Just a note to fellow F150 owners: I recently intalled a Gibson Side Swept (Single rear/side outlet) system on my 97 F150 Ext. Cab w/5.4. The fit was absolutely a nightmare! I have installed Flowmaster, Dynomax, and Borla systems and this was absolutely the worst P.O.S. fit I have ever seen. I spent an hour on the phone w/ Gibson reps. to resolve the problem (I can read and follow directions) and the only resolution was to take the system to a cust. exhaust shop and have the pipes re-bent and welded. The shop only charged me $35 to make the mods, but the time and frustration involved will cause me to go back with Flowmaster on my next install.

Just a word of advice.

Darin

------------------

97 F150 Lariat 4X4 Ext. Cab. 5.4, AT, Gibson Side Swept, K&N, Bosch Platinum +4's (Both doors cracked:-( )

 

Walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, must be a duck !

Stick with a winner..Flowmaster
100,000+ drag racers can't be wrong...never saw them with Gibson on the fender of thier cars.

------------------
1999 F250 SD CC, LWB, 5.4L, Auto, 3.73, 4x4, Power TT mirrors w/ marker lights, White, Full Tint, PendaPro SR, Flowmaster Delta 40 series, K&N filtercharger, Superchip(Airbox removed for a second try, maybe in the winter it will be advantagous?)

 

Sorry to hear that. I put the Gibson Super Truck on mine and it fit like a glove. Many others have not had your problem with the model you got. I had problems with shipping damage however. See my old post on Truck Performance Center Customer Service. It sucked! Gibson however was nice to deal with. Maybe the retailer reboxed and sent you the wrong one for yours? Who did you get it from?

 

I installed the Gibson Side Swept and did not have a single problem with it other than making sure that I cut the correct amount off of the lead pipe from the cat. Great fit and it only took 30 minutes to do it. Make sure you retighten the nuts on the clamps after 500miles. They tend to loosen up the first time.


------------------
~
1999 Ford F150 XLT 4x4
Off Road Package
Tow Package
5.4L Automatic
Supercab
Electric 4x4 switch
Full bench interior
Factory running boards
Mods : superchip, gibson
swept-back exhaust, k&n
FIPK. Bug deflector.
Use : Mobil1 5w30 and
k&n oil filter.

 

I purchased the system (sealed in the Gibson box) from Speed Unlimitted, a local speed shop. The box showed no signs of damage. The Gibson rep. was polite and patient on the phone. He even went out to the bay and pulled the same system off the shelf and we compared measurements. Everything checked out. We even varified where I cut the original factory pipe. When installing the Gibson, it did not fit properly over the axle and the pipe actually came out under the bumper, rather than half the distance between the rear wheel well and bumper. Even experimenting w/ the cut off of the original exhaust did not solve the problem. The solution was to cut about 10" of the pipe and use a mandrel pipe bender to re-make the bend to properly fit over the axle. The muffler and tubing were very high quality, just didn't fit. I have communicated with others that have had similar problems. We never were able to figure out exactly where the problem was, other than an improper bend and too much length. May have been a one-of-a-kind problem, but I would not want anyone else to have to go through this installation.

------------------

97 F150 Lariat 4X4 Ext. Cab. 5.4, AT, Gibson Side Swept, K&N, Bosch Platinum +4's (Both doors cracked:-( )

 

dlsipe,

Where is Speed Unlimited located? It sounds like a speed shop I know near Andrews AFB, MD. If it's the same one, how is there service, selection, and pricing? Thanks.

Paul... :-)

------------------
Paul... :-)
99 F-150 XLT SC Sport, 4.6L, Auto, CC
White, 4X2, Tow Package, CD, K&N Filter
More to come

 

Andrew AFB huh? Had my appendix out there as a kid. AF Brat here. Was a long time ago.

dlsipe,
Sounds like you did all you could do. Sounds like Gibson needs to do their homework on this model application. Hope they paid for the trouble. They have in the past.

 

I recently installed the same exhaust system on my truck (Gibson Swept-Side stainless-steel). And I too have a F-150 supercab with the 5.4L engine, although mine is a 1998.

Installation was a breeze and the fit is about as perfect as you can get. All of the hangers lined up with the factory hangers. I used an air powered impact wrench to tighten down the clamps. I doubt they will be vibrating loose anytime soon.

Muffler, pipes, clamps are all of the highest quality. Very solid and well constructed system. I couldn't be happier. I'd like to know why you had problems.

--Steve



------------------
1998 F-150 Super Cab XLT, 4x4, SWB, StyleSide, 5.4L, E40D Automatic, Dark Toreador Red, Med Graphite Cloth Captain's Chairs, P255/70R-16 OWL AT Tires, 3.55 LS Axle, Cab Steps, Tow Pkg, Power Color-Keyed Mirrors, Fog Lights, Cast Aluminum Wheels, 6-Disc CD Changer. Aftermarket: Pendaliner SR, Keyless Entry, Delta Deep Aluminum Toolbox, Gibson Swept Side Stainless Steel Exhaust, Airaid FIPK, Custom CB and Amateur Radio Installation. See me and my truck at http://bluecrab.richmond.edu/crab-1.htm

 

I had a Gibson side swept single installed at
a muffler shop and they had to cut about 10 inches off the exit pipe. It was a tricky fit that would have been a problem to install myself.

------------------
'99 F150 XLT,Wedgewood Blue, 4.6 V8, SC, Penda liner, K&N filter,
Superchip, Gibson 3" stainless single

 

Paul,

The Speed Unlimitted I mentioned is the same one. I live in Southern MD and not many places here to get Hi-Po parts. I have never had any problem w/them. The help is commissioned so they work harder to please you and get you to come back to the same person.

As far as the Gibson Company paying. Yeah right! I sent them a letter about 2 months ago describing the problem w/ a copy of my bill from the exhaust shop for the required mods to make it fit. Response from Gibson = zero!

------------------

97 F150 Lariat 4X4 Ext. Cab. 5.4, AT, Gibson Side Swept, K&N, Bosch Platinum +4's (Both doors cracked:-( )