Offroad-Express

Do headers need supports if they spread a little wider than normal?

My Rat rod project will potentially have the headers come out almost horizontally from my SBC (depends on clearance for steering etc) and then pass over the chassis rails into a collector before travelling down the back of the wheel well (gasser style - ish) terminating in a capped dump pipe and then a "hidden system" passing under the chassis into a std muffled exhaust system exiting near the rear. I am aware that I will have to allow for movement of the headers etc when the motor moves about but am unsure how to provide it some support.

My question is : "Should the exhaust headers/collector etc require support in some way? They will be coming out approx 400mm from the heads. Any suggestions?"

Yes the pipe will need support although the headers themselves will be fine. Just be aware of the amount of movement that will need to be built into the pipe mounts as the motor moves and rotates. What i did was to use a bottle jack up onto the engine mount and jack until the mount is under huge load and measure each side to illustrate potential movement and built from there.
In my case i elected to stay within the rails as once i included chassis twist the movement was going to more then the pipe mounting bushes would accommodate

Was thinking something like this and some big flexy's underneath body out of sight to take out some of the flex.

Heres the room I have to work with.


Pass side looks like it will be reasonably easy.


Drivers side is a little congested.


Some junk for the scrap bin, unless someone wants them.

Put a flexi joint at the exhaust side of the collector flange and make sure the exhaust is well supported and you should be fine.