jrfarrar.com : Jeep

Rusty's Off Road
Exhaust System
and Air Tube

by: J.R. Farrar



Here is a modification that all Cherokee owners will love. Whether you love the back country, crawling the rocks, spinning the mud or just crusing down town who wouldn't want more power from their Jeep? In fact who wouldn't want more power, a better sounding exhaust, a better sounding intake for very little cash? And to top it off... it's easy to install!

Yep, if you are anything like me, I've got you interested. As I was talking to Rusty at Rusty's Off Road he explained his "Exhaust System" which consists of a Flowmaster muffler and a 2.5" aluminized tailpipe with chrome tip for the mere price of $139.00. He also then expained he had develped an air tube ($19.95) for the XJ that utilized a conical K&N air filter ($29.95) for a total of less than $50.00. So for under $200 you can have a full catback exhaust system and a new K&N air filter setup!

First off I am really happy with this system. It's my job to inform you guys/gals of the good deals out there and this is one of them. I had been on a search for a good catback exhaust system for Project X for a while now. For the most part they are pretty expensive, especially when you start thinking stainless steel or aluminum which is well worth it. Hey if your gonna do it, do it once and do it right.

Ok, so now your thinking "This sounds good, but how do I go about getting my old exhaust off?" well, it may be easier than you think. There are two ways to go about this. First if you have the tools, it's fairly simple to do yourself. These tools include a suitable ratchet and socket for the exhaust hangers, preferably an impact gun, and a set of torches. OOHHH you say, I don't have torches. Not to worry, procede to the second alternative, take the Cherokee to your local gas station or similar and they will probably charge a small fee ($15-20) to take off the old system. If you're lucky, they will also get rid of it for you. Since I also don't have a set of torches, I opted for a combination of 1 and 2. I loosened all the clamps that I could, and left the exhaust hanging from the rear hanger. I then drove about a mile to the gas station service center and the gentelman cleanly took the exhaust the rest of the way off.


Follow these easy steps:
1. Remove clamp between muffler and catalitic converter.

2. Remove clamp at end of tailpipe next to gas tank.

3. Remove hanger from rubber mount.

4. Install muffler and slightly tighten clamp to hold it in place, be sure to get it square.

5. Install tailpipe into muffler and into rubber hanger (see step 3) be sure to get it square at the TAILPIPE exiting the vehicle (I made this mistake). One thing you may have to modify here. The bracket holding the stock tailpipe extends towards the back of the Jeep. If you use the location as it is, you either have to stress it very far back or clamp it around the chrome tip. It was fairly easy to just flip the hanger so that it pointed towards the front of the Jeep. Click on the picture below, it says 1000 words.

6. Remember I told you to square the exhaust at the back of the Jeep? This is what it looks like if you don't. However if you do, don't fret, it's fairly easy to fix. Just loosen the clamps and rotate.

You will notice while installing the tailpipe that it is mandrel bent with perfect bends all the way through. Now, go back to all the clamps and loosen and reposition them in a direction that hangs down the lowest. This is sometimes difficult, but will pay off on the trail. Now, get in and start it up. I'm sure you'll be pleased with the sound that you hear.

Next we will move on to installing the Air Tube. If you thought the exhaust system was tough, this will be a breeze and only takes about 10-15 minutes. The Air Tube replaces the stock air box and air filter and replaces it with a steel tube with a mounting bracket and spigot for the breather hose.

Follow this simple procedure:

  1. Remove the airbox cover, as if to replace the stock filter.
  2. Once you have the filter removed, remove the 2 bolts and 1 nut holding the box to the frame (all shown with circles in the "During" Picture).
  3. Next slide the Air Tube bracket over the rear stud that held the airbox down and slightly tighten the nut (circle in the picture).
  4. Slide the stock rubber intake hose over the end of the Air Tube and completely tighten the clamp (square in the picture).
  5. Check the fit of the breather hose (rectangle in the picture) you may have to slightly trim it to fit. Then slide it on the Air Tube.
  6. Now finish tightening the nut on the bracket (circle in picture).
  7. Finish by installing the K&N air filter on the other end of the Air Tube and tighten clamp.
During After
That's it! You will notice when you start the Cherokee the increased intake sound. You can really hear what the engine is doing as it revs through the RPMs. The last big question may be, "How does it perform?" Well, I've never been one to notice much difference from seat of the pants performance, but I can definitly tell there is more power than before. It is especially noticable off the line, and while traversing steep hills, where it once used to want to down shift, it now climbs strong. Also, the sound that the exhaust and air tube give off are by no means annoying. In fact I can't hear either one over the hum of the Goodyear MT's going down the highway. The exhaust and Air Tube sound is most noticeable at idle and high RPMs. For a true bang for your buck performance upgrade, this one will be hard to beat. Congratulations Rusty, job well done!

Rusty's Off-Road
213 Oak St.
Trussville, AL 35173
205-655-8714
http://www.rustysoffroad.com