exhaust rubber retainers

[me.guevara]

Little by little I've been becoming more acquainted with the Beast (remember that though I've owned it for almost 3 years, the bug bit me this past August).

On the latest trip to the undercarriage, I found that of the 3 rubber retainers that hold the exhaust system to the chassis, the two immediately fore and aft of the main muffler are busted open. The whole system is now held in place at the manifold and at the rear retainer (just aft of the rear axle). I read a previous post mentioning that this condition caused a cracked pipe at the cat - I don't have cats but I imagine that the stress could still cause a fracture, right?

Upon closer inspection, I can see that if I were to replace them with identical retainers, the tube going into the muffler will be in contact with a bracket off the frame - I imagine that this is a bad thing. Am I correct in ensuring that the retainers hold the exhaust system away from other parts of the car?

It would seem that the failure, in addition to too much stress holding the exhaust too close to the car, was generated by heat ageing of the rubber - is there another way of attaching the exhaust?

Thanks for the help...


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[roverX]

The rubber retainers allow for movement in the exhaust system due to movement of the engine when it revs and so forth. As for me...I just cut off the whole exhaust system at the front of the muffler and welded on a glass pack. Then I used baling wire to "secure" the end of the glass pack to the frame. I put a piece of flexible exhaust tubing running off the exit end of the glass pack so when I am rock crawling and my exhaust gets hit, all I have to do is bend it back into place. Nothing actually touches the frame. If you need new ones, I can send you mine - they are used though.

[me.guevara]

Thanks RoverX. I think that the postage from the North Pole to Bolivia may run more than the parts are themselves. Besides, I wan't to see what else can be done to hold the exhaust in place - it doesn't seem that these rubber retainers are a very reliable way of getting the job done.

Don't go throwing them out just yet, though...