 5 inches from the 'fromt') or just deal with it being a smaller connection

I wouldnt worry about it, its not going to be a true 3" exhaust with the mufflers on this kit anyway, those are only like 1.5"-2" in diameter on the inside due to the baffels. (If you have the Retro Kit)

[was619]

Thanks for the suggestion. It def sounds great the way it is(retro chambered) so some LTs and Cats with the stock hook up will only make it a little louder