Exhaust muffler baffle rattle, how to fix? Solved

[Rusty Marlin]

I'm trolling for ideas.
I've narrowed down my exhaust rattle to the baffles in the muffler coming loose. It's about 18 months old and non-OEM.
So far I have used percussive maintenance and crimped them in place by crushing the outer skin around them with a ball-peen hammer. But that's not perfect and it lasts like 3 wks.
I have wrapped a wire around the muffler skin and twisted it tight like a tourniquet to deaden the vibration, but I don't think that's doing diddly squat.

What's next? I've thought of running a tec screw through the skin and baffle, but not real keen on creating a hole through the skin.
There was contemplation about popping an 1/8" (3mm) hole through the skin in a couple places and welding the skin to the baffle, again, the hole-through-the-skin thing and the weld probably won't get through the soot that's most likely on the baffle.
POP rivet, same problem.

So..any other good ideas from the collective? BTW Turning up the radio, wearing ear protection and filling said muffler with concrete have been rejected.

 

[thatcabledude]

I would just replace the muffler.

 

[inkpot]

Buy a better muffler?

 

[Rusty Marlin]

I would just replace the muffler.

I have come to the same crappy conclusion. I need that $$$ for other projects.

Not mad at you, just kicking rocks.

 

[brockdeck]

What muffler so I don’t buy it

To tag onto this thread since OP needs a new muffler what are you guys using as an OEM replacement muffler these days? I have gone from a Flowmaster (drone city) to a Dynomax (quieter but still extremely loud) and I want an OEM replacement

 

[BuzzAZ]

I have the same problem, although it’s been on the truck for a lot longer than 18 months. I took a hammer to it and that worked wonderfully for a while, but I can hear the rattle creeping back. My next step is going to be a series of rivets to hold the skin together. I would like to do the entire exhaust so I’m trying to limp this along for a bit longer.

 

[ZetheGSD]

I just replaced my factory muffler with a new OEM one. It’s a cali 80 so not rusty, but a rusty brown color from age. It’s not split or leaking. If you were local to me you could have it. I’m in Missouri.

 

[Rusty Marlin]

I broke down and bought a new muffler. It's a ANSA from Rockauto. $154.
It's body is a about 25% shorter than the one I removed with the missing section between the rear Cat and the Muffler.
The sound is good, just as quite as the longer one. But no more rattle! Oh happy Days!
The material is thicker, one can tell just by wrapping a hammer handle against it.

It was not drop in. The front pipe where the gasket is hung at install needed shortening by half, it would hit the tube in the cat's flange and prevent the gasket flange surfaces from mating.
The front hanger bracket was off 1/4" or so. (holding a gap at the flanges when at rest) Just enough to load the hanger bushing when pulling the gasket flange into mate with the rear cat.
The rear hanger required resetting with a couple pipe wrenches to get it moved an 1" plus to the rear then re-level the bushing mounting face.
The flange to flange distance was short by about the same and required a rehanging of the tailpipe to get the rear gasket flange to mate properly.
The tail pipe should have been removed and the rear hanger cut off and moved back or at the very least beaten into a new home, but if you've ever tried to remove the tail pipe section you'll know its best accomplished with a saws-all. No room to swing a hammer or get a pipe wrench in there to move the bracket, so the top of the bracket was cabled off to the receiver hitch of the rig and pulled into location with a little 1000# come-a-long. What a PITA! The hanger bushings are probably going to $#!t the bed early and I'll be fixing them next.

What should have been a 1-1/2 hour in and out job turned into a 5 hour wrestling match. But, power tools, a long pry bar, and a little come-a-long combined with plenty of hate and anger won through.

And NO MORE RATTLE!!! Hazzah!!