Musky50

Cat back system came today, really fast delivery just ordered Monday evening and it's Wednesday evening. 1.5 hour to remove old and install new, really easy install everything fit perfectly. Sounds great

davelinde

I've got no cat (early 04) so I'd do turbo back.

I'm a assuming a new system comes with the hangers welded on and new clamps? Did you get the old clamps to unbolt or cut them? I put a wrench on the clamp where my tailpipe rotted and couldn't get it to budge - I am hoping that with a little squirt of PB Blaster and an impact wrench they might pop.

THANKS encouraged to consider this as DIY task. I've normally left muffler work to a shop.

Musky50

I used a sawz-all and a 4'' grinder with a metal cutting blade. That made quick work of the removal. Yes, all the brackets were perfectly placed. I didn't even raise the truck, just put a piece of cardboard down and went at it.

davelinde

I was thinking my sawzall would bind and just shake the pipes instead of cutting, I forgot about my grinder though... thanks. Looks like I've got a project to try in September when I'm back to my house with the shop in back.

Musky50

Good luck with it.

davelinde

I ended up getting an MRBP exhaust from Gino's. As note here, getting the old one off was a bit of a chore, but between an angle grinder and a sawzall I got it off. The problem was getting that dang ring to seat on the flange on the turbo. After a LONG time wrestling it (alone) using various approaches I finally determined that the first welded hanger was just a little off, so I was able to get it to clamp up with the hanger loose. I was hoping I'd be able to bend, twist or persuade the hanger to go then but I couldn't so I gave up last night and slept on it.

This afternoon, taking a fresh look I just gave up on getting the first hanger to fit. I'm not sure if it's just 1/2" wrong of if somehow I got it on backwards... but I was able to get one (of the two) bolts for that hanger back in and I'm calling that good. The rest of the pipes fit up in short order (less than a hour total) and I've got an exhaust again.

The MRBP is quite a bit louder than stock, but it does not seem annoying. It is a nice growl under low load and lets you know when the engine is working with a bit louder growl.

In addition to the "oops" on the hanger location, the instructions were interesting... it said that the length was cut for a quad-cab long bed and to fit my quadcab short I'd need to cut one section. It turned out that there were two straight connecting pipes... one short and one long. The long one (by itself) was exactly a fit for my shortbed. Nice surprise not to cut anything.

A question... how tight should I make those U-bolt clamps? I did not put the impact wrench on them... just made them snug with a small bar. I'm sure I could snug them a lot more even by hand if I really pushed on it, or maybe just hit them light with the air gun - not sure how much is too much on those clamps - but some of them (tail pipe in particular) better hold or I'll be dropping parts on the road...

06RAMCTD

I just finished installing an MBRP 4" 409SS system and used stainless exhaust bands instead of U-bolt clamps. The dual bolt exhaust bands tighten on each pipe and seal the connection in the process. They also make it easier in the event you need to remove the exhaust since the pipes don't get compressed and pinched like they would with a U-bolt clamp.