Side pipe hangers w/4 into 4. To use or not to use?

[3yearplan]

Just looking for pros and cons of why or why not to use the hangers. Would a flexible OEM type hanger be better? This is for a strictly street driven car.
Thanks, Mike.

[michael everson]

The ones that FFR supplies are flexible. I haven't had any issues using them.
Mike

[CraigS]

40,000 miles on mine w/ no hangers.

[Jeff Kleiner]

No disrespect to Craig because I always listen to and give credence to what he has to say but I have to disagree on this one. I've never understood why some builders are so resistant to using the hangers I can cite at least two instances of this happening to the #1 or #5 header pipe:



The owners both confessed to running without sidepipe hangers. Is that why it happened? I certainly can't say but it has to make you go "hmmmm???". I'm one who definitely recommends using them but only with one bolt at the pipe to hanger joint (snuged but not clamping tight) so that the pipes can move or pivot without ripping the tab loose from the pipe yet still have the weight supported. I just think that allowing the 30ish pound pipes to hang unsupported at the end of a 4 foot long lever falls into the "not a good idea" category Just my not always so humble opinion of course...

Jeff

[GoDadGo]

Jeff,

Your "Single Bolt Solution" is interesting.
Do you tend to do this with rubber or poly engine mounts or is it both.
Yes, I'm having a "Hmmmm Moment!"

Steve

[Jeff Kleiner]

Both. With the rubber hanger mounts there is some amount of movement. With both bolts tight this becomes a torquing action at the tab welded to the pipe which has resulted in a lot of cases of the tab ripping out of the pipe after the metal fatigues. Myself and many others have adopted the one bolt method and to my knowledge none that have been mounted this way have had a tab failure.

Jeff

[GoDadGo]

Both. With the rubber hanger mounts there is some amount of movement. With both bolts tight this becomes a torquing action at the tab welded to the pipe which has resulted in a lot of cases of the tab ripping out of the pipe after the metal fatigues. Myself and many others have adopted the one bolt method and to my knowledge none that have been mounted this way have had a tab failure.

Jeff

I get it now and it makes good sense.

Thanks!

[boat737]

Both. With the rubber hanger mounts there is some amount of movement. With both bolts tight this becomes a torquing action at the tab welded to the pipe which has resulted in a lot of cases of the tab ripping out of the pipe after the metal fatigues. Myself and many others have adopted the one bolt method and to my knowledge none that have been mounted this way have had a tab failure.

Jeff

Any pictures? Anyone?

[3yearplan]

This is EXACTLY the information I was looking for.

[first time builder]

Ok why is it I use the hangers and still get cracks in the headers at the flanges. Three sets of header and all three cracked on different tubes and different spots. This last set (stainless) have been the best so far but right now have to have Tig welded. These were welded inside and outside ????? OK I give you that the engine is a 427 stroker and has a nasty cam and shakes alot but car is not track raced.
When you say single bolt are you talking about on the mount to frame or on the sidepipe to bracket ? And which bolt do you leave out?
Kenny

[Gumball]

I went a slightly different route and turned my hangers and rubber donuts into traditional exhaust hangers - there's movement, but it's damped by the rubber and doesn't put much pressure on either the headers at their flanges or on the sidepipes where the hanger mounting tabs are welded. Two years on the road and 7,000 miles and no issues.

Here are a couple pics - basically, I cut the end off of the FFR supplied brackets and then re-tasked them to work without the "fulcrum effect." Also, the rubber donut has a spacer in it so that when the bolt is tightened down into the chassis rail, it doesn't put any tension on the rubber, allowing the rubber to rotate freely.







I also used a Riv-Nut in the chassis rail for the bolt that goes through the rubber donut....