Exhaust Tip alignment with GFX

[bthomp01]

This past weekend Rounki and I put a stainless works s-tube catback system into my car, and holy hell it sounds great. Thanks for all the help again man!

I also installed it with the MBRP square tips for the factory GFX, and it looks great. We spent a bunch of time adjusting the whole setup to make sure the tips were where they needed to be and after much effort, they we in the right spot. They've been on for a few days, maybe 50 miles.

But now it looks like they're adjusting themselves back out. I know with the rubber couplings in the back end that there's going to be some movement, but I'm worried that they'll eventually adjust themselves into the gfx and start making a hell of a lot of obnoxious noise.

Is there anything I can do to readjust them and make sure they stay put?

[ammo]

I used the MBRP exhaust on my Dakota R/T some years ago with the rectangular tips through the rollpan used for this particular set-up. I never could get the tips to stay aligned within the openings. Hope you have better luck than I did.

[URDAMAN]

Once i had them in place I used a simple tack weld just to hold it in place, about 6 months and no issues. and the tack can simply be ground out if need be

[bthomp01]

Originally Posted by URDAMAN

Once i had them in place I used a simple tack weld just to hold it in place, about 6 months and no issues. and the tack can simply be ground out if need be

I don't think it's the tips themselves moving, more that the entire exhaust setup is adjusting on those rubber hangers. I can definitely give them a solid tug and see if I'm mistaken though.

[Rounki]

Maybe let the exhaust settle out at it's final position and readjust again?
But whenever you want to readjust let me know =)

[TRC-SS]

I have the Retro system and mine moves around all the time, i need to do some tack welding to get everything to stay put...i also have the ground effects and its a pain.

[Ivan @ Southwest Speed]

We do a boatload of the MBRP Square tips and hear that they move sometimes too.

Normal for settling and since they are only, really supported by two rubber mounts, they will move here and there.

Like mentioned above, about the only way to really keep them from moving at all would be to tack them in.

I can personally say that it's an easy solution.....

Best of luck and thank you for rockin them
Ivan

[TRC-SS]

This is what mine look like....At first they were sticking out like 4" now i got them down to about an inch...but i still think they need to go in. but everytime i drive it seems like they move around....annoying

You guys think this looks ok or do i have to bring them in more??....Because this is as far as i can get them to go in without cutting major components?

[Camaro_hx]

honestly, the dual tips @ each end look rather small and stick out too much.
ZL-1 tips looks just PERFECT!

[bthomp01]

Originally Posted by Rounki

Maybe let the exhaust settle out at it's final position and readjust again?
But whenever you want to readjust let me know =)

Possibly some time, I think I might just be overreacting right now I'll give it a few weeks and see how it looks... maybe by then I'll have a CAI to install and can readjust at the same time

Originally Posted by TRC-SS

This is what mine look like....At first they were sticking out like 4" now i got them down to about an inch...but i still think they need to go in. but everytime i drive it seems like they move around....annoying

You guys think this looks ok or do i have to bring them in more??....Because this is as far as i can get them to go in without cutting major components?

It's pretty hard to tell if they look good when you're standing RIGHT on top of them. I do that too though, I have to get my briefcase out of my trunk every day and see them really close. I always make sure to take a long walk at the car at the end of the day to see how they look farther back, to see if they look even and centered.

That being said, I would bring them in more if you could... Attached are what mine looked like directly after install, now they're sticking out about a half inch farther. It's really not bad and I'm completely fine with leaving them where they are as long as they stay even, which for now they are slightly off. I might try and redo it after a while to see if they keep moving, but once they totally settle I'm not going to worry about it too much if they still look good.

[TRC-SS]

Originally Posted by Camaro_h

honestly, the dual tips @ each end look rather small and stick out too much.
ZL-1 tips looks just PERFECT!

Well i do understand they stick out too much, thats why i posted here, i cant get them to go in

And those tips came with the kit, and they are the largests that fit in the GM Body kit without major modification.

[TRC-SS]

yea i see what you mean....now that i look at mine more i almost like the no tip at all look but i ran without one for 2 weeks and got some discoloration going on, i buffed it out but dont want to be doing that every week.

Originally Posted by bthomp01

It's pretty hard to tell if they look good when you're standing RIGHT on top of them. I do that too though, I have to get my briefcase out of my trunk every day and see them really close. I always make sure to take a long walk at the car at the end of the day to see how they look farther back, to see if they look even and centered.

That being said, I would bring them in more if you could... Attached are what mine looked like directly after install, now they're sticking out about a half inch farther. It's really not bad and I'm completely fine with leaving them where they are as long as they stay even, which for now they are slightly off. I might try and redo it after a while to see if they keep moving, but once they totally settle I'm not going to worry about it too much if they still look good.

[TRC-SS]

Ok well......I got out put the thing on the ramps loosened all the clamps...took a 2x4 with a blacket wrapped around it and smashed away on the tips hoping to move it in, after smashing my middle finger once and throwing the mallet out the gargage and into the street they did move in a bit more.

However, i dont know if anyone else is noticing this but when the car heats up the damn tips emerge from the bezel and then when it cools its contracts in, about a inch movement....now i just give up

Here are updated ones

[My 5th]

Originally Posted by bthomp01

Possibly some time, I think I might just be overreacting right now I'll give it a few weeks and see how it looks... maybe by then I'll have a CAI to install and can readjust at the same time



It's pretty hard to tell if they look good when you're standing RIGHT on top of them. I do that too though, I have to get my briefcase out of my trunk every day and see them really close. I always make sure to take a long walk at the car at the end of the day to see how they look farther back, to see if they look even and centered.

That being said, I would bring them in more if you could... Attached are what mine looked like directly after install, now they're sticking out about a half inch farther. It's really not bad and I'm completely fine with leaving them where they are as long as they stay even, which for now they are slightly off. I might try and redo it after a while to see if they keep moving, but once they totally settle I'm not going to worry about it too much if they still look good.

My MBRP tips on the Magnaflow 16483 3" cat-back are mounted just a tiny bit more inside (toward the front of the car) the GFX bezel than yours are. I would have preferred them to be even more inside the bezel so the tips would be behind the "ridge" in the bezel. That would give the tips about 1/8" to 1/4" more room to move around before hitting the bezel and making noise. My installer had to bend and tweek the hanger arms to get them where they are now, so maybe I can't get them inside any more than they are. Mine don't appear to have moved at all since installation.

I would think you could make a steel strap that would have a press fit over the hanger arm on the car and on the muffler to reduce the up and down movement from the rubber, and that may also reduce front-to-back movement as well, but may introduce some noise/vibration into the car.