Wrench Tip: Save Your Exhaust Hangers!
Do you have broken exhaust hangers? These little rubber bastards are the bane of my existence working under a car. Between my CR-V and my 240SX, I have gone through about half a dozen of these dumb things. The problem is if you abuse your vehicle in any way, or have a really heavy exhaust, these rubber hangers break very easily. The one shown below was less than a year old before it stopped holding my CR-V's muffler up. Tired of constantly replacing these (which at $1.50 a piece isn't so much expensive, as much as it is an annoying hassle), I found a solution.
(Please excuse the quality of the photography. These were taken many years ago for a forum that no longer exists, but they do the job)
The answer is also conveniently located in your local auto parts store… Hose clamps.
First, start with a brand new hanger.
Then take your hoseclamp and wrap it around thusly.
Then tighten accordingly. Admittedly, this is tighter than you really need.The trick is to VERY loosely install the clamp before putting the hanger back under the car (it's a bit hard to show what's going on with the hangers in place under the car). Then tighten a few more turns on the worm gear to cinch the clamp in place. The hose clamp takes the weight of the exhaust hanger, while the rubber prevents annoying vibrations and rattles. I have had one of thee under my 240SX for four years now and I am still on the same hanger (the first wore out after only a couple of months). It's a simple fix that totally works! I would definitely use a smaller clamp than the one I used on the CR-V. Or cut down that massive tail, which is obviously unnecessary.
Oh and if new hose clamps are going to break your budget, you can just grab a few for free with the added benefit that they won't rust. Seriously, most junkyards will just let you take a huge handful of these hoseclamps for nothing, especially if you're already buying other parts that they actually care about.
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