A lift does make an installation like this more convenient, but there's no reason you can't install a system like this with your car on jackstands in your shop or driveway. Following the included instructions, we started in the rear installing the rear hangers and tailpipes first. Like all tti kits, the exhaust uses factory provisions to mount the hangers when possible, keeping you from drilling holes in your car's floor or framerails. Since our main concern with this application was clearance around the rear sway bar, we were very happy to see the exhaust had plenty of room in this area, even in three inch diameter tubing. The remainder of the exhaust, as well as the included Dynomax mufflers, slipped right into place, held together with the provided clamps and hardware. There was no welding required, and the only fabrication needed was to trim the pipes that connect the mufflers to the system using a Sawz-All.
All told, our installation took about half a day using the lift, and the car looks and sounds great with the new exhaust. The fit of the tti exhaust is awesome, likely better than factory exhaust, and the free-flowing three inch pipes and mufflers should affect the performance of our big-displacement engine only minimally while giving the car a nice rumble. There may be less expensive exhaust systems on the market, but in terms of quality and ease of installation for the cost, tti impresses us each time we use their products. The best part of this installation, however, is being able to drive our highly modified Road Runner on the streets without fearing a ticket from the police for noise pollution, right Randy?
4 Wanting a quality three-inch...
4 Wanting a quality three-inch exhaust system for our Road Runner, we checked tti's website and quickly found a kit for our application. TTI stocks kits for most Mopars, in both aluminized and stainless steel, and multiple diameters. Our exhaust arrived in a few days, packaged nicely in one heavy box.
5 The system we chose for...
5 The system we chose for our '71 Road Runner features three-inch tubing and an X-tube system. This type of exhaust has been shown to improve flow even better than exhaust crossovers.
6 The tti exhaust is an all-inclusive...
6 The tti exhaust is an all-inclusive kit, with the pipes, clamps, hangers, hardware, and Dynomax mufflers. TTI also offers kits without mufflers, as well as individual exhaust components.
7 Per the tti instructions...
7 Per the tti instructions we began at the rear of the car, installing the tailpipe hangers using the existing holes in our Road Runner's framerails. These are a slightly different design than factory hangers, but in our experience work much better.
8 On the driver side, the...
8 On the driver side, the muffler hanger just bolts onto the factory provision. On the passenger side, a supplied bracket must be installed to the floorboard. We found it easiest to mark and drill the holes from under the car, and install the bolts from inside with the lower rear seat cushion removed.
9 Starting at the rear of...
9 Starting at the rear of the car, each tailpipe is installed and snaked over the rear differential. We had concerns about our aftermarket rear sway bar, but the tti three-inch pipes cleared everything with plenty of room to spare.
10 Before installing the...
10 Before installing the mufflers, the center X-tube must be fitted to the individual header collectors. With minor manipulation, we got our pipes to hug the floor nicely with enough clearance to prevent rattles.
11 Where the X attaches to...
11 Where the X attaches to the muffler, tti leaves plenty of extra material to accommodate any aftermarket or even stock-style mufflers. We chose to run the Dynomax three-inch in/out mufflers available with the kit, so we had to cut our pipes to fit.
12 With our pipes fitted,...
12 With our pipes fitted, the mufflers can be installed and connected to the tailpipes. We found the pipes to be precisely fabricated, and all of our pieces slid together with little effort. It's nice when "bolt-on" parts install this easily.
13 Once everything is in...
13 Once everything is in place, each clamp is snugged up and the exhaust can be checked to see that it clears the car's floors, frame, rear differential, and especially fuel and brake lines. Once clearances are ensured, the clamps can be tightened down to seal the exhaust and keep pieces in place.
14 Even though this is a...
14 Even though this is a three-inch diameter system and much larger than our car would have had from the factory, we had plenty of space around components like our differential and aftermarket rear sway bar. Be sure to check these same areas with the car's weight on its wheels as well before driving the vehicle.
15 Driveshaft clearance is...
15 Driveshaft clearance is tight, but nothing is close to rubbing throughout the suspension travel. TTI's engineers really sharpened their pencils when designing this system, creating free-flowing exhaust that would fit nicely in the confines of our '71 B-Body.
16 Completed, the exhaust...
16 Completed, the exhaust really looks nice in our B-Body. With the car still on the lift, we started the engine to check for exhaust leaks. After letting everything warm up it's a good idea to go back over the clamps and re-tighten them.
17 We love the look of our...
17 We love the look of our exhaust, and the large diameter pipes and Dynomax mufflers really give the car a deep rumble, but without a drone at highway speeds. Also important, this new exhaust will prevent fumes from entering the passenger compartment of the car, making it safe and comfortable to drive.
18 Overall, the tti exhaust...
18 Overall, the tti exhaust has plenty of clearance, tucked in higher than the deep oil pan on our engine. This was an easy four-hour installation that made a big difference, allowing us to drive our project vehicle for the first time since installing the new engine. Well, at least legally...