Just waiting on installing a RB midpipe i got used, i was thinking about making a skid plate so that the midpipes resonators didnt get bent if i went over a speed bump.

My schools parking lot has a speedbump at the end when leaving and everytime i scrape veery slightly (if my car has half tank, and nobody sitting in the rear seat, and full empty trunk with me leaning forward)

and this is with the oem cat, i havnt checked underneath yet what im scraping but i believe it to be the crossmembers?

I was thinking about matching the size of the bolts and just getting slightly longer ones for a sheet of metal to go over the crossmembers to cover the resonators in the midpipe.

There is lots of debate over whether or not the crossmembers do anything, vs foam and regular, im under the impression that they DO something so id like them to stay if possible.

 

The crossmembers that go across where the exhausr sits? If thats what your talking about then those are just about skid plates. Adding a piece of metal over the piece of metal? I may be reading wrong but i dont get the purpose.

 

i maaay or may not be calling it the right thing. From what ive heard people talking about i believe this picture shows a RB midpipe without the braces.



From what ive been reading with the RB mid, you either use washers to make the brace fit under the resonators, or use some kind of spacer made out of aluminum or something, but essentially you are just trying to get the brace to go under the resonators.

Ive seen a few RB midpipes with dents in the front resonator from most likely speed bumps, so obviously either they are running without the braces or the braces dont protect the front resonator...Im thinking if it hangs that low, that if im scraping now, id rather not have to worry about it with a metal plate that shields the front resonator.

Obviously i dont want to have a huge plate radiating the heat towards the cabin, just where the resonators are.

Clearer?

 

I dont' think the braces are there just for protection (at least not the stock ones). I was told a few years back that they are part of the unibody design and are required for maintaining the structural integrity of the body.

Mine certainly have a few scrapes (I run a BHR pipe and am lowered about an inch). Incidentally the bottom of the hanger on my mid pipe has been scraped more than anything else.

 

^agreed, if those braces are infact the crossmembers, then they do add structural rigidity.

If im scraping now, then when i lower the bars even more, i fear the resonator will get dented.

Everytime i go over a speedbump i cringe and go as slow as possible. Id rather just not care about it scraping with a plate.