NJ09GT

Can't wait to see some pictures!!! Really looking foward to installing these when I get back on my feet. I can't post in for sale, is that because I am a newbie with not many posts?

Also if you can't post the pics here, if you can e-mail em to me I'd appreciate it!

East87

I'll post the pics I have tonight. I really only documented how to take the mufflers off, but putting them back in is pretty much exactly that process in reverse.

NJ09GT

Ok! Thanks, any pics with them on too?

East87

I took some pictures demonstrating where'd you put a wrench before I actually took them off, so you'll see pictures of the mufflers on, yeah.

After seeing a handful of pictures, once you get under there yourself, you should have no problem figuring out what to do next. Muffler swaps are pretty straightforward. As with any mod you're doing by yourself for the first time, just take your time and triple-check everything. Take a break if you get stuck or whatever, but you should be able to just power through it all.

Have a can of WD-40 on hand in case the clamp or hanger nuts/bolts are rusted or corroded. You'll be fine.

East87

As promised...pics:

Car on ramps with stands underneath (I'm paranoid and neurotic)


Tools I used (minus the WD-40)...left to right:
13mm ratchet wrench (pivot head)
13mm socket
15mm deep well socket
1/2" drive socket wrench
Socket extender


Always chock the wheels:



This is the clamp that connects the over-axle pipe (brown) to the muffler pipe (silver):


This is the front exhaust hanger (front = toward engine area). This is on the driver's side.


This is the rear exhaust hanger (rear = toward trunk area). Also driver's side.


Getting at the bolt:


Bolt removed. Just keep going.


You can pull the hangers off or leave them on after you've removed the 2 bolts for each hanger (one hanger on the driver's side might have 3 bolts). I like to take one or both of the hangers off.



Getting at the clamp:


Muffler ready to be put on. I like to slip the hangers on the muffler before I raise it toward the car. Hand-turn one bolt per hanger to get things going. I like to tighten the clamp last as you want to make sure the mufflers are aligned before you tighten it to the brown over-axle pipe.

NJ09GT

Thanks so much for those pics, make a big difference. Now I can understand. Now what do you recccomend, taking the bolts off the hangers and taking the muffler off together? Or should I take the mufflers off the hangers, and take the mufflers down? Whats better for positioning the muffler/tips? If I get a muffler with bigger tips, do I have to alter the hanger or the placement of the muffler?

157dB

Those stands are too extended and too close together to do any good
if in fact the tires ?slipped? off of the rhino ramps. Not sure what you are
trying to accomplish there. Any side load thats great enough to dislodge
the rhino ramps would be more than enough to make the jack stands topple
over. Or worse yet, come off of the supporting structure you have them on
(cant for the life of me figure out whats strong enough there to support the
vehicle weight) and bend or worse yet, poke some nasty holes thru the floor
pan... The wider the better on those jack stands under some sort of frame
rails...
Are they placed on your sway bar with those small OEM middle links that
are suppost to support the vehicle weight if the rhino ramps ?fail??

East87

LOL I bet you looked at that picture like an MC Escher painting (CRAZY STAIRS!)

The stands aren't supporting anything, they're just fully extended under the rear axle. I'm more afraid of the ramps disintegrating than the car rolling off and down the ramps. At least if the car rolls, I'm not dead.

If the ramps crumble and snap, the car might drop straight down. Stands would at least provide me a previous few seconds to get out from underneath.

I don't have confidence in *plastic* holding up a few tons' worth of metal. When I saw Rhino ramps for the first time, I was incredibly unimpressed. If they had sold riveted steel ramps for $400, I would have been a sucker and bought those instead of $40 plastic ramps.

As I said before, I'm REALLY paranoid and neurotic. I find it hard to get motivated to work on my car unless I feel safe about my working environment and I have the utmost confidence in my tools.

If I'm going to die while working on my car, it's going to be because God says so, not because Darwin says so.