It appears most HFC/test pipes have a mounting bracket welded as part of the design for the catalytic converter cross brace. From the pics on the Motordyne site it does not look like these are utilized. Is the cross brace simply not used when running ART pipes? Has this caused any issues with expansion joints on common CBE's?

None I'm aware of.

kosstick - any changes in sound?

I passed the 900 mile mark today, still jingling away.

as a note on the sound. I think ive passed around the 1200 mile marker with the ART pipes now and its actually settling in again. Gotten slightly tamer without a noticeable change in deepness/pitch from a few hundred miles ago.

Which im happy with. loud exhausts = not for me (P.S its still loud when you go full throttle, the way it should be. tame for normal, screamer when you gun it)

I was wondering the same thing, but A LOT of people are using these and i've not seen any complaints on them.

When you bolt them up, they are solid though... it certainly doesn't feel like the brace is needed. The stock cats are about 3.3 lbs heavier each from what the OP said as well so that takes a little stress off.

On top of all of that you probably save another 2 or 3 lbs from not using the brace ... so 9 lbs weight savings from these sounds good to me :)

daisuke, what exhaust are you running?

CNT exhaust

Update: Went back and forth to NY from FL and have 4600 miles on these without issues.

Im right around there and yep still jingling away as well

37drift has the chrome and may actually have the ceramic beads in there. I'm sending him the newer ones.

Kosstich, Do you have the chrome or titanium?

Hey Tony... what is that outside coating again? Ceramic titanium? I assume it won't ever need to be coated with any kind of high temp paint or anything correct?

Any word on that exhaust yet? hehe... thought i'd sneak that in there after I saw a 350 with 317 whp and 272 torque with the ART pipes and your TDX exhaust... very impressive numbers.

Titanium

Just a little over a hundred miles on mine and so far not a sound.

OK good. Then you certainly don't have the ceramic beads in there then. Its probably just the silica coated fiberglass going through break in. Let me know how it goes.

You have the Titanium and it won't ever need to be coated again. The pipes are made of stainless steel so even if there is a scratch it won't matter. They will last the life of your car.

The new exhaust is being worked on now. And it is very different from anything else.