Do exhaust hanger rubbers ever 'wear out' and need replacing?

[spudboy]

Apart from when they break, do exhaust hanger rubbers ever need to be replaced? Do they stretch or go 'soggy' over time?

We have a 10 year old vehicle where the muffler has started to occasionally 'ting' and rattle against the bodywork.

The 3 hangers on the rear muffler look fine visually, but the noise from the rear is new so I am thinking of starting by replacing the hangers to see if that improves things.

Any thoughts on this?
Cheers
David

BTW - it is a 10 year old Mercedes C class, not that it's particularly relevant probably.

[loanrangie]

They will stretch then crack and eventually fall apart but being a Merc they are probably a good quality rubber.

[Chops]

I would have thought they would need replacing occasionally, but the other thing you should probably check is if the exhaust itself has moved at all. It may have been bumped out of alignment perhaps, on a speed bump or similar.
If the rubbers are starting to crack a bit, that would mean they'd be stretching a tad, which would of course most likely cause your rattle. Other than that, maybe the internals of the muffler have let go. Climbing under and giving it a good shake should help see where the problem lays though.

[spudboy]

Yeah - if I grab the tailpipes and wiggle left and right I get the same noise. I can see a shiny patch where the muffler is hitting the underbody protection, so I think it is def the muffler.

[superquag]

Rubber is an age-related consumable item, also affected by 'work' and enviroment.

eg, Tyres, belts, hoses, 'lacky bands,,, hangers...

Yes, they'll stretch, become softer / less resiliant, and can / will break, eventually.

Oddly enough, - - heat from the exhaust system will accelerate the aging !

[spudboy]

I've got 3 new rubbers on the way from Mercedes...