Headers hits the ground

[Birkholm]

Hallo - Sorry for my English

I have a 68 Charger with a 360cui (before 318), and I wonder if there is a different between smallblock and bigblock headers. I have put my car maybe about 1 3/4 inch lower to the ground in front, and when I'm driving at old roads or over curbs, sometimes the headers/ exhaust hit the ground !
I have seen some pictures of slammed big block Chargers, but can't see the headers/ exhaust.

At my car at the right side of the engine, 3 pipes is running over the steering and 1 is running under, at the "underpipe" is the one who hit the ground sometimes. Is it the same at a bigblock engine ?

// Christian - Denmark

[Drache]

Those are the problems with headers. No matter what car I owned with headers, they always seemed to catch the ground at some point.

[PA Dodger]

Many of the cheaper small block headers made have one tube running under the crosslink. You may as well hammer it flat before you install the header. It will be flat sooner or later. The solution is an expensive set of headers. The TTI headers don't have this problem. There are probably other brands that are good too but I'm just familiar with TTI being OK.

http://www.ttiexhaust.com/Header-TTI340ABE/SBheaders.htm

[Budnicks]

Shorty style headers, are another option, they won't make as much HP/TQ but are better for HP/TQ than stock cast iron manifolds, Hedman makes some decent shorty headers, if your going with the long tube headers, the Schumacher Creative Services www.engine-swap.com  Tri-Y's  or  TTI's are the best for ground clearance & fit... They aren't cheap

[Birkholm]

I have made a metalplate to take the worst damage. There is only 2 inch from the headers to the ground :S

My headers are from summitracing and it's the ceramic coated. Will the coating break or take damage if i flat it a little ?

[Budnicks]

I have made a metalplate to take the worst damage. There is only 2 inch from the headers to the ground :S

My headers are from summitracing and it's the ceramic coated. Will the coating break or take damage if i flat it a little ?

Probably, I don't think the coating can take too much, it really depends on how well it was applied,     but I could be wrong...

[Birkholm]

Okay...

The headers from TTi there are all pipes running over the crosslink ? There aren´t so much space I think ?

[Budnicks]

Okay...

The headers from TTi there are all pipes running over the crosslink ? There aren´t so much space I think ?

Sorry, I don't know every type & fit of headers, I'm usually using Big Blocks also... Go to their web-sites, they have photos or even "just call them & ask", but be prepared to spend a minimum of $600+ for an un-coated quality set of headers & up to $1000+ for ceramic coated, they aren't the cheapo one type fits all.... There's also custom headers, but they will run "way more" than that even, try  www.perfweldheaders.com for great examples...

[Birkholm]

Sweet lord ... I think I gave 300 dollars for my coated headers from Summit, but I also have the problem that the hit the ground sometimes ..

[Budnicks]

There's also are a ton of companies that make reasonably priced shorty headers for late 90's to early 2000's Dodge trucks, Durango's & Dakota's with the 318ci/5.2ltr.-360ci/5.9ltr Magnum engines, they use the same bolt & exhaust port spacing/patterns, so they can be made to work easily, you would need to have down pipes made by a muffler shop or fab them up yourself...  Look at Summit web site

[Chryco Psycho]

3 choices , TTI , Dougs & the Hooker 5115 , all stay above the steering , the hooker are light material though , How they can fit the big block ppes all above the steering but cannot get the small blocks over I have no clue