Project Ridgeline....the Shop Truck!

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Re: Project Ridgeline....our new Shop Truck!

Post by Brian »

RonaldS636 wrote:I've been watching all of this with great interest. It's nice to have you sorting things out for us!

Maybe I missed it, but did you mention the specific spring package that you have installed? Sprint springs from Burtman Industries perhaps?

I'd like to achieve better cornering and lowered stance for my RL (like the Ohlins on my NC.!), but I admit that I love how comfortable and smooth the factory setup is. Are there any sacrifices in that regard?

BTW, no mods will be installed on my Ridge in the future unless they are "Brian Approved" and sold through GWR!
Yes, Burtman 2/2. Yes, ride just slightly stiffer when lowered, we figure the rates about 25 percent higher than stock.
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Re: Project Ridgeline....our new Shop Truck!

Post by Brian »

On our Honda 2020 Ridgeline Shop Truck...on road trip to Bodega Bay and beyond. About 2000 miles by the time we get home.

Our Enkei XM-6 20x8.5 with 255/50/20 Continental ECS
Attachments
EnkeiRidgelineCoast.JPG
EnkeiRidgelineFinalCoast.jpg
RigelineFarmPicENkei.JPG
EnkeiRidgelineClose.JPG
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Re: Project Ridgeline....our new Shop Truck!

Post by Brian »

More Coastal Fun....
Attachments
EnkeiRidgelineXM-6a.jpg
ENkeiRidgeline3.JPG
EnkeiRidgeline2.JPG
EnkeiRidgeline1.JPG
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Re: Project Ridgeline....our new Shop Truck!

Post by Brian »

Left Bodega Bay today at 2:12 am....blitzed over 550 miles back to San Diego and made it to our shop to help the team with a really full day. Picture is first light today about 300 miles into the drive home. Happy with the exhaust, the wheels/tires, and the springs.
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MrHapTravel.jpg
RidgelineLONGdrive.jpg
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Re: Project Ridgeline....our new Shop Truck!

Post by Brian »

Another reason I like the Ridgeline is the composite bed, eventually my daily splash of salt water in metal bed trucks always finds a way to start rusting the bed.
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BedNoRest.jpg
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Re: Project Ridgeline....our new Shop Truck!

Post by Brian »

At Magnaflow today for install of first PRODUCTION Duals for 2017-2020.

Smooth mandrel bends for max flow and max power. Unlike our hand made prototype everything here computer welded in the JIG, clean and precise!

This is a complete cat back system. Straight through performance BIG Magnaflow muffler up at the front right after connection for helmholtz size branch resonator. Notice factory cat is labeled here (click picture to see it bigger) and factory converter has a bolt flange at exit where we start for bolt on system. That Helmholtz resonator is the secret sauce, I would not use any highflow setup on Ridgeline without it because the drone would be terrible.

We tried a bunch of different configurations of Helmholtz chamber, this layout proved the most effective. We started with a much bigger Helmholtz chamber mounted in the space toward the rear of the setup. Funny thing about Helmholtz chambers and the way the math works is that the further to the front of the system you locate it, the more efficient you can get it. Thus, this smaller helmholtz chamber up front proved far more effective than the much larger helmholtz choices we tested toward the rear of the system. My wife has long been our test 'reasonable' customer, there was NO WIFE APPROVAL without the Helmholtz in the system to remove drone resonances.
Attachments
RidgelineFrontLabels.jpg
RidgelineMagnaDuals.jpg
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Re: Project Ridgeline....our new Shop Truck!

Post by Brian »

Revealing for first time....

We made our new Ridgeline 2017-2020 Sport DUAL TIP Exhaust System ADJUSTABLE FOR SOUND! :D

First we do the bulk of the sound processing work at the front half of the system with very large Magnaflow straight through muffler and Helmholtz chamber to trim out some drone.
RidgelineFrontLabelsCLOSE.jpg
Then we make the back half of the system with this small easily changed V-banded section muffler and we include both the straight pipe you see here and the small secondary muffler. You run one or the other and I changed them in my driveway by just sliding under my Ridgeline in about 5 minutes each time that I did it. That means buyers of this system are NEVER stuck on final sound level, what is in the box is two choices on final sound level using the two pieces we show here... and we are working on additional optional pieces that will swap into this section so that customers can tune the final results to their personal preference.

