Hey guys, IÆve been away for a while, just too busy with work, life, and the girl friend.

Anyway hopefully this is a simple question to answer. I did some poking around on the web and ordered a couple parts from Napa that I will find out in a few days if they will workà..

On my æ99XJ 4.0L, when I arrive at work yesterday I heard a funny rattle, so I look under the jeep and see my entire exhaust system hanging lower than it should, so I crawl under, and see all 3 exhaust hangers have rusted off (gotta love the north east), the exhaust system is still in decent shape though. I used some mechanics wire to band aide the system back up off the cross member and rear axle for now. I purchased the aft most mount that bolts to the unibody and uses a muffler clamp to attach to the pipe yesterday, but the other 2 hangers were pieces of bent rod that were welded to the exhaust pipe. Napa had a few different hangers in the book that looked similar to the bent rod hangers, and used a muffler clamp to attach around the tube, so they could be just bolted on anywhere along the pipe. But like I said initially, I wonÆt have the parts in hand for a few days yet. Assuming I canÆt make these work, and knowing I donÆt have a welder yet, has anyone run into this before, and does anyone know of bolt on type clamps that will use the factory hanger locations that may extend the life of my exhaust system a little longer. I would love just put on a new exhaust system and be done with it, but the rust is taking its toll in other places as well, and I am starting to wonder how many more years until something bad happens.

Thanks in advance,

Sean

Howdy Sean. I might just take that rusty bucket over to the the nearest muffler shop and get them to professionally hang it in the correct location. But in any event anything you could use to hang it where it would STAY where you put it would be Ok.
Big JIm <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

Hey Jim, The aft mount is a factory type replacement, so it will relocate everything correctly, so I am not too worried about just making something work. I was just curious if anyone knew of anything that would decrease my effort in making something work.

Thanks,

Sean

Muffler shops have all sorts of hangers for fabricating systems that won't be available at your local parts houses.
Big JIm <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

Good point. I'll see what these 2 look like I had napa get for me, and if they don't look like I can make them work, I'll hit the mufler shop. I was just worried they were just going to say, we have to replace it all, instead of trying to work with what I had, because it would be more profit and easier for them....

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

I generally have new hardware installed with the new muffler/cat. Started doing that years ago after having a new muffler fall off due to failure of the old hardware.

They are steel and do rust. And, the rubber parts do deteriorate due to heat.

Agreed if I was replacing my exhaust system yet. The exhaust system is still pretty solid though, it's just the hangers that have rusted off, so far. I got the new aft mount on tonight, lots of PB Blaster, and about 45 minutes to get those 2 bolts out, but it's at least a little supported. Now for the other 2 mounts.....

So I was able to salvage my exhaust system with a few parts from the local Napa. I was able to buy the aft most mount bracket in an OEM replacement form, and I was able to get a bolt on hanger for the fwd mount. For the middle hanger just aft of the muffler I had to use a universal replacement, but I was able to still use the original hanger on the body and the original rubber vibration damper. It wasnÆt too bad, only cost me about 50 bucks, a couple hours, and itÆll keep my exhaust system hanging from my XJ for a little while longer.

Cheers

Sean

Good! Now when the rest of the system rusts away you will have nice new hangers to use..
I cannot remember a hanger going away down here...except ones that we TORE off. Our junk yards are full of usable hangers.
Big JIm <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

Hopefully it all falls off together. I havenÆt ever had the hangers rust off without the exhaust being just as bad either. It looked really odd too, almost like a galvanic reaction at the weld between the weld material and the welded on hanger, because the pipe just saw typical rust, and was still solid, and the hangers were reduced to maybe 10-20% of the original diameter at the pipe, but the hangers just had typical rust up at the body connection.

I highly doubt these will be nice new hangers when it all rusts away too, they are already showing surface rust. LOL

It is definitely sad to see vehicles melt from all the salt up here, I am still not used to it. I have been in CT for 8 years now, having moved from Seattle, and it still amazes me how young the average age of vehicles is out here. 10 years old is getting pretty old, and itÆs really uncommon to see things still on the road as daily drivers that over 15 years old. I would bet less that 10% of the daily drivers on the road around here are over 10 years old. Now you do see the classics come out for cruise nights and such, but they are all garage kept unless itÆs sunny out. Back in Seattle, I canÆt drive 10 minutes without seeing a 70Æs Ford Truck; in Connecticut, other than my Æ79 in my drive, I can drive for a week easily without seeing one.

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

Sean