Side exit exhaust with bedside toolbox?

[mchyphy]

When I eventually get my exhaust done, I'd like to do a side exit before the rear tires. But my 72 Cheyenne has the bedside toolbox, so I'd think I'd run into trouble with melting the plastic of the toolbox. Has anyone else done this? Would I be able to use some heat insulation or something? Thanks.

[kwmech]

You going to dump the exhaust outside the frame where the box is?

[jocko]

it's a good question - and, personally, I would not do it. I'd either run the exhaust straight out the back or out the stock location behind the rear wheels at an angle. If you go around the box and try to exit in front of the wheels, you'll induce a sharp angle in the pipe and that's not a smart thing for an exhaust system (I don't mean kinking it, I just mean a 90 bend, even mandrel bent). If you go under the box, then that would be the highest risk of making it hot/melting it - and it would be too low, should be above the frame rail lower edge as much as possible until the downturn for exit. Sometimes the easiest solution is the best - avoid the problem in the first place. CAN it be done - yes. Will it smoke the box, who knows - but it isn't an optimum layout. Oh, and since we're talkin exhaust options - I'd avoid just dumping it in front of the axle. If you don't have a cap on the bed, might not be a huge deal, but I do know a guy who accidentally killed his hunting dogs that were hanging out in the back of the truck inside a topper with the truck idling for a bit too long (CO poisoning - because beds aren't sealed against exh fumes by any stretch of the imagination).

[toolboxchev]

You could always fabricate some type of heat shield, I have heard of people making one for a starter from an old license plate.

C!

[special-K]

It should be fine. The pipe isn't that hot and you will be spaced off enough to allow an air gap. And yes, you could make a heat shield very easily. I installed auxiliary air bags on a leaf spring truck and the exhaust runs within an inch of the bag. They provided a piece of tin that is spaced slightly off the pipe