A muffler is a part of an automobile exhaust system that reduces the amount of noise emitted by the engine. They come in a variety of forms and types to fit different kinds of vehicles. A lot of vehicle owners replace their existing mufflers with ones that can meet their acoustic needs. The old ones are then traded or sold to whoever is interested instead of letting them gather dust in the garage. This makes mufflers a relatively common item to ship.
However, a muffler’s bulk and irregular shape makes some people feel apprehensive about shipping it. Here are some helpful tips on how to properly pack and ship a car muffler to make the task a little less cumbersome and ensure that the item arrives without scratches, dents or any major damages.
Measure your car muffler to get an idea of the size of shipping box you need. Purchase an appropriately-sized sturdy cardboard box from a shipping supply store. The box should accommodate the muffler snugly with a few inches of extra space for padding and protection. Alternatively, you can go to a neighborhood bicycle store and ask if they have any bicycle box lying around. Bicycle boxes have perfect dimensions for a muffler or you can just cut them to size if they are too big. These stores usually discard empty boxes so you can just ask them if you can have one.
Wrap the muffler generously with bubble wrap and secure with packaging tape to prevent it from coming undone. Then place the wrapped muffler in the center of the box lined with 2-inch thick Styrofoam boards on the bottom and sides. The muffler should snugly fit in the box to prevent shifting. Fill any empty spaces with more packing materials such as crumpled newspaper, bubble wrap, packing peanuts or more Styrofoam boards.
Close the box and seal with heavy-duty packaging tape. Make sure to reinforce all seams and edges with packaging tape to prevent the box from bursting open during shipping.
Address and label the package and take to a reputable shipping company.