I just installed my TBE and everything is good except i get this loud clunking sound like the exhaust is lose or something, i feel it right under my feet which is the down pipe, but *we double checked the fitment and its fitted properly*, what could cause the down pipe to make this sound? i dont think its touching anything eles under there, i heard the stock down pipe has flex springs or something like that and the after market ones for the IX dont? any idea guys?

 

Either your downpipe is hitting the frame brace directly under it (unscrew the brace and put a few washers on each side to give it clearance),

or if its like mine, the o2 sensor is tapping the underbody (just hammer a groove where the o2 sensor is to give it some room to move).

 

Double chack to make sure it isn't hitting anything vital, such as the transfer case, etc... So long as that is not happening, You'll be alright. Generally, aftermarket exhausts/downpipes tend to sit a little closer to the floor and or the bars on the undercarriage. The larger diameter of the pipes is the cause of this. As for the flex springs, those should have been reused on the installation of the new downpipe.

 

Good point. Thing to watch out for if it is the o2 sensor tapping is it will eventually tear the wires on it causing a potential short which will blow fuses (I've seen this happen first hand). If you don't want to make that groove in the exhaust, you can always fab up a relocation alternative at home depot and advanced auto parts (you will need to go to both places).

 

nono, what I meant was that my o2 sensor was tapping loudly against the underbody. I hammered a groove in the underbody where the o2 sensor sits so that it can move around with the exhaust and not hit anything.

 

mine was hittin the braces on the bottom of the frame and then it was hitting the cross member with the stock cat back.... needless to say, a hammer fixed that

 

I reused the springs.
whats confusing is that its loud and sounds like pieces of metal hitting each other and scratching surfaces, but you dont hear it all the time, mostly, but not always!

 

Im pretty sure this is whats happening from your description, as it was happening to me as well.

What tbe did you get?
This will happen on evo ix's with a resonator in the midpipe:
Check the knuckle joint in your driveshaft for wear. If there is a ring of black paint removed, then the resonator is scraping it.
I had this fixed by having the resonator cut off and replaced with straightpipe.
Hope this helps

 

What did you hammer exactly?

 

If it makes the scraping sounds while making hard right hand turns: resonator = scraping driveshaft

 

where the frame portion went across the top of the down pipe. also i left the braces off of the bottom below the dp....

 

I changed the o2 sensor position twice, it was in its original position which means its pointing to the side, everything was ok by then, no sounds, then i had to move it to face upwards (straight in the middle in original position) becuase i got an adapter for it becuase the o2 sensor used to get heaten up.
but how is it possible that the o2 sensor could make that loud metal sound??? i can feel the thing moving while my feet are on the floormat!

 

mine did that as well. check the clearance between the top of the dp and the frame

 

It happens when im driving straight or taking a left turn.
guys it sounds like something is lose, but nothing is!

 

Yeah, that works too (DOH!!!!!).