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My Jeep developed a new rattle. The rubber isolator mount for the middle of the exhaust was failing and allowing the exhaust to hit my transmission crossmember. You can see in this photo that the ½” hole in the middle of this hangar has wallowed.

Worn Out Jeep XJ Exhaust Hangar with oversized hole

This bracket has a rubber bushing that accepts an exhaust hangar. Over time (20+ years!), this hangar deforms and can allow the exhaust to contact the transmission crossmember and rattle.

I searched online for this part without success. For the first time with my Jeep, I saw this message:

This part is discontinued. It is no longer available for purchase.

The part #52058882 is no longer generally available. It appears that a few NOS are available for upwards of $100. However, there are quite a few posts in the XJ forums with solutions.

The Plan

Disclaimer: I am not a professional. This is for informational purposes only. Please properly secure your transmission when working, and don’t do anything stupid. Be safe when under your Jeep, and please wear your safety glasses.

We’re going to replace the rubber isolator instead of the entire part.

There isn’t a direct fit replacement for this rubber. We’re going to have to make one ourselves, and we’re going to have to take apart the mount in order to do that.

Parts

As usual, there’s an Amazon affiliate link in case you’d like to support these posts and need this part. The nuts and screws you should be able to find at a good hardware store for just a couple of dollars.

Remove the part and get it on your workbench

You’ll need to remove your transmission crossmember and then your transmission mount in order to access the exhaust mount. Remember to securely support your transmission when you do this.

Drill out the rivets and separate the parts

We need to remove the old rubber. Do whatever you need to in order to get the square “box” off of the main plate. I drilled out the rivets and hoped I’d be able to drive them out with a punch:

Drilled out rivets in the transmission plate

This didn’t work, and I instead ground the back of the rivets off with a grinder and a 40 grit flap disc. With the back of the rivets removed, I was able to punch out the remaining bits of the rivets.

I then drilled both the square body and the holes in the plate out to ¼” with a step drill bit.

Replace the worn out rubber

CCKen at CherokeeForum cleverly used a 3M sanding block to replace the worn out rubber mount. He details this in his post about this part. He includes a detailed drawing and excellent instructions.

Replacement Isolater

I instead chose to use a DEA A5208 Transmission Mount. It sounds like there are two version of this mount available. The one that I ended up with was both a little two narrow, and the hole was only a half circle. I chose to drill a new ½” hole off to the side of the factory hole. I then cut the sides off of the original rubber block and used those to make up the difference in width.

Sand and paint

I try to sand and paint everything that I can before I reassemble. This was no exception. I used a wire wheel and sandpaper to strip the parts bare and then repainted with Krylon Rust Protector.

I assembled the part with button head screws and stover nuts. They have even more holding power than nyloc nuts and are safe for higher heat.

Assembled replacement mount

Admire your work

With the new rubber in place, you can attach the metal cage back to the base plate. You should have something that looks like this:

Finished rebuild

Installed in my XJ

Here it is in place without the transmission crossmember. This moved my exhaust nearly ¾” upwards. Finished rebuild

If you’ve got questions about any of this, please feel free to send me an email.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”