Topic: Banks Monster Cat Back on an '01 TJ

[Jeffy]

Banks contacted me today and they said they believe the issue is my lift kit. They said their installation manager reviewed the pictures I sent them and they feel the lift lit put the shock in a different position than the stock location.  The lift is a 6" Rough Country X Series. Banks said the lift will alter the location of the upper shock mount and cause the interference.  I don't get it.  Since their product was designed for a stock Jeep it is now on me to get it to work.  Banks said that their exhaust pipe is larger in diameter than stock, so their opinion is the combination of the lift and the larger diameter exhaust pipe is the problem.  They said I should contact a local muffler shop for help.  You'd think for the money I spent, I could expect a little better customer service.

 

Have you even bothered to adjust it yourself?  It's not Banks fault.  You were expecting too much with a modified vehicle.

[tlucier]

No, I haven't had time to adjust it myself.  As a matter of fact I am on my honeymoon at the Outer Banks this week and I won't be able to adjust it until this coming weekend.  I was trying to get the exhaust fixed so we could take the Jeep with us this and 4 wheel on the beach this week.  I never said it was Banks fault and this won't keep me from making other purchases from Banks.  But who out there has a bone stock Jeep and plans to add a Banks Monster exhaust with no other modifications?  I never saw any info on Banks website or in the installation manual that said you can't install their exhaust system on a vehicle that has been modified in any manner.  When I get back home on Saturday afternoon, I'll recheck the installation manual.

I'm not pointing fingers at Banks and like I said, its not going to stop me from making future purchases from Banks.  I just would have liked a little advanced warning that this is not a bolt on installation for a Jeep with a lift.  Jeffy, I appreciate the advice you've given me and as soon as I get home this weekend, I plan to try every suggestion you've made.  Thanks again for your help.

[Bounty Hunter]

I hear where you're coming from, would have been nice of Banks to include a disclaimer about using on lifted vehicle, if in fact they didn't.

 

[Jeffy]

I hear where you're coming from, would have been nice of Banks to include a disclaimer about using on lifted vehicle, if in fact they didn't.

 

It's kind of implied with any part though.

I think he'll be fine once he gets his hands on it.

[Bluesteel88]

I have the same exact problem, i have the Rough Country 4in Lift and the banks exhaust, i am going to try to fix it this week, see what i can do to get it off the shock.

[Jesse-James]

I hear where you're coming from, would have been nice of Banks to include a disclaimer about using on lifted vehicle, if in fact they didn't.

Wouldn't you still have bought it if they did? Honestly?

[tlucier]

Honestly, I probably would have posted something here and asked if anyone with a lift installed a Banks exhaust kit and if they did, how did they solve the clearance problem.  If I got decent feedback, like I did in this case, then yes I would have bought it.  If I didn't get any response, then I wouldn't have bought it.

Now having written that, I should have done exactly what I just wrote and then I would have been prepared and avoided this issue altogether.

As Homer Simpson once said, "I am so smart! I am so smart!  S-M-R-T!  I mean S-M-R-T!

[garydubf]

What does the exhaust sound like?  Does it have a nice deep tone or does it soung like some highschool punks sport tuner?

[tlucier]

It got a deeper, throatier sound versus the stock exhaust.  Its a nice mellow sound, slightly louder than stock but not obnoxious.  It's not a high pitched sound like those Honda aftermarket exhaust systems.  I was worried about how it would sound, but after installing it an hearing it I'm pretty happy with the sound.

[lanulos89]

best sounding exhaust systemt you can buy paceseter headers, and straight pipe, to pacesetter cat back system, i had it, sounded like i had a cam installed.  was too loud tho parents and neighbors made me remove it

[jeepheap]

side bar- my neighbor complained to me about a hole in my exhaust waking him up, and told me i needed to fix it.

i put on a cherry bomb. he hasn't talked to me since.

[garydubf]

Anybody tried a Flowmaster on their 2.5?

[Bounty Hunter]

I had a Flowmaster 50DF and it was too loud.  I did like the sound on the trail, and the downhill cackle, but too annoying leaving the house.

I now have an OEM replacement with no converter and like the sound/performance.

[Jeffy]

I had a Flowmaster on my Jeep too.  I forget what model it was.  I'm not even sure if they had models back then .  It was loud and I saw no real performance gains.  Although when it fell off it was even louder.     It broke around the outlet weld.  The Aluminized paint heats up and gets tacky till it burns off and then get rusty.  Although mind didn't get a change to get rusty.  Threw it in the trash and went with a Stainless Steel Cat-back.

[garydubf]

Loud is ok with me I'm more concerned with tone. Don,t want my jeep sounding like a mad humming bird! I've heard 4.0's with 2.5in exhaust and flow masters.  Thought they sounded good, LOUD!! Haven't heard a modified 2.5 yet. Like I said though I am more concerned with tone than I am with decibles!