• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Explorer ST Forum and Explorer ST community dedicated to Explorer ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Explorer ST Forum today!


Snapped down pipe

Messages
88
Reactions
35
Points
17
Location
Chicago
Vehicle
2020 Explorer St
#1
Just had a thermal 3” installed last week and modified to work with spd down pipes and today snapped the drivers side down pipe. Good thing the perfectly good mid pipes that would fit with cvf down pipes were cut up and now will no longer work.
 

Attachments

OP
E
Messages
88
Reactions
35
Points
17
Location
Chicago
Vehicle
2020 Explorer St
Thread Starter #2
So the question is cvf or fenfab?
 

2020FordRaptor

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,578
Reactions
764
Points
162
Location
Nevada
Vehicle
'20 Raptor, '22 Explorer ST, '14 GT500, '03 F150
#3
Just had a thermal 3” installed last week and modified to work with spd down pipes and today snapped the drivers side down pipe. Good thing the perfectly good mid pipes that would fit with cvf down pipes were cut up and now will no longer work.
Man sucks that that happened. Could just get some extensions and have a shop weld them in. Probably be cheaper then buying another new set of mid pipes.
 

OP
E
Messages
88
Reactions
35
Points
17
Location
Chicago
Vehicle
2020 Explorer St
Thread Starter #4
Man sucks that that happened. Could just get some extensions and have a shop weld them in. Probably be cheaper then buying another new set of mid pipes.
That’s probably the route I’ll be going hopefully there’s some Labor Day sales on Downpipes going on
 

Cdubya

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,729
Reactions
865
Points
262
Location
NE Ohio
Vehicle
2020 Explorer ST
#5
I would contact SPD. Looks like the welds at the cat failed. I would think they would warranty that. Sucks that the rest of your system is custom welded though...that's going to be a pain.
 

OP
E
Messages
88
Reactions
35
Points
17
Location
Chicago
Vehicle
2020 Explorer St
Thread Starter #6
I would contact SPD. Looks like the welds at the cat failed. I would think they would warranty that. Sucks that the rest of your system is custom welded though...that's going to be a pain.
I purchased the downpipes used so not sure how warranty would work with them unfortunately
 

OP
E
Messages
88
Reactions
35
Points
17
Location
Chicago
Vehicle
2020 Explorer St
Thread Starter #7
Since cvf and fenfab are 2.5 outlet and mid pipes are 3” inlet should I have them cut the 2.5” outlet off and weld on a 3” section to the downpipes then clamp to mid pipes? Any thoughts or other suggestions?
 

Cdubya

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,729
Reactions
865
Points
262
Location
NE Ohio
Vehicle
2020 Explorer ST
#8
Well, it looks like the SPD downpipe to SPD midpipe is still clamped. Your best bet may be to get the driver's side down pipe replaced by undoing both clamps and dropping the rear exhaust out of the way. If SPD will not warranty the downpipe because you are not the original owner, maybe they will sell you just the driver's side.
 

OP
E
Messages
88
Reactions
35
Points
17
Location
Chicago
Vehicle
2020 Explorer St
Thread Starter #9
Good idea I’ll give em a call on Tuesday
 

Messages
95
Reactions
48
Points
17
Location
Dallas, TX
Vehicle
2023 Explorer ST
#10
That's a pretty clean break. The way the two parts are so misaligned now that they're no longer connected makes me think there might be some alignment issues or stress on the down pipe before it snapped.
 

Cdubya

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,729
Reactions
865
Points
262
Location
NE Ohio
Vehicle
2020 Explorer ST
#11
That's a pretty clean break. The way the two parts are so misaligned now that they're no longer connected makes me think there might be some alignment issues or stress on the down pipe before it snapped.
The SPDs have a flex section on the downpipe, not midpipe. That said, even the stock cats fail at the welds for some reason.
 

Messages
95
Reactions
48
Points
17
Location
Dallas, TX
Vehicle
2023 Explorer ST
#12
The SPDs have a flex section on the downpipe, not midpipe. That said, even the stock cats fail at the welds for some reason.
Yeah I get that. If you look at pictures people have posted of the failed stock cats/down pipes, the welds fail but the parts themselves are still pretty much in line with each other.