RED ARROWS point to the Vclamps for section that can be straight pipe or the secondary muffler.
RidgelineExhaustVclamps.jpg
Attachments
AdjustableRidgelineSOUND.jpg
RidgelineSystemOne.jpg
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Re: Project Ridgeline....our new Shop Truck!

Post by Brian »

Let's talk for a moment about who should consider this exhaust...and who should NOT get it.

Had a nice guy call today wanting assurance that with second muffler installed it would 'be no louder than stock'. Answer: this exhaust is clearly not for you. Even with second muffler installed this setup is more sporty than stock, there is every present low rumble. With the second muffler installed you won't hear that low rumble over your choice in music at reasonable volumes but it will always be there. Also, if you drive your Ridgeline like a Prius with a bed in the back, lugging it everywhere at 2000 rpms, there is just NO POINT IN YOU GETTING A PERFORMANCE EXHAUST. Know who you are, nothing really wrong with always having the transmission selector in 'D' and lugging this thing around at 2000 rpms but gains from an exhaust system increase with rpms and typically on the dyno we see gains are all from the midrange and up.....with NOTHING GAINED AT 2000 rpms. So again, know who you are, buying a sporty exhaust will not make you sporty.

On the other hand, I have had the pleasure of talking to a ton of Ridgeline enthusiasts who reach down every day and hit that 'D/S' until they see "S" on the dash. Many also tell me they have "S" selected and paddle shift it to redline daily. That "S" driving group is the group we made this exhaust for, and this goes double for the paddle shifting to redline group, that's the crowd that drives it like a sports truck to appreciate and thoroughly enjoy the power and sound of this motor when rpms are added. In this regard I did a test and had "D" for the 550 mile drive to my wife's parent's in Bodega Bay, and "S" for the same 550 mile drive home and found the mileage difference was only 1mpg. The "D" drive north was such a bore, it was killing me to do the test, the throttle response in 'S' on the way home made it so much more fun. That means driving it like you are trying to protect an egg under the gas pedal is not really doing much for mileage anyway...and you might as well have some fun.
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Re: Project Ridgeline....our new Shop Truck!

Post by Brian »

First Installation on Customer Ridgeline!

Local customer has a NC Miata with our full exhaust system (including Helmholtz) so he knows our stuff pretty well. This is a 2020 Ridgeline.
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GeneRidgelineDUALS.jpg
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Re: Project Ridgeline....our new Shop Truck!

Post by Brian »

BEFORE YOU start installation go buy this tool, it will save you a lot of cussing! The exhaust hanger remover wrench shown here is available many places like Home Depot and AMAZON for under $20 and makes the job of getting the exhaust hangers off so much easier that it is well worth the investment.
Rhangertool.jpg
Rhangertool.jpg (4.94 KiB) Viewed 65918 times


DUAL EXHAUST INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS.

Very simple install, have your 14mm and 11mm deep sockets ready. You can also use a small 12v (or less driver) for the exhaust clamps, but exercise some mechanical common sense and understand that if you grab the same big 18v or 20v impact gun that you use for lug nuts you may break an exhaust clamp. If you don't have a lift like we do here at that shop you do not need to jack up your Ridgeline. Even with my own Ridgeline lowered two inches I can do this install in my home driveway without jacking up the vehicle. Make sure your Ridgeline is in park with parking brake set. Having a jack or jackstand is handy for support of the factory exhaust system, which is one 10 ft long ONE PIECE item. If you have a shop install, BE SMART AND PRINT THEM THESE INSTRUCTIONS, don't leave them to guess if you want it done right.

Step 1
Lube up the exhaust hangers. You can use WD40, or we usually use just a spray bottle with a mix of water and dish soap.

Step 2
Find where the factory exhaust connects to factory catalytic converter which is under the front half of the Ridgeline and looks like this:
Rfactory.jpg
. Spray the three 14mm nuts that hold factory exhaust to the factory converter with PB Blaster or similar penetrant. Use a jack or jackstand to support the long factory one piece exhaust system and then unbolt those three 14mm nuts that hold the factory exhaust to the converter. Use your new exhaust hanger removal tool to remove the factory exhaust from the rubber exhaust hangers and lower it to the ground (note you need to rotate it a bit and move it forward to get the tip and factory hanger from out of rear suspension).

