Tailpipe hanger

You can buy the same metal strap at an auto parts store and clamp it to the pipe with an exhaust pipe clamp.The strap will have two 90-degree bends to make it look kind of like a "Z", but with 90-degree bends. These are usually not listed for your vehicle because they come as part of the pipe. The hanger they'll give you is a generic version of that which fits a lot of different models. You can even make one yourself with a vise, a hammer, and the right size piece of metal.

Ford also commonly uses a different design that looks like a round bar with one 90-degree bend in it and a head on the end. If that broke off and left a hole in the pipe, you're safer to replace the entire pipe. If there is no hole in the pipe, and you can't find a universal replacement for the hanger, consider having someone weld a piece of flat stock to the old one so it can be clamped to the pipe.

A variation of that curved round bar is shown in the photo. There is another type of hanger that might work for this application. It is a bar with a flattened end, and a hole in that part, that slips over the u-bolt of a clamp. I'm not aware of any manufacturer that uses that as original equipment. Those are meant for this type of repair where you need to replace what was welded on at the factory.

What's the best one that would fit back into the rubber hanger?

Support arm for tailpipe the goes to rubber hanger broke at weld on
tailpipe. what's the best way to replace it with a strap or whatever that'll fit back into the rubber hanger?

Hello,

That correct way would be a re weld the hanger, but having said that, whatever will hold the rubber hanger up will work.

Thanks,
Alex
2CarPros

The photo shows what is used by the company that made that replacement tail pipe. That is intended to slide into the rubber isolator on your truck, so you need something similar to that.

Some of these hangers simply hold a pipe from flopping left to right. Some of them hold the pipe up, away from obstructions like the rear axle and parking brake cables. Those are the ones that need to be clamped real tightly to the pipe so they don't allow the pipe to sag. Often we find the weld broke because the pipe is rusted away. When that happens, it is likely to crush under the clamp before you can get it tight enough to hold the hanger in place. If you find that, it is better to just replace the entire pipe.

On most vehicles, a front pipe slides inside the pipe behind it, so cutting off the rear one is relatively easy if you have an air-powered cutoff tool. Just make a slot in the pipe, then peel it open with a large flat-blade screwdriver. You have to do that because the clamp made a dent , or compressed ring, around the pipes, so one won't just slide off easily. Opening the pipe up with the screwdriver will allow it to be slid off, then the replacement can be slid on. The new one must be clamped tight enough to form that ring again. That's what keeps the pipe from rotating or sliding back.

Rather than going through all this work yourself, you might consider asking about the cost of repair at a local muffler shop like Midas or Sears Auto Center. Once the vehicle is up in the air on a hoist, replacing a pipe like this takes the better part of three minutes, provided all the rest of the pipes are in god condition. Sears offers a free exhaust system inspection. Midas might do that too. I used to do this type of work all day long at a Sears shop in the '80s. To do the same job laying in my driveway at home can take up an afternoon. If you've never done exhaust work before, take a peek at this article:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/exhaust-system-removal