Technique to properly align the exhaust system

[Aronis]

Hello All,

I need a little help. My car had a TC change about 2 years ago, and my exhaust has been uneven (right to left) since then. When it was in for the last service (TB, IC replacement, TU, etc) I asked them to also straighten the exhaust. They did not. Saying that the rubber hangers had stretched, but I know this is not true.

I know there are multiple links in the exhaust and I just loosen them all, but is there a trick to getting it aligned?

Thank you,

Mike

[4everRS]

In my opinion it's just trial and error. You'll end up loosening twisting and retightening the clamps. However, I do think there's some truth that those rubber hangers can stretch. I wish those were adjustable side to side, and up-and-down.

[Aronis]

I checked, if I simply raise the 'low' side, thus undoing the 'stretch' the other side goes up more! So it's more likely an entire system mal-alignment. It was actually made WORSE by the last attempt by the mechanic. It's a pain to work on on the ground, need a lift.

[Aronis]

ok, I pulled the two rear mounts. The one side that was hanging lower was about 1 cm longer (unstretched) so I swapped them. Of course the metal parts are mirror images so I had to remove the rubber hangers from the mounts and reinstall. I loosened the cross bar at the rear and the one clamp (on the low side) and rotated the muffler input better position. With the hangers swapped the heights were right on and alignment in the openings just right. When I tightened the cross bar I pushed the two mufflers apart as far as possible (this aligns them in the openings on center). Then when I tightened the clamp on the joint just in front of the muffler, it dropped a little bit. Close enough. Perhaps that muffler got bent a bit?

Thanks for the input.

Mike