Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

If you're going to add any supports, put a lot of thought into it. The closer to the engine you put them, the greater the effects from the engine torque reaction/rotation and thermal expansion will be and the more difficulty you'll run into between there and the engine. Stainless steel expands about half again as fast as plain carbon steel, so I'd plan on having to allow plenty of rearward pipe movement at any new hanger(s).

I'm guessing that it's only the driver side pipe that hits under heavy throttle, so you might be able to get away with adding just one hanger on that side for this situation.

If you're getting contact when driving over rough roads (from the mid mufflers weighing more than the pipe that they replace, plus the extra flexibility at what I assume are clamp connections at the ends), you might need a softish support on the passenger side as well. Not too stiff or else the passenger side pipe will pivot about the new hanger on WOT and will then move up toward the tank.


An "over-restrained" piping system is likely to be just as problematic for automobile exhaust as it would be for power plant steam piping, the main difference being that the exhaust system failure mode wouldn't be explosive in nature.


Norm