fitment issues with stainless works full system

[1sweetSVT]

who here is running the full SW system?

im having a hell of a time getting this stuff to fit without rubbing gas tank, suspension, etc...

the catback fit fine on the passenger side but the driver side fit like complete shit. ive adjusted it every which way i can and its still just not fitting correctly. almost like a bad bend over the axle. sits less than a 1/4'' from the rear of the gas tank and full out lays on the panhard brace with a little rubbing on the swaybar mount...let alone everytime i tighten the clamp the pipe falls out, tacking the joint helped but not enough. after having a handfull of exhaust guys and installers look at it i finally just had my exhaust guy rebuild the over axle pipe on the d-side.

next problem is one of the passenger side primaries rubbing on the ca bushing causing horrible vibrations the last 10-15' before stopping. i loosened the motor mounts and shifted the motor to the d-side which worked for a few days but now is vibrating bad again. i called and spoke with someone @ SW about these issues and his advice was to loosen the motor mounts and shift the block and to email him pictures of the over axle pipe so he could advise me on how to properly adjust it....psssh BS dude there is no ****ing way that pipe could have been adjusted correctly....anyway like i said shifting the motor helped out for a day or two but now is back to vibrating like hell....im about to heat and dent the primary a little so it clears.....just pissed that i spent so much money on this system for it to fit like balls.....it does sound killer though!

anyone else run into these issues before? have any advice?

-chris

 

[jymboslice]

I heard that the SW Catback fits like shit

 

[Das9185]

The headers fit great the cat back I had to shorten and add a hanger to keep it from hitting the PH brace.

 

[Torchy]

Well this is a depressing thread. I'm planning on getting the SW 3inch cat back.

 

[BUCKET]

If I could take mine off and drive it to SW and throw it throw it through the front window I would. I have spent a lot of $ on my car and this exhaust is the worst. I love the sound, hate the fit. Normally I would not say these things about a vendor, but I was in contact with George from SW and exchanged emails/phones calls and then nothing happened.

I still have to get in there and modify it to fit like it should.

 

[Torchy]

If I could take mine off and drive it to SW and throw it throw it through the front window I would. I have spent a lot of $ on my car and this exhaust is the worst. I love the sound, hate the fit. Normally I would not say these things about a vendor, but I was in contact with George from SW and exchanged emails/phones calls and then nothing happened.

I still have to get in there and modify it to fit like it should.

lolol

But on a real note your about the last person to complain about something not fitting. From the guy that said the TT install was a cake walk. Anyone else make a 3inch flow through cat back?

 

[hopony]

Anyone else make a 3inch flow through cat back?

2011 Mustang GT 5.0L 3" cat to axle kit with Flowpack mufflers & X-pipe

Not sure it fits any better, drivers side was very tight with stock manifolds and it bangs the floor sometimes when you hit a sharp bump. Had to add about 6" and a slip connector to make work with the sw headers. They also make a 409 stainless version and an h pipe kit.

 

[UnleashedBeast]

I've installed two of the catback systems, neither one of them fit right without having an exhaust shop heat/modify hangers. It wasn't a big deal.

 

[blackbeast12]

Im getting a stainless works off road x installed next week should i have any concerns?

 

[Deranged2013]

I had to cut about an inch off one side to get them even and to keep them from hitting the PH brace. Also had to weld in extra hangers. Yeah the fitment sucks but they are the best sounding system I've ever heard.

 

[Deranged2013]

Im getting a stainless works off road x installed next week should i have any concerns?

I suggest scrapping the clamps they send you and getting these:
JEGS Stainless Steel Lap Band Exhaust Clamps - JEGS
I had exhaust leaks until I got these stainless band clamps. They seal and look much better.

 

[blackbeast12]

I suggest scrapping the clamps they send you and getting these:
JEGS Stainless Steel Lap Band Exhaust Clamps - JEGS
I had exhaust leaks until I got these stainless band clamps. They seal and look much better.

Correct me if im wrong if the pipe is 3" in diameter, then you get the 3 inch clamp right?

 

[Deranged2013]

Correct me if im wrong if the pipe is 3" in diameter, then you get the 3 inch clamp right?

