I just finished the installation of the Hooker cat back for my IROC. I cant drive the car until it passes our Pa. state inspection. So, it wont be too long until its back on the road again.

My question is this-are the muffler clamps provided in the cat back kits strong enough to hold the pipes in place? Do the pipes need to be welded? I dont want to strip off the bolts, dang they are tight. I dont have anything flexing or moving, but the car is stationary right now. Ideas?? Thanks.

 

Yes. No.

JamesC

 

Yes, the clamps are a little chincy that come with the kit, but they work. At least in the directions I got with my Hooker catback, it says the clamps are only supposed to be temporary until you have it welded...but I've never welded mine yet, and it's holding together fine.

 

Just a note, maybe others have seen this little problem.... I had to modify the passenger side hanger at the muffler to make my exhaust system hang properly. I added about 1.5" to the existing bracket and drilled new holes to make everything shift towards the drivers side of the car. Now everything clears easily with lots of room.

For those who are familiar, this is on the L shaped bracket that slides into the rubber holder on the body.

I also cut off about 2" from each tail pipe so the chrome tips didnt stick out too far. The tips are just past the bumper now. It looks much neater.

The Hooker Aerochamber system sounds nice. I am running the stock cat, and in this combination it sounds great. I am quite pleased with this system.

 

I experience no such problem. Everything fit like OEM.

JamesC

 

I could get a pic for you if you like. Maybe my Y pipe is twisted, its the original exhaust that I am replacing. Dunno....

 

Hey white I've had the hooker on my RS for about 6 yrs now and still love the sound of it. It is nice and subtle at idle, but when you get on it.........WOW.

I had a flowmaster on another camaro and will now always choose a hooker over the FM. Not that the FM sounded bad, I liked that one too, but IMO the hooker just sounds much better. I have an '04 Avalanche I just bought and am now getting pricing to have a hooker setup made for it. Hooker doesn't make a cat-back for the AVY, so I gotta peice the parts together and actually pay someone to work on one of my cars...I hate that.

 

That's about what I did too!

 

Wow, these systems must be all different. I just put the Hooker Cat-back on my 84 305 TA and the cat to over the axle pipe was almost 4 inches too long to fit properly. The rest of it fit like a glove, but I was most definitely disappointed in the lack of sound it provides...thinking about buying another muffler to see if it helps. It doesn't have but a slight rumble only audible from the very back of the car when you are standing behind it. Inside you hear absolutely nothing. My old banks was 100 times better sounding before it rusted off. The Hookers were cheap enough, but if you get it and want sound, buy a diff muffler is my advice...

F Small

 

i had to make some mods to mine, but i ordered it for the ho camaro, oops! all the hangers lined up fine, i just had to cut off the bracket for the cat. which worked out because my cat was slip fit anyway