From the OP's picture it does not look like the two separated parts of the down pipe are lined up. Now maybe it's just gravity pulling the lower pipe down out of alignment and if you pushed up on it, it would fit right back where it broke off. But if you feel any resistance, or it feels like you're having to bend the exhaust to get the two ends to line back up that means there was some stress on that down pipe that caused it to fail. Just slapping another one in will not fix that issue.
 

Cruising68

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,673
Reactions
1,225
Points
262
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
#13
My SPD,s were solid. Had them ceramic coated for heat but they were rock solid before I connected the midpipes. The exhaust seemed to go back on easy with good alignment and no stress points. Will keep an eye in them now.

Regarding the op, I agree that if the rest of the cat doesn’t simply push back into place with little effort I would guess it got ripped apart somehow. I could see catching some road debris but the dps barely stick out.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

ARC

Member
Law Enforcement
Messages
316
Reactions
102
Points
37
Location
Oak Lawn, IL, USA
Vehicle
2022 ST Black
#14
The SPDs have a flex section on the downpipe, not midpipe. That said, even the stock cats fail at the welds for some reason.
My installer/tuner had tols me that the engine mounts in these are terrible and that the motor moved all over the place on launches. Maybe that could be the issue???
 

ARC

Member
Law Enforcement
Messages
316
Reactions
102
Points
37
Location
Oak Lawn, IL, USA
Vehicle
2022 ST Black
#15
Since cvf and fenfab are 2.5 outlet and mid pipes are 3” inlet should I have them cut the 2.5” outlet off and weld on a 3” section to the downpipes then clamp to mid pipes? Any thoughts or other suggestions?
I have Cv downpipes. Great product and company! Recently one of the brackets broke on the downpipe. No big structural issue , but the rattling was driving me crazy! I finally found the problem was the mount bracket broke and called Cv and they offered to send out new set. They also informed me that the new version will NOT have mounts so technically, the bracket doesn't matter much.
 

OP
E
Messages
88
Reactions
35
Points
17
Location
Chicago
Vehicle
2020 Explorer St
Thread Starter #16
Yeah I get that. If you look at pictures people have posted of the failed stock cats/down pipes, the welds fail but the parts themselves are still pretty much in line with each other.

From the OP's picture it does not look like the two separated parts of the down pipe are lined up. Now maybe it's just gravity pulling the lower pipe down out of alignment and if you pushed up on it, it would fit right back where it broke off. But if you feel any resistance, or it feels like you're having to bend the exhaust to get the two ends to line back up that means there was some stress on that down pipe that caused it to fail. Just slapping another one in will not fix that issue.
this is gravity pulling it down i can effortlessly nudge it and it wants to line up with where it broke. I am disappointed to hear the new cvf dont have the bracket as i feel like the movement contributed to this break
 

Messages
95
Reactions
48
Points
17
Location
Dallas, TX
Vehicle
2023 Explorer ST
#17
this is gravity pulling it down i can effortlessly nudge it and it wants to line up with where it broke. I am disappointed to hear the new cvf dont have the bracket as i feel like the movement contributed to this break
Thanks for the clarification. That is troubling then, as that would mean was little weight or stress on that down pipe.
 

OP
E
Messages
88
Reactions
35
Points
17
Location
Chicago
Vehicle
2020 Explorer St
Thread Starter #18
To me this looks like the weld just didn’t overlap onto the cat portion and did dot penetrate basically hot glued together.
 

Attachments

OP
E
Messages
88
Reactions
35
Points
17
Location
Chicago
Vehicle
2020 Explorer St
Thread Starter #19
You can see where the weld barely overlapped and can see shiny metal where it broke not even penetrating looks like it just peeled off
 

Attachments

Cruising68

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,673
Reactions
1,225
Points
262
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
#20
You can see where the weld barely overlapped and can see shiny metal where it broke not even penetrating looks like it just peeled off
Agree with your assessment. Awful clean break.Too cold on that side and he just puddled some metal against it.

I’m no welding pro but I did inspect my SPDs before I installed them and to my eyes they looked like quality welds. Fingers crossed.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 



Top