Wife's Cherokee needs a new exhaust - well, part of the exhaust - and after getting some quotes I figured I'll do the GRM thing, crawl underneath it and replace the exhaust myself, in the parking lot of course.
Turns out that the various section of the exhaust from the cat back have been welded together. Very nicely welded together, but still, one piece all the way including the cat.
Just wondering if that is the standard way of fitting an exhaust over here in the US or if someone went a little overboard when fitting the exhaust?
I guess I'll better find someone with the gear to cut off the old exhaust and fit a supplied one properly instead of paying $300+ for one of the local exhaust centers to make one up...
A quality shop will weld the exhaust together, especially if the vehicle is registered in an area where inspections might make leaks in the system bothersome. It's also safer, in general, to weld the sytem into one piece.
Besides, think about it, an SUV with a bolted together exhaust system....go off roading and you may come back with the system in fewer pieces than when you left.
My Civics have had the mufflers bolted on, but that's because the muffler rusts through, if it isn't a high quality piece, in less than 2 years.
300bucks for a standard exhaust??
we typically charge 180-220 for a stock type, crush bent exhaust with a muffler
if you want the tailpipe mandrel-bent, the price naturally goes up
Yep, the standard exhausts that I've been quoted for "start"[1] at $300. Which I find a little annoying given that the standard exhaust from the regular Jeep places are around $150 retail. While I support the next guy's right to make money, $150 to fit an exhaust is a tad steep...
The really annoying thing is that the muffler itself is fine and leak-free, it's the tail pipe (a $20-$40 part depending on where you're shopping) that's rusted out and needs replacing.
Plan B so far is to have a word with a couple of the local mobile/backyard mechanics if they're willing to assist with the tail pipe removal and fit one I supply, with a view to picking up more servicing and repair work in the long run.
[1] As far as I'm concerned, it stops a lot lower than that.
