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Broken downpipe bracket

It may be hard to see in this picture if you don’t know what you’re looking for, but this is the source of a random metallic clanking noise the impreza picked up awhile back.

The cause? A broken exhaust mount. This mount never really fit right (which seems to be the status-quo for after-market car parts.) It’s a solid metal mount that connects to the bottom of the downpipe. It didn’t line up once the pipe was installed, but with a little re-shaping it bolted in. The part lasted about 6-8 months before snapping.

The replacement, which I don’t have a picture of off-hand, was made by modifying a left-over after-market exhaust hanger from a 4Runner that didn’t fit the truck. The new hanger is still stiff enough to keep the turbo from moving, but has a small amount of flex to avoid this problem again.

I’m not sure what motivated me to post about this, but I have a long list of draft posts in my head that all relate to after-market product quality (or lack thereof) and the apparent in-ability for some of these performance shops to understand their market and launch new products. Many of these small manufacturers miss out on the little details, like: (1) a focus on quality, (2) providing proper customer support, (3) defining a clear product strategy, and (4) properly understanding who their customer is and what need they are trying to solve. They do manage to sell parts though — which I guess is what happens when you’re market is addicted to improving performance.