is this true. WITH PICS

**GTPJOE90** · 07-18-2008

you dont NEED a welder to install 2 mufflers and 2 tips correct? I was told i can just go to autozone pick up 4 exhuast clamps "2.25" and clamp the muffler to the pipe and the tip to the muffler this is correct right?

good thing is the clamps are only 3 bucks

**BADAZGTP** · 07-18-2008

Yes you can do this. Would I recoomend it... No. If you don't get the clamps tight enough, you'll have exhaust leaks or be cruzin' down the road and the muffler or tip fall of on ya. And then you have to figure out where you can put the exhaust hangers. Just a word of advice, we have all been in your shoes before and want to get stuff done to our rides. Be patient, save your money up and just get the exhaust shop to weld them on for you. Do it right the first time. Who was the member on here with a shop that was going to help you with the strut tower bar? Talk with him, you never know he might have a welder sitting right ther and will do it for a 12 pack or something. If you get the shop to do it, you can get youe mufflers, tips, and u-bend done all at one time. Just save your money. I know you want it done now, but it'll be worth the wait. That's jut my 0.02 and what I would do.

**SyntheticShield** · 07-18-2008

Well in all fairness and not to discount or ignore the points you made BADAZGTP, but our exhaust tips come from the factory using clamps. Of course the mufflers are not that way.

I will offer these tips in addition to what BADAZGTP stated. If you decided to go with the clamp method (and I would do this myself actually), I would use the stock hanger locations. Then I would clamp everything down and once it was tight, go out and drive around a few miles. Park the car and let everything cool off.

I guarantee you, you will be able to go back out there and find that things are loose. So tighten them back down again and after that round you should be find. I have pulled off my exhaust tips a few times and without fail I can tighten them down and they will need further tightening after just a little driving, but after I do that they are usually fine.

I know most will disagree with me, but I like the clamp idea because it would allow quick removal and or replacement if and when needed. Are you going to be changing your mufflers or tips that much? No. But I like knowing that when and if I should that Im not going to have to take it to a muffler/exhaust shop.

I live in a town that doesnt have a lot of resources. Yeah we have an exhaust shop, but because of the lack of resources around here I have to think ahead, plan ahead so that its easier for me to do instead of hoping I can find someone to do it. Its about 60 miles to the south before I get to any place with the resources that would change that and well, I aint driving 60 miles to just have a muffler and/or tip welded.

**BADAZGTP** · 07-18-2008

Good points. You taught me something new today. That's what I like about this site, everybody has some kind of really good advice that can help the next guy out. I'm going to be putting some mufflers on my cer shortly, and this will help me save a few dollars. Thanks again for the info man.

**SyntheticShield** · 07-18-2008

You made some good points as well, and like I said, Im not discounting them and if I lived 60 miles to the south, I would probably have them welded so I didnt have to worry about it at all but as a matter of convenience, to me, its better to use the clamps. I suppose as with anything else, use good materials, i.e. good clamps, and you should be good to go.

In the end its probably just a matter of preference. But Im also the type that if I could I would pull my exhaust off once a year from the down pipe back and clean it up to keep the road salt in the winter time from taking its toll on the pipes. But Im anal that way, so what can I say.

**BADAZGTP** · 07-18-2008

Yea, I hear ya. At least once a year, I pull my rims off to clean behind them good to get what I may have missed during washing. And when I do wash her, I'm scrubbing the wheel wels and I have a long brush to scrub all undeneath the car to keep all the grim from building up. They do have them really good clamps now also. Can't remember the exact name they're called, but they're about 4 to 5" long and wrap around the pipe. And are usually stainless. I used to use them on my 18 Wheeler. And they worked good. Forgot you could get them in smaller sizes now. Cost a little more than the other clamps, but well worth it.

**SyntheticShield** · 07-18-2008

Thats exactly why I like bolt up stuff with the exhaust. Its easier to take it all apart and replace it and for the anal types like us, clean it. I take off my wheels like you as well and clean the insides. While I got my car apart Im also planning on doing something with the wheel wells to make them look nicer and easier to clean. Im also going to try and do something with the wheel well liners to make them easier to clean. I have some ideas but have yet to try them out.

**BADAZGTP** · 07-18-2008

I think whenever I get around to repainting mine, i'm going to use some of that roll on bed liner stuff and see how it works. They also have that rubberized trunk sray I was thinking about also, but I don't know yat. I still have a little time until I get to that point.

**Bio248** · 07-18-2008

my tips are held on by clamps. they have never moved, not even a millimeter.

if you make sure they are tight then its fine, but it just looks hack.

**SyntheticShield** · 07-18-2008

Me too. If it were up to me and feasible to do so I would just powder coat everything, including the car itself, and be done with it but thats tough to do if not logistically impossible at this point.

**BADAZGTP** · 07-18-2008

I bet that would look good if it could be done. Powder coated fender wells. Nice, shiney, and tough.

**GTPJOE90** · 07-18-2008

well i just got home i bought a tip for my muffler and i can honestly say im not that impressed i got "what my grandpa used to call" a FIZZ which i guess means like a spur of the moment i want it now kind of thing...... im actually really sad now cuz i bought a tip for 19 bucks and i was looking at all the packaging stuff they all said stainless steel and then i looked on a dif shelf and found this 1 "thinking it was stainless.... i have a feeling its not..... wow man i got ripped. then later on today i tried putting it on....i got it on but now the front on the tip is kinda betn it and stuff from pushing on it so damn hard to get it in to fit over the muffler..... man today isnt cool.

**GTPJOE90** · 07-18-2008

HERE ARE SOME PICS lemme get some input on my mistake or great idea..... what do you guys think also do the stock tips since they are quality stainless do they directly fit my muffler outlet "2.25" ???? and wouldnt it be to hard to get em outta the current mufflers? or....??

**GTPJOE90** · 07-18-2008

the tip i noticed doesnt go on anymore and it has 4 leaks beucase there are 4 cutouts look at pic #2 =[ .

**GTPJOE90** · 07-18-2008

man this blows

**Bio248** · 07-18-2008

who cares if it leaks after the muffler? if youre that worried about it, trim the tip down so the slots are over the muffler outlet.

**GTPJOE90** · 07-18-2008

i think imma go with the stock ones and polish them up like mirrrors or should i use this 1 " only baught 1 so far...." anyways i was currently under my gtp trying to take the tip off of 1 side.... i started lossening the clamp then the bolt snapped but i freed it now the pipe is like a loose tooth its just wiggling around and it wont budge..... i gotta go to work now.... =[ any ideas to make it come out easier?? i shot pb on her.

**QwikGT** · 07-18-2008

a bit impulsive i see, im the same way, dude save yourself heartache go to a mufflershop and weld em $50 is cheaper than driving yourself nuts

**hotshot** · 07-18-2008

Iwas installing an slp catback on my gtp and noticed the hangers were not going to match up and decided instead of welding it myself I would take it to a shop. I went to a local meinake (i probably spelled it wrong) and they charged me $100 to install the catback and weld the tips (they were supposed to be clamped but I wanted em welded. Now I hate to spend my hard earned money on something I can do myself but for a hundred bucks I think it was well worth it.
If I was you i would take the mufflers and tips to a shop, have them weld em for you, they cant charge that much if they dont have to touch the car itself, then go home and put them on. Just my .02