Yes 3"

 

[beefcake]

The exhaust is a tight fit, any of the 3" exhausts are a tight fit. But you shouldn't have any issues once you get everything bent around correctly.

I'm not sure if it's because we've done so many of them or what. We just put one on the red car with no issues. We put it on without the headers initially, no rubbing whatsoever.

We added the headers when we did the s/c last month, and again, 0 issues with fitment or rubbing.

I always tell people. Put some lube in all the joints, that will make it easier to move the system around til you get it just right.

I just got done doing a 22 hour round trip without the headers 2 months ago, and an 11 hour round trip to Joliet last month with the headers. Not one bang or clink. And the car is slammed on BMR springs.

You have a lot of joints, and tight clearance, but if you want 3", it's going to be tight. But should fit with no issues when done correctly.

EDIT:

Here is a pic of Dorothy. This car is in the weeds and has 0 issues. I know people don't want to hear it, but I believe most of the time it's operator error. And we have no issues with the clamps or leaking either. The clamps are top of the line too.

Also, on the blue car the 2011, over 3 years, we probably had the headers off the car 5 or 6 times, and the catback off about 10 times, and the only clamp that ever leaked was the ford oem double bolt clamp.

 

[1sweetSVT]

If I could take mine off and drive it to SW and throw it throw it through the front window I would. I have spent a lot of $ on my car and this exhaust is the worst. I love the sound, hate the fit. Normally I would not say these things about a vendor, but I was in contact with George from SW and exchanged emails/phones calls and then nothing happened.

I still have to get in there and modify it to fit like it should.

hah im not that pissed at them, but not happy either. SW customer service was cool and polite but i just didnt see it going anywhere because they have never had one case in which an over axle pipe didnt fit correctly. i do plan to send pics on the primary touching the suspension though...but again i dont see it going anywhere, nor do i want to remove the headers again.

I've installed two of the catback systems, neither one of them fit right without having an exhaust shop heat/modify hangers. It wasn't a big deal.

i would have loved it if all that needed to be done was modifying a hanger. when i say the OA pipe was laying on the panhard brace i mean just that. i had to use pretty good force to lift the pipe off the brace to shove something between them to temporarily stop vibrations...any when i adjusted the OA pipe awa from the brace it would touch the gas tank or swaybar mount...

Im getting a stainless works off road x installed next week should i have any concerns?

no you should be fine.

The exhaust is a tight fit, any of the 3" exhausts are a tight fit. But you shouldn't have any issues once you get everything bent around correctly.

I'm not sure if it's because we've done so many of them or what. We just put one on the red car with no issues. We put it on without the headers initially, no rubbing whatsoever.

We added the headers when we did the s/c last month, and again, 0 issues with fitment or rubbing.

I always tell people. Put some lube in all the joints, that will make it easier to move the system around til you get it just right.

I just got done doing a 22 hour round trip without the headers 2 months ago, and an 11 hour round trip to Joliet last month with the headers. Not one bang or clink. And the car is slammed on BMR springs.

You have a lot of joints, and tight clearance, but if you want 3", it's going to be tight. But should fit with no issues when done correctly.

EDIT:

Here is a pic of Dorothy. This car is in the weeds and has 0 issues. I know people don't want to hear it, but I believe most of the time it's operator error. And we have no issues with the clamps or leaking either. The clamps are top of the line too.

Also, on the blue car the 2011, over 3 years, we probably had the headers off the car 5 or 6 times, and the catback off about 10 times, and the only clamp that ever leaked was the ford oem double bolt clamp.

i hear ya on the operator error. but this time i dont think thats the case.
the lift i used was at a shop that sells tons of SW stuff for camaro's, GT's, GT500's, CTSV's...etc....the shop owner had installed 25+ SW systems on various car, none of which he says had any problems like this. as far as the p-side header goes, there is no install error. if the block is shifted to the d-side as far as it goes and one of the primaries on the p-side still hits suspension then thats just a bad design. nothing else to adjust.

it is what it is. im not dropping the k-member and removing the headers and having the car down again, i shouldnt have to especially with the price tag of this system. i love the sound this system produces but i will not be buying another SW product again....

