kutscher

I am hoping CK1_RX3 can help since I purchased my RX from him. But here is my situation.
I have a 2001 RX with RMM exhaust. It rattles like crazy when I am in drive and stopped. The muffler shops say all the hangers etc. are good but it still rattles. It appears to be rubbing the trailer hitch assembly. Any suggestions on how to fix this? Can the hanger be bent to push the muffler away from the hitch assembly? My wife wants to replace the exhaust due to this noise.

Thanks!

salimshah

It is simply a sequence of bends and hangers. You can look for shorter or longer "O" rings to adjust position. I have not messed with RX exhaust. On GS, the last hanger and exhaust connect throug a pair of "O" rings and they differ in length. One has to ensure that they are putback the same way.

Was the exhaust flange tightened evenly? Half a degree bend upstream can make a difference at the tail end.

Salim

ederny

For the short term (until you can get it done properly) use a piece of wire to pull it away from the hitch (coat hanger, etc). Get the noise stopped and the wife will forget you everhad the noise. Then you will also have a good idea of exactly where the rattle is and wich hangers to fix.

kutscher

Thanks
I am actually in Milwaukee and the dealer suggested welding the muffler to the hitch or shimming metal between them to stop the vibration of the two items. I think I will find a muffler shop to help me out before i do this.
Again thanks!

LexRX

kutscher, I know exactly what you are dealing with. I have the RMM exhaust with the OEM trailer hitch on my 2000 RX. I have been messed around looking for a solution to the ANNOYING rattle for a while. It is in fact the hangers rattling against the trailer hitch. For me, the culprit was only one hanger - the passenger-side rattling against the hitch. I don't think the exhaust was designed with a trailer hitch in mind. But, never fear, LexRX is here!

At first I used some padding, the kind made to go under furniture, that has a sticky side. I stuck it to the hanger that rested against the hitch. This was a temporary solution that worked for a shot while, but eventually wore itself loose.

I finally came up with a simple, more permanent solution that has been working perfectly so far. I bought some rubber hose from Home Depot, cut it open, and wrapped it around the hanger that rested against the hitch. Presto! I bought about a foot of the hose and cut what I needed; It was 0.89 cents a foot. It's not difficult to find any hose at the Depot to work; just check out what they have, you'll know what you need based on what they have. It's a cheap experiment. I see this as being a feasible permanent solution.

Let me know if you want some pictures. I crawl up under the RX for ya. Oh, the things I do for you guys

LexRX

Any news on the exhuast kutscher, did you try my suggestion?

kutscher

Nothing yet. I just arrived home from out of town (10 days). I will try to get it looked at this week. Pictures would be good. But it appears that the muffler itself is hitting the hitch vs the hanger?

LexRX

Here is a picture taken from on top of the muffler facing the rear of the vehicle. You can still see remnants of the felt cushioning that I used before and some friction tape that I have yet to remove. The main thing you are looking for is the black tubing to the left that I have wrapped around the hanger. This has successfully stopped the rattling that I have.

kutscher

LEXRX,

Thanks for the pictures. My exhaust actually has pleanty of clearance there, it is hitting on the front side (the chrome part you see when you look at the back of the car). I placed a rubber washer between these two with superglue and the noise went away. So all is good for now.

Thanks

LexRX

Sounds good, kutscher, as long as you've stopped the noise. It can get annoying on an otherwise quiet ride.

parula

When do you hear this rattle?

I have astock '03 RX and when I close doors I hear a ringing/rattle from under the car I cannot locate.

Have to send the wife under there . . ....

kutscher

The noise is back. The rubber washer must have burned off. I have an appointment to have the pipe cut, as the muffler shop said the whole muffler (RMM) is longer than the stock and they could either remove the trailer hitch or cut the pipe after the cat about 1/2 and inch to stop the rattle. So I will have this $15 procedure completed.

Parula: it rattles the most when in gear and the A/C is running. The muffler is hitting the trailer hitch on my vehicle.

LexRX

You're right, the RMM is longer than the stock exhaust. That was one of the first things I noticed when putting the RMM on. It's also significantly smaller in diameter. kutscher, from the sounds of things, having the pipe cut may solve your problems; let us know.