I've always have issues with my Y-pipe getting banged every now and then and over 4-5yrs of driving it's ending up flattened along the bottom. I'm on my second Y-pipe in 8 years and I'll be putting in my 3rd soon. I'm also going to a tubular K-member. I also plan on a set of R-15's and with coil-overs in the front with Eibach Pros in the rear or Pro's all around.

My question is, how can I shield/protect my brand new Y-pipe (which is a SLP Tri-Y header Y-pipe BTW) from getting dented again?

Has anybody ever fabbed like a sheet of thick metal that could bolt to the K-member the width of the Y-pipe and go to the rear of the oil pan to protect both the Y-pipe in front of the oil pan and maybe the oil pan it's self full protected from impacts? I have no idea where you could bolt it after the oil pan, maybe shape it so there are so strips that "Y" off the sheet to bolt to something else?

Just throwing an idea out there...

 

No one has thought about a skid plate of some kind for this?

 

I have a piece of 1/4" wall, 3/4" side angle iron that I welded to the bottom of my crossmember. It makes a little triangle with the cross member and is welded on both sides (Front and rear) all the way from left to right.

Now that will hit the ground about 1/2" before the crossmember used to. This gave me just enough room so that, while my y pipe gets a little scratched up, it no longer gets smashed flat.