MTFCA Forum

This post goes with the one on the exhaust nut wrench.
One reason the exhaust nut gets loose is because someone uses a clamp on the front end of the muffler where the pipe attaches. It is best to leave it without a clamp so that the pipe is free to rotate or move in and out of the muffler as the car vibrates and twists when driving. A clamp under the nut will also help keep the nut from backing off.
Norm

Good post. When I'm driving, I can feel the car twisting through valley gutters and such. I can see why it would affect the exhaust nut. Thanks. I don't have trouble with my nuts probably for the reason you gave.

The cast end mufflers were meant to be a sliding fit, however the pressed steel end type never was. The original pipe was one piece with the muffler and the mounting hanger on the rear of it was the flex part. You can install the pressed end muffler without a clamp as there should be enough exhaust pipe tube inserted to work without a lot of leakage if it was not cut too short.