Finally got around to installing the X Force exahust on my ISF last week on my neighbors lift. I was aware of and searched a lot of threads on here re: clearance over the two braces in the driveshaft tunnel. I made two attempts at having everything loose and re-tightening from the front back. I even propped everything up 2" above the braces using a jack while I tightened all the way through, and my exhaust still rests on both braces. Sounds like the smaller one (the bracket) most folks just remove, but the round brace is important and needs to stay put. Did anyone have any 'aha' moments while installing that helped get the clearance? I'm happy to hop back under there and try again, but was pretty baffled. I wanted the flanges on the headers perfectly aligned, so not much option to shift those around, it makes me think that somehow the rear needs to come up slightly. I also noticed the bands on the actual mufflers (on the hangar piece) are at an angle, despite me tightening them down as well as I could, so maybe I have something off there. Any thoughts on the process? I know spacers / longer bolts on the round brace are an option, and just removing the smaller bracket, but I wanted to give it one more shot to get it right.

On the plus side, it sounds great


. I had originally purchased the Varex kit, but after reading around re: reliability concerns on the valves and feeling a little daunted by hardwiring the controller, I decided to go with the normal mufflers.

 

Put hose clamps around the rubber hangers to bring it up a bit i did mine still holding after 6 years.

 

Like a standard worm gear hose clamp, that fits all the way around the non-bumper rubber hangars? That's a great idea - throw it around the whole hangar and tighten - I'll give it a shot. Thank you!

 

I just used a big crescent wrench to bend the rods going into the rubber mounts. No clamps needed, and I already had an 18" crescent wrench in my tool box.

 

@lobuxracer did you pop the rubber hangar and bend the body mounted portion of this (and the other one, above the exhaust, for drivers side) up? I'll give that a shot before I try the clamp. At high RPM it's chattering off the crossmembers like crazy now and driving me nuts! Thank you!

 

Did you have to cut off any of the exhaust tip from the muffler? I know it's been stated on here about having to trim off an inch or so for clearance. Usually it's been on the passenger side, which I did. I left the driver side, and mine does kind of rattle against the bumper tips. From the look of your picture yours looks good, just wondering if you cut them.

 

Just because so many people mentioned it, I cut off 3/4" from the passenger side muffler before I even tried to install it. I am not sure it needed it, I just didn't want to force it in there (I read somewhere that someone managed to break the bumper exhuast tips wedging it in, I wanted to avoid that). I did have to bend the 'scoop' on the passenger side tip down as it was rattling against the end of the muffler. It was easy to bend away with a pair of channel locks. The picture above was the drivers side, no adjustment required whatsoever.

I used a hose clamp on the hangars today, it gave me enough clearance on the round crossbar, but not the smaller flat crossbrace. I was working under the car with no access to a lift, so I just pulled the smaller brace as many other folks on here seem to have done, and all is well. Next time I have access to a lift I'll get under there and try to bend the actual hangar up, but for now it's good to go.

 

had mine installled a month or so ago at an exhaust shop. they didnt have to cut the muffler tips at all, but they did have to bend the bottom part of the quad tip metal peice thats close to the muffler tips...if that makes sense. They did have clearance issues with that cross brace so they put a decent amount of washers in there to make it clear.

I had to go back and make more bends to that quad tip metal piece because on bumps it would hit and make a few different noises. Even though the noise is gone now, i plan to go back and replace the rubber hangars in the very back because they have a little play in them.

 

I added spacers to the brace bolts, best option I saw. I'm at 3 years with wired Varex used multiple times daily without issue.