Serious question, why does everyone hate on using zip ties for exhaust hangers?

I got a loose exhaust pipe on my '02 F-150 last month and didn't have time to order the proper hanger. I used 4 heavy duty zip ties as a temp fix and it's still holding strong after 500 miles. Everyone in my crew tells me it's hack work but honestly it saved me $40 and a trip to the parts store. Has anyone else had a zip tie fix actually last longer than you expected?

2 comments

2 Comments

eric_johnson11d ago

@wyattbennett nailed it. Zip ties on an exhaust hanger is the definition of "if it's stupid but it works, it ain't stupid." Your crew can call it hack work all they want but that $40 saved could be gas money or a six pack. I had a buddy run zip ties on his muffler for over a year and they only gave out when the pipe rusted through. The real hack move would be letting your exhaust fall off and rattle down the highway at 2am. So long as you used the black outdoor UV rated ones and not the cheap white ones from a craft store you're golden.

wyattbennett11d ago

Oh yeah, your crew is right it's hack work, but so is driving around with a pipe dragging on the ground. I had a zip tie holding my catalytic converter on for like 8 months on a beater Civic. Thing outlasted the rest of the exhaust system. If it works, it works. You're not building a rocket ship, you're keeping a 20 year old truck on the road. Zip ties and a prayer is the foundation of budget car maintenance.