 

[5.0_KenneB]

I have a full stainless works system.....with no issues I guess I would have to be there to see it in person to try and work it out. Hope you get it taken care of because it sounds great when it's right!!

 

[BUCKET]

Like I said, sounds awesome, fits horrible. It's the lowest point on my car, I am going to have to go pay shop hr rate to borrow equipment to fit this thing right. This is after tack welding each clamp/union. I need to take and inch out of the before axle pipes to tuck it more. Cut down the rear pipes to tuck in the tips. Still trying to figure out what to do about smacking PHB brace. I have built exhaust from boxes of bends before and not having the time to do that on this build but now I have to fit this exhaust!?!?!?

To add I needed a full 3" system. Where the X pipe connects to over axel pipes still uses the factory 2.x" clamp. Lame! So full 3" system it's not. I made 862rwhp through it, sounds awesome. But after using SW in the past with no problem and now this after communicating with George at SW and nothing coming from it but empty words. Ill be hard pressed to use them again.

 

[Scuba-Matt]

who here is running the full SW system?

im having a hell of a time getting this stuff to fit without rubbing gas tank, suspension, etc...

the catback fit fine on the passenger side but the driver side fit like complete shit. ive adjusted it every which way i can and its still just not fitting correctly. almost like a bad bend over the axle. sits less than a 1/4'' from the rear of the gas tank and full out lays on the panhard brace with a little rubbing on the swaybar mount...let alone everytime i tighten the clamp the pipe falls out, tacking the joint helped but not enough. after having a handfull of exhaust guys and installers look at it i finally just had my exhaust guy rebuild the over axle pipe on the d-side.

next problem is one of the passenger side primaries rubbing on the ca bushing causing horrible vibrations the last 10-15' before stopping. i loosened the motor mounts and shifted the motor to the d-side which worked for a few days but now is vibrating bad again. i called and spoke with someone @ SW about these issues and his advice was to loosen the motor mounts and shift the block and to email him pictures of the over axle pipe so he could advise me on how to properly adjust it....psssh BS dude there is no ****ing way that pipe could have been adjusted correctly....anyway like i said shifting the motor helped out for a day or two but now is back to vibrating like hell....im about to heat and dent the primary a little so it clears.....just pissed that i spent so much money on this system for it to fit like balls.....it does sound killer though!

anyone else run into these issues before? have any advice?

-chris

Chris I had the same problem with the passengers side header. Hitting the front lower control arm bushing. I was told the same BS. Moved the motor as far as it could physically go to the drivers side. The passengers side header still made contact with the bushing. I had to send Stainless works $200 dollars in order for them to send out another passengers side header. Refundable after return of the bad one.
Jason the guy I was dealing with up there. The guy is a total ass hat.
They have known they have fitment issues and seem to do nothing about it. The header they sent me was just as bad as the first one.
They know there are fitment issues but will not reimburse any labor for having to remove and re-install their bad parts.
I wish you would have talked to me before you bought the system. I certainly would of sent you in another direction. Put out the word SW sucks. :cuss:
By the way my headers were also professionally installed. Three guys all 30 years plus in the business could't believe how bad SW's customer service and fitment was.

 

[jymboslice]

Chris I had the same problem with the passengers side header. Hitting the front lower control arm bushing. I was told the same BS. Moved the motor as far as it could physically go to the drivers side. The passengers side header still made contact with the bushing. I had to send Stainless works $200 dollars in order for them to send out another passengers side header. Refundable after return of the bad one.
Jason the guy I was dealing with up there. The guy is a total ass hat.
They have known they have fitment issues and seem to do nothing about it. The header they sent me was just as bad as the first one.
They know there are fitment issues but will not reimburse any labor for having to remove and re-install their bad parts.
I wish you would have talked to me before you bought the system. I certainly would of sent you in another direction. Put out the word SW sucks. :cuss:
By the way my headers were also professionally installed. Three guys all 30 years plus in the business could't believe how bad SW's customer service and fitment was.

My header sits on my bushing too, a little. Is that a big problem or what?

 

[autoxstang]

Wow!! I'm glad I read this. I was about to pull the trigger on a set of SW headers. What headers out there have the best fit?