Easy 7 Step Axle Back Swap Instructions

[SRG963]

Do not hold the muffler while unbolting! Besides making it easier, the added weight and angle allows you to remove the bolts with the 15mm rachet and socket set easily. Stock axlebacks are probably 20 pounds a piece. This is a great weight reduction mod :)

Step One: Prepare the ground for you to lay on behind the rear tires. This is probably the most important step for me :repair:

Step Two: Loosen the bottom bolts a full turn only. Then remove top bolts completely. Then move to the bottom bolts and remove. When you are close to the end of the thread showing on the outside flange, start holding the muffler to support it. You will want to reuse the flange gasket, so set these aside.

Step Three: Once both bolts are removed and gasket set aside. Lift the muffler up and push towards the front of the car. Spray some WD-40 on the rubber mount and with three or four gentle but forceful pushes from the tail pipe, the bars should slide right out. The trick with getting the OEM out of the stock rubber mount is to lift the muffler up so there is no weight on the mount. This allows the metal cap at the end to slide threw easier. Without lifting up on the muffler, it's almost impossible to slide it out.

Step Four: Slide new Axleback system into the rubber support and hold muffler to support. Align the flanges but hold a inch apart. Insert the bottom bolt and slide gasket onto bolt. Put flanges together and screw in the bottom bolt till flanges are a 1/16th inch apart.

Step Five: Rotate gasket and insert top bolt fully torqued down.

Step Six: Torque bottom bolt down.

Step Seven: Start her up and go for a drive :)

[Gonewild]

sounds easy enough. I just hope it goes that smooth

[Monty]

I couldn't get the OEM muffler off the rubber hanger. I had to take the bolts out that holds the hanger in place.

It's easier to use a floor jack to lift the muffler in place. At least it was for me.

[p71]

easy mod... especially if you have a lift...

[-Ray-]

I couldn't get the OEM muffler off the rubber hanger. I had to take the bolts out that holds the hanger in place.

It's easier to use a floor jack to lift the muffler in place. At least it was for me.

It's easier to remove the rubber hangers for the stock mufflers. When you buy axle baks, they ae devoid of the messy bump on the end of the hanger. Put that hanger back on the car, slide the hangers into the rubber part, and then lift to install one bolt. No floor jack needed. Trust me, I've put a few mufflers on my G8. I just can't make axle backs where I lose money.

[SRG963]

I couldn't get the OEM muffler off the rubber hanger. I had to take the bolts out that holds the hanger in place.

It's easier to use a floor jack to lift the muffler in place. At least it was for me.

The trick with getting the OEM out of the rubber is to lift the muffler up so there is no weight on the rubber part. This allows the metal cap at the end to slide threw easier. Without lifting up on the muffler, it's almost impossible to slide it out.



I used no jacks or lifts. I laid on cardboard/concrete and slid under the car :repair: It can be done :)

[-Ray-]

A lot of us have headers, so it's difficult to lift the muffler up.

[JTG8GT]

I cheated and put a few drops of household oil on the hangers where those little bumps are. Slipped off fairly easy for me then. Hope that was ok, seemed logical to me.

[Monty]

One problem I had was that the metal hanger bars on the new mufflers weren't welded right. I had to heat them up and bend them to the correct position. One was too far apart and the other was correct but when I installed it it was rubbing against the diffuser.

[JimmyJazz]

The trick with the hangers is WD-40. Leave the hanger on, spray some WD on the front and back edge of the rubber hanger, wiggle a few times and they'll slide out. When you install spray some on the muffler posts themselves. What, you say you have the stock muffler, how do you know? I've had Magnaflow, then PM-FL, back to the Magnaflow, then back to the stock mufflers. PM-FL's were cool but I sounded like a college kid in a 4th Gen, Magnaflows were good but they sound JUST like a Chevy 1500 two houses down, so I'm back to the stockers. ****NOTE-I reserve the right to change back to any of the other two at any time****:nah:

[caretaker]

I used no jacks or lifts. I laid on cardboard/concrete and slid under the car :repair: It can be done :)

Maybe for you thin guys.

Us bigger guys with some extra poundage need to
jack up the rear end just a tad.

[SRG963]

A lot of us have headers, so it's difficult to lift the muffler up.

This post has me scratching my head this morning......unbolted mufflers are hard to lift because you have headers?

Maybe your talking about catbacks and the center muff?

[-Ray-]

I should have been more clear. American Racing gives us a complete exhaust system with the headers. You have to force the muffler forward to get the exhaust flange tipped up.
Like I said before, it is a 100 times easier to remove the rubber hanger removing the stock mufflers.
I have a floor jack as well.