American Racing Headers & Intrax 2" lowering springs (lots of pix)
09-28-2008, 01:48 PM
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Staging Lane
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American Racing Headers & Intrax 2" lowering springs (lots of pix) These pictures are part of the pictures I'll be posting as part of a rebuild thread in a few days or so. I wanted to get them up, to give people who are worried about clearances with long tubes and a lowered car.
I bought the car with a set of Intrax 2" lowering springs (which is about 2" in the front and 1.8" in the rear). I love how it looks, and I'd never really had problems with the ride height or clearance. It has a GMMG exhaust, and when the previous owner had it installed, I think the shop screwed up the stock y-pipe, because it seemed like it hung crooked and really low right at the driver seat.
Anyway, I've been doing some mods to the car this summer (started off innocently enough because of a bent pushrod). So along with the other stuff, I got a set of AR Headers. This was my first install of long tubes, and other than removing the heat shields and jacking the car up about 24", there was almost nothing to it. The collectors hang about 1" below the heat shields, and tuck very nicely. The catted Y pipe fits perfectly. No modifications needed, and the whole exhaust fit together easily (once I figured to start from the front back instead of the other way around
)
The plate(?) around mid car that holds the exhaust up didn't fit anymore, but the exhaust seems strong enough that it isn't needed.
Here are some pictures of the install, and the new clearances.
Here's the old Y pipe just to give you an idea:
It's about 3/4" lower, but the cat is the lowest point of the car, which sits quite a bit closer to the front wheel. I think that will reduce chances of it grounding out. If I start running into problems, I'll swap to a prokit or something to get the car a bit higher.
The only suggestion I could make to ARH would be to include a 4th band clamp for the connection between the Y pipe and the catback. The clamps they provided are much nicer than the one I got. Otherwise, everything from ARH is super high class. I've very happy.
I can't wait to get this thing fired up again. It should happen tomorrow. Expect sound clips soon. The rest of the performance type mods are a TR 224/224 114, and an LS6 intake which are new and the GMMG catback.
I bought the car with a set of Intrax 2" lowering springs (which is about 2" in the front and 1.8" in the rear). I love how it looks, and I'd never really had problems with the ride height or clearance. It has a GMMG exhaust, and when the previous owner had it installed, I think the shop screwed up the stock y-pipe, because it seemed like it hung crooked and really low right at the driver seat.
Anyway, I've been doing some mods to the car this summer (started off innocently enough because of a bent pushrod). So along with the other stuff, I got a set of AR Headers. This was my first install of long tubes, and other than removing the heat shields and jacking the car up about 24", there was almost nothing to it. The collectors hang about 1" below the heat shields, and tuck very nicely. The catted Y pipe fits perfectly. No modifications needed, and the whole exhaust fit together easily (once I figured to start from the front back instead of the other way around
)The plate(?) around mid car that holds the exhaust up didn't fit anymore, but the exhaust seems strong enough that it isn't needed.
Here are some pictures of the install, and the new clearances.
Here's the old Y pipe just to give you an idea:
It's about 3/4" lower, but the cat is the lowest point of the car, which sits quite a bit closer to the front wheel. I think that will reduce chances of it grounding out. If I start running into problems, I'll swap to a prokit or something to get the car a bit higher.
The only suggestion I could make to ARH would be to include a 4th band clamp for the connection between the Y pipe and the catback. The clamps they provided are much nicer than the one I got. Otherwise, everything from ARH is super high class. I've very happy.
I can't wait to get this thing fired up again. It should happen tomorrow. Expect sound clips soon. The rest of the performance type mods are a TR 224/224 114, and an LS6 intake which are new and the GMMG catback.
09-28-2008, 04:33 PM
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09-29-2008, 07:49 AM
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Staging Lane
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Thanks guys! I'm hoping that I get it running today (stupid coolant temperature sensor broke and they couldn't get one in until this morning). I'm very excited.
09-29-2008, 12:38 PM
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Staging Lane
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There aren't many speed bumps around here (as opposed to some places I've been that have them down residential streets!) I don't know how bad that clearance will be until I take the car out. Also, since the camera was sitting on the ground, it might have thrown the measurement off a bit. When I read it before taking the picture, I read it as 2.75". I'll try another pic tonight.
Definitely getting a tune. The cars tune was messed up before any of these mods.
Definitely getting a tune. The cars tune was messed up before any of these mods.
09-30-2008, 08:34 AM
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Staging Lane
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It clears the bump going into my driveway, which is a pretty normal rise for around here.
Oh, and btw...
It lives!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opmL_vkXwHQ
Oh, and btw...
It lives!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opmL_vkXwHQ
10-09-2008, 11:46 AM
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Staging Lane
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Quick update to this thread:
I've been driving the car around for the last week or so. I haven't had any problems around here with being too low. Plenty of clearance getting into my driveway (which has a mounded lip), and I don't scrape going over railroad tracks. I've actually taken the car to areas where I used to scrape, and have had no problems. I think having the low point close to the front wheels has helped. The low point used to be right behind the driver's seat.
The car gets tuned tomorrow afternoon. Expect more sound clips, and numbers this weekend.
I've been driving the car around for the last week or so. I haven't had any problems around here with being too low. Plenty of clearance getting into my driveway (which has a mounded lip), and I don't scrape going over railroad tracks. I've actually taken the car to areas where I used to scrape, and have had no problems. I think having the low point close to the front wheels has helped. The low point used to be right behind the driver's seat.
The car gets tuned tomorrow afternoon. Expect more sound clips, and numbers this weekend.
10-09-2008, 02:10 PM
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Staging Lane
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Well, I haven't measured it, but the front air dam is lower than the cats, so theoretically I'd hear that before I'd hit the exhaust (if I'm moving slow that is).
10-10-2008, 05:37 PM
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