Turning the cats sideways? (1 Viewer)

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alia176

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I searched for some info on whether or not anyone turned their dual cats sideways to gain more clearance. Is there just not enough room under there?

A.
 
Although I haven't even looked yet, even if there was enough room, I'd speculate that the inevitable 90 degree or so bends required to turn them sideways (much less the 180 degree bends I'm envisioning) would put waaay too much exhaust gas resistance -read backpressure- on the system. Just a theory, but a technically gathered one.

J
 
I'm thinking he might just mean rotating them around the pipe so they sit flat instead of on edge. I seem to remember looking at that as an option and deciding it couldn't be done because the down pipe is in the wrong place. It's further to one side than the other and would cause the cat to not fit. You could bend the down pipe, but that would be a PIA. Easier to fit new, smaller cats.
 
[quote author=landtank link=board=2;threadid=5026;start=msg38688#msg38688 date=1062946959]
Also in there present orientation they are less likely to flatten out if hit with something
[/quote]

My thought on this is that it's more likely to get hit in the current orientation that being flat. Furthermore, it's easier to make skid plate for the cats in the flat orientation than the current configuration. Simply add an extension to the sliders and then support it on the frame rails. But, if there's no room to rotate the cats and re-weld them back on, then all of this is moot :-\ Maybe there's a little room to rotate the cats even 45 deg. That's still better than the current configuration. In any case, this won't affect exhaust flow or the efficience in any manner INMHO.
 
I have a 93' and Im pretty sure it only has one cat, if im not mistaking. But have any of you ever tried taking of one cat? You might have more felxibility with only one on.
 
Your '93 has two cats. The 95+ trucks have inline cats where the earlier 80s had side-by-side.
 
It'd be easy to remove the forward cat since it's bolted on with flanges but I won't do it. That'll only piss off the OBD II and throw a CE light!
 
I had my cats turned sideways about 3 months ago. It was no problem and they are now up out of the way. I was worried about the heat build up in the floor on the passenger side but have had no problems yet. My local shop cut the down pipe just after the y and made a new one that just fits between the body and the body mount and then attaches to the cats. I will take some pics tomorrow.
 
Taz,

Thanks for the reply and send the pics to me at alia176atyahoo. Thanks. I'll have this done next week.

A.
 
TAZ,
Do you have sliders on your truck? Slee and others use a brace at the break point of the two cats. I just checked Christo's site but that pic is gone. A concern I'd have is that by rotating the cats that middle flange would now be in the way of any slider I might put on.
 
Rick,

How much work would it be to eliminate the center flange and simply weld the two pipes together? Can this afford you more clearance?
 
Alia I honestly don't know what would be entailed in doing that. But if you are considering a set of Slee sliders, from what I remember the brace runs between the 2 cats at the flange point. The brace is either flush or just below the bottom of the cats. So even if you rotated the cats and there wasn't an interference problem you wouldn't gain much clearence. I'd sooner spend the money of having a cat skid plate fabbed up that would attach to the slider at that brace. The Hanna sliders have such a plate but from what I've read they aren't for the newer LCs with the 2 inline cats and maybe no longer available either.
 
As I understand it, Ken has made sliders for a 95-97. Once he makes something like that he usually keeps the jigs. I believe he is fabbing stuff in between doing other things. His website is back up. Christo wheels his stuff as hard or harder than anyone else and I don't think he's ripped a cat off yet while running his sliders.
 
I'll prolly end up making up a set of sliders too when I get back home. I like the idea of having the cats tucked up high for simplicities sake I guess. We'll see what pans out. Thanks for the ideas/info.

Ali
 
No offense to the DIY guys, but Check out what Christo and his buddies wheel, also check out Jim Brantley at http://www.realcruiser.com. He runs Hanna's sliders, who is for sure making sliders for 95-97 rigs...he just takes a bit to get them thus I got Slee's.

You may gain 1/2 " dickin' with the cats but I have yet to hear of anyone ripping one out yet. Heck, I don't think even Junk has done that...I guess what's the point..unless it is a cash issue, there are tested products out there...save yourself the fustration and fitment issues and throw down the cash.

This is just a personal opinion, 2 kids, job, no free time to sweat the small stuff....

Now about that water bottle re-location, second battery tray, caster correction kit, heavy duty lower control arms and bushings, upgraded headlight wiring and bulbs siiting on my work bench...I gotta go!!
 
[quote author=Photo_Cruiser link=board=2;threadid=5026;start=msg40048#msg40048 date=1063242639]
...I guess what's the point..
[/quote]

Because it's fun! :D
 
You'd be better off just having some tube welded in there to act as a slider for the cats like what I have. Skid plate = heat build up. Bend some tube, mount it, should be done in a few hours. It's saved me THOUSANDS of dollars in what would have been destroyed felines. :flipoff2:
 

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