Gibson Exhaust Fitment Issues (1 Viewer)

[mstrsltr]

So the very first mod I performed on my GX470 was installing (myself) a Gibson Performance Catback exhaust.

I thought I screwed something up during the install as the fitment is an issue. The exhaust contacts the frame where it tucks up over the axle, and the very end of the tail pipe is tucked way too far up.

Everything that I'd read was positive, and somehow, despite being pretty good at researching these kinds of things, I managed to miss that Gibson does have somewhat of a reputation for fitment issues. Their products are indeed designed for specific vehicles and are bolt-on, but somehow this American made product suffers from fitment problems. I would expect this from something made in Asia, but not from a company that touts it's provenance so proudly.

I think that because most people have shops install them, that any fitment problems get resolved immediately before the owner even picks the vehicle up.

Anyhoo... I think it's the hangers that are out of alignment and that I need to bend them to get the exhaust to hang properly. I don't think I've got the pieces out of alignment where they are joined.

Anyone have any firsthand experience with Gibson stuff and issues like this?

Thanks!

 

[NJGX]

I just put a Gibson 618708 kit in my '08 2 weeks ago and didn't have any fitment issues at all. Did you get one of the side exit kits?

It's also entirely possible that a person accidentally packed an incorrect section of pipe and shipped it out in your kit.

 

[mstrsltr]

I just put a Gibson 618708 kit in my '08 2 weeks ago and didn't have any fitment issues at all. Did you get one of the side exit kits?

It's also entirely possible that a person accidentally packed an incorrect section of pipe and shipped it out in your kit.

I got the single rear exit also for an '08. Is yours a side exit?

I can't find the model number at the moment but will check the packing materials later today.

Question: Did your kit come with two different sized flange sections?

Mine had two different length sections of pipe that connect from the muffler to the flange. Apparently the length changed between model years. I did make sure to use the size that allowed the muffler hangers to line up.

If you push/pull up and down on your tailpipe it doesn't contact the frame cross member?

 

[NJGX]

Mine is single rear as well.

The kit I got came with only one pipe that fit between the muffler and flange.

The Gibson kit fits exactly how the stock system fit with plenty of clearance and all of the hangers lined up properly.

 

[mstrsltr]

Weird... I wonder if I somehow got the wrong kit? I'll check your model number against mine tonight and make sure it's the same.

Glad you haven't had any issues!

 

[mstrsltr]

It seems like the model number you provided indicates a side swept tail pipe. Can you confirm that this is indeed the model number you received?

I’ve found some examples the fitment issues other have experienced. The first is from Summit Racing website:

“System just not a good fit on my 05 4Runner. I tried and a local shop tried. Cannot get to where there are no parts rubbing frame or tail pipe rubbing/burning rear bumper. Some of the pipes seem to short while others seemed a little to long.”

A few examples from Amazon:

"Just installed on my 2008 Silverado 1500 ext cab 4x4 with 5.3 V8. Installation was not bad. I had to bend one hanger so it would not rub against the frame"

"Had to cut mid pipe slightly to fit"

"As others have stated it has some issues going over the rear axle. I left everything loose and tried to jockey it around as best as I could but currently I do have a rattle as the pipe rattles against the rear differential but only at an idle."

"All in all: it didn't fit for crap out of the box or come with bolts that should have been included"

(There are actually TONS of fitment issues reported via Amazon reviews)

And then there's the following from exhaustfitmentguide which, take with a grain of salt:

"Some of the most common complaints online revolve around exhaust fitment and shipping problems. The most important customer complaint to consider is their issues with fitment. In many cases we encountered, customers found that the exhaust alignment was slightly off. In order to make it fit they had to make adjustments themselves or worse, take it to a shop to be modified."

So, unless there's some conspiracy to defame this brand, it seems like they need to improve on some manufacturing issues.

I'll attempt to bend the hangers to get the tail pipe off the frame and to get the actual tailpipe outlet to hang properly so it doesn't melt my bumper any more than it already has.

 

[NJGX]

I ordered "Gibson 618708 Stainless Steel Single Exhaust System" from Amazon. I can 100% confirm that it is a single rear exit, just like stock. The only thing that wasn't perfect was the tip is about 1/2" off center from the rounded notch in the bumper (not noticeable unless you get eye level with the tip). That is likely from the pipes shifting as I tightened all of the clamps down, so I'm not worried about it.

It seems like you got a bad kit like a bunch of others got. Hopefully Gibson, or the retailer you got it from, can make it right for you because it really is a nice upgrade over stock.