So, after spending 1-1/2 hours one night, and another two hours last night, I still can't get the tips on my SIDO #16614 (2007 Supercrew 6.5' Box) to align properly. This is the best I can get (a larger photo is in my gallery). How do your tips look? Is this something I should accept? They say I need to adjust the system again. The rear hangers and the tail pipes are the issues. Even if I hold the exit pipes on each side to align with the properly installed hanger brackets provided, the pipes come out over three inches different. This is the best I can get... about two inches different, and a few inches down from the bumper. RATS! What do you think? I am afraid that the way the hangers are positioned (see photos in my gallery), the pipes will settle over time, and get all out of whack again. You've gotta see the photos. Thanks,

Smoke

 

I have the same problem with the Magnaflow dual rear exhaust kit I just purchased and installed on my 2005 Lariat Supercab. Very poor rear hangers. I tried mounting the hangers per the instructions as you did and they looked just like yours kicked out from the frame. The holes Magnaflow described may have been there ages ago, but Ford doesn't put them anywhere near there on current F150's. I finally drilled a 9/32" hole on each frame rail like one of the other readers did (Drivers side you will have to remove the spare tire ). The included bolts will self thread and tighten right up. I've spent hours trying to align the same as you with always the same results. There is no shifting over as the tightest clearance is on the driver's side that is further away from the license plate. I've thought about loosening the bolts again and just pulling the passenger side over as far as I could and try to retighten the straps. Reluctant as I believe that will only lead to exhaust leaks. I believe the best solution will be to take it to a muffler shop and have them custom make the rear pipes correctly. Magnaflow did a poor job on this kit from the muffler back for the F150's and edvidently the same for the F250. The straps are a joke.

 

Thank you for the response. I am really frustrated, too. So, I assume your pipes are not exiting in the same spot, either? Are you going to leave them, too? Magnaflow has their R&D department looking into it now. I'll let you know what happens.

 

last weekend i installed the magnaflow sido dual split rear exhaust (p/n 15834) on my '04 (new body style) lariat w/ factory tow package. talk about a pain in the @ss. my 2 friends and i spent a total of 10 hours over two days trying to get the pipes aligned parallel with each other and symetrical with respect to the center line of the bed, w/out any luck.

we spent several hours researching what other guys with the tow package and my exhaust (15834, 16614, 16615) had done to get their exhaust installed properly. most guys either drilled new holes in the tow package or frame to mount the rear exhaust hanger. others took their exhaust to the muffler shop to have them weld on new brackets to support the hangers.

i called up magnaflow and explained him the problem i was having and the tech said that he had never heard of people having problems installing my kit. i happened to be online when i was talking to him and had done a search on this forum and read to him exerpts from one of the several dozen other threads on this topic. he said that he was the f150 online rep and that no such threads existed. i didn't argue with him, but just asked for his advice. he basically said that i may need to "tweak" the exhaust system to get it to fit. i thought to myself, "no kidding, that is why i am calling, to get advice." basically, he was useless.

anyhow, no matter where we placed the rear hangers, the exhaust pipes were interfering with either the spare tire or some other structure under the bed of the truck. we kept all of the brackets loose, pulled, pushed, and rotated the pipes and still couldn't arrive at a configuration that didn't interfere or wasn't ****eyed out the rear. we even removed the spare, and pushed it as far back (toward the rear) as possible when we re-raised to give ourselves a few extra centimeters of clearance.

i didn't want to do any invasive work to the truck (weld or drill) so i removed the bolts for the tow package and placed the hangers in their intended locations, but on the outside of the tow package. i had to enlarge the size of the holes for the hangers b/c the tow package bolts are larger than the holes in the supplied exhaust hangers. the closest bit size i could find was a 9/16" and that cost me an additional $17 from the hardware store.

even when the rear hangers were installed on the outside of the tow package, the circular bar stock portion of the hanger (where the bar stock is welded to the flat part of the bracket) interfered with the tow package which caused them to be biased inward and forward. this prevented me from being able to torqe down the bolts.

we finally gave up after two cold nights in the garage of pure frusteration. i felt defeated since my friends and i are all mechanical engineers and were unable to install an exhaust system that magnaflow says should be installed in 1 hour.....LOL.

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i ended up taking my truck to midas b/c they were the only shop open on new years eve. i wanted to show the mechanic what the problem was and he scoffed at me and said he could figure it out himself (as if it was an insult for me to show him what the problem was). the manager claimed that his guy was a "muffler specialist" and an "amazing artist" w/ 25 years experience and assured me that he would get it looking perfect.

well, 5 hours later i get a call from midas and they said it was going to cost $220 w/ tax for a real good job or $170 for just an ok job. i was like, "are you kidding me?" he was serious. i couldn't believe it. i thought to myself, "the old muffler and exhaust have been removed, the new cat back has been installed, but just needs to be tweaked. what the hell are they doing? did they have to rebend and weld new stainless steel pipes?" even though i was reluctant to have them do the work, i was w/out a truck for 2 days and would be w/out it for several more days if i waited 'til after the holiday. i told the manager to go ahead and give me the good job ($220) even though i knew i was getting ripped off.

well, 3 hours later they called me to pick up my truck. they were closing shop and it was getting dark outside. after i picked up my truck i noticed that not only were the pipes un-parallel and unsymetrical, but the rear hangers were still ****eyed and loose (the way i gave it to them), and a hydraulic hose was resting on the very hot exhaust pipes. i was livid!!!! i had to use tie straps to keep the hydraulic lines from burning up and i also had to install 4 washers between the hanger and tow package so that the hangers weren't ****eyed and so the bolts which hold the tow package and hangers could acutally be torqued down.

i called the shop on jan 2nd (the 1st was a holiday) and explained to them what happened. they had the nerve to tell me to bring it in and they would take a look at it, but i may get charged!!!! i wanted to tell the manager where to go, but i stayed calm and brought the truck in the next day. well, i just picked up my truck tonight and of course once again it was dark outside and they had just closed shop. in the dark, the pipes look symetrical and parallel, but i will have to wait until the morning to get a better look.

 

ok, so i got a better look at the job midas did on the exhaust. the tips look very symetrical and parallel. however upon further investigation i noticed that one tip protrudes approx 3/8" further back than the other. you have to stand directly over the rear bumper and look straight down at both pipes to notice the disparagy in length. it is noticeable b/c the magnaflow stamp on the top of he tip is of one pipe extends further beyond the bumper than the other.

now i know that 3/8" may seem miniscule and most people won't notice, but i do. normally i would just loosen the tips and make them equal in length, but midas already welded them in place. am i being too critical? i guess i expect perfection since i feel i overpaid for the service i received. if i would have done the work myself i would have made sure the tips were symetrical.

one of the main reasons people install after market exaust systems is for aesthetics. if it looks half ***, i won't be satisfied. one of the reasons i had to take the exhaust into midas in the first place was to have them tweak it b/c i was not having any luck. if i go back and ask them to allign the tips are they going to think i am a nut?...LOL. am i asking too much from midas? are my expectations too high?

 

This is very useful information that you guys have posted. Thanks. I'm in the market for a new exhaust for my 07 supercab and always read how GREAT magnaflow's are, but I'd not heard about the challenges of the install.

Hope things work out in a way your happy with, but Thanks for letting others know.