Step 3
Hang the NEW front main muffler with helmholtz chamber. We are using a transmission jack for support in the picture here. Finger tighten the nuts that attach this front section to the converter. Leave these just finger tight for now while you hang the rest of the system. AFTER the full system is hung, come back to these nuts and make these tight to 25 ft/lbs with a torque wrench (go buy one if you don't have it already, Harbor freight has one that is good enough for about $20 most days).
FrontSection.jpg
Step 4
Add the secondary muffler (short ~12" long section). Notice it is directional, there is a slight lip inside main muffler outlet which nests in inlet of the secondary muffler and straight pipe section. And the secondary muffler repeats that lip which nests in rear section of the system. Looking here at lip at rear of secondary muffler.
Lip.jpg
Side-note:
Our Ridgeline exhaust comes with two options for this secondary muffler section; a muffler, or a straight pipe. We suggest most folks do break in miles with the secondary muffler installed. There's lots of reflective naked metal in the exhaust when new and it takes a good three months of driving to coat the insides and the muffler fibers with a layer of carbon which will really mellow the sound results. After that, have fun experimenting with whether or not the straight pipe works for you.

Step 5
Add the V-Band clamps to hold the secondary muffler in place. You need to open the clamps entirely to get them around the pipe. This is the one bit of hardware you must use hand tools on. Do NOT use power tools on the 11mm nuts that hold the V Clamps; you will melt and ruin the nylon lock washer that is built into each one.

Step 6
Add the "Y" section as shown here. Slip a clamp over the tube and leave the clamp hanging - do not tighten it yet (you will tighten this in step 10).
Notice in the photo that we put a healthy smear of anti-seize on the end of the tube that slips inside of the other tube. We do this on all of the slip-together junctions.
R1.jpg
RearY.jpg
Step 7
You have two hangers to add to your Ridgeline, both hangers are for the Driver's side rear section of pipe and tip. Both hangers use existing factory threaded connections! First hanger goes as shown under bracket that holds cable for rear parking brake to the chassis. Notice this hanger has two holes and from this picture you can see the orientation under the factory bracket that holds that same E-brake line. The second hanger bolts as shown to factory bolt just about two inches forward of last bolt for factory bumper.

FIRST hanger goes under where the Ebrake cable coming from Driver's rear wheel reaches and is secured to chassis.
Now add the rubber hanger.
Rfirsthanger.jpg
SECOND hanger goes just a few inches forward of first bolt that holds rear bumper assembly, find the factory 10mm bolt as shown and use it again. Note you need to get rubber hanger on before you can swing this bracket into place and tighten it with vertical orientation as shown.
Bracket1.jpg
Step 8
Now hang connecting pipe from Y section to driver's side rear suspension cross over point and again, use ANTI-SEIZE on slip joint. Slip two clamps over this tube and leave them hanging - do not tighten them yet (you will tighten these in step 10).
Ronnect.jpg
Rans.jpg
Step 9
Before you hang rear tip sections hold the tip up to the plastic cutout under bumper on each side and notice the orientation of the pipe (this will make it clear which side is driver's side and which is passenger side). You can then connect each rear tip section (again have Anti-Seize liberally applied to slip joints both sides first)
cutout.jpg
STEP 10
Tip alignment. IMPORTANT to notice your 2017 to 2020 bumper has a little cut out on the underside that we use to align tip sections, notice the RED arrow we added here to make it more obvious that there is the cutout and we align tips with those cutouts. You will need one person to hold the tip while you tighten the multiple clamps between the Y and the rear tips. Before you tighten the clams that hold rear sections with tips put a wooden yardstick vertically against tips and push or pull that section in and out until you get the yardstick to touch where the plastic curves under (BLUE ARROW). If you can't see that BLUE arrow here please click picture to make picture BIGGER. Use your cordless driver or SMALL impact wrench to torque the clamps while a helper holds tips aligned with the cutouts as shown. There's no easy way to do this final task solo. You may be pulling or pushing those rear tip pipe sections in or out as needed to get them aligned with bumper per above.
RRcut.jpg
Attachments
Rbracket1.jpg
Rfactory.jpg
Brian Goodwin
Good-Win Racing
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