Tips on keeping the front valance from being damaged.

Get a set of skid plates to protect the undertray from being scraped. Otherwise drive carefully with angled entries into driveways as you already know.

 

We have them listed here, in both aluminum and poly

http://www.ricambiamerica.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=skid+348&x=0&y=0

 

With skid plates, be careful of certain types of barriers, such as curbs that you might slip over with the skid plate. On very rare occasions u can get into a position where the rear edge of the plate can actually catch and tear off the lower valance. This is more an issue with the 348 due to the more forward mounting of the plate on the lower spoiler.

 

I personally would not use the skid plates.

1. It lowers the front clearance by an additional 1/2 to 3/4" or more.....

2. By further lowering the clearance you increase the chance of rubbing the front

3. Anytime the front scrubs it puts pressure on the bumper mounting points....if the pressure is severe enough, instead of cracking the face of the spoiler it will try anf f-up the fiberglass at the mounting studs/brackets.

4. At high speed that additional 3/4" or more, changes the air flow characteristics that feed the undertray....not a concern for most, but if you are a speed purist this is something to consider.

5. We will be grinding down the leading edge of the "built in" skid plate on the stock OEM bumper and filling the area in so that it tapers from the leading edge of the bumper back to the skid area......this will give about a 1/4" higher clearance at the most critical point(for rubbing) and will give better airflow to the undertray at high speed.

I just wanted to share with you how we are looking at this bumper thingy......for your average driver the skid plates may be OK, and could save you a bumper repair/paint.

 

I agree on the skid plate thickness point; my solution was to make up a set of very thin titanium skid plates (under 1/8"). Even better would be to grind down the 'built in' skid pads as you said, but I didn't have a good way to do this on the car (without a lift).

 

Nice alternative Jay.....I like to see owners who are creative and have the ability to DIY.

Jay, does the company you work for use titanium?.....I am trying to locate some scrap pieces to machine our small pieces from...especially for the shift arm..lol

 

i made mine out of marine plastic (cuttingboard material) i was thinking of making some up..but im too busy- perhaps ill get my guy to cut them up for me to ebay them...
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Sweet.....looks great

 

Keep your tires properly inflated. Don't lower your car. Keep your front trunk empty. New tires are better than old ones. 19 inch wheels offer 1/2" clearance advantage to you. Replace your front shocks if you detect them leaking on top.

Cheap 3M film (~~ $18 delivered) on the *underside* serves as a micro-thin skid pad that is slick, resilient, and won't reduce your front clearance like metal/wood/nylon/plastic skid pads.






...well, you asked!

 

Hopefully in the near future(when I get the shop moved back to GA) I will take some pics of the 5-6 OEM stock bumpers I have, to show the wide variance in damage(both cosmetically and struturely) that happens when the bumper meets the road or curb, with and without skid plates.

I will not be using skid plates(just gotta watchout for the filling lids at the petrol station) on the street/track car I am building...that $200 savings will go somewhere else, like lightweight CF trumpets for the air horns..just kidding..lol

 

LOL!

 

Neh. They both look rough once they've been scuffed -- if you're knee-high to a grasshopper! Truth is, they're damn near impossible to see when you're standing alongside the car. Unless you're sitting on the ground, you can't really see them.

In terms of high speed stability, the poor ol' 348 has so many other "issues" in that department! The idea of skid plates affecting a 348's high-speed capability is like throwing a deck chair off the Titanic. (IMHO)

 

3M film will do next to nothing. Anything it protects on the underside, would have suffered little, to no damage anyway. It is too thin, plain and simple to protect against the sudden, often times unavoidable driveways, curbs and such.

 

Just measured the stock, they're a bit over 1/16" (0.079"). We use some titanium at work, but most stuff I fab up is using Ti stock from Ebay. There's a few sellers in WA who seem to offer Boeing leftovers...

 

Thanks Jay...I'll be at Lockheed in a couple of weeks and I'll see what they have.

 

I was wondering if anyone has fabricated these out of teflon. You buy a few of those teflon pads for sliding furniture around and cut out some crescents to fit. Mount with, hmm, resin glue maybe? What adheres to teflon? The idea would be to glide over the bump. Just an idea. Personally I'll do without and just be careful.

 

I got a set off Ebay awhile back and love them. Very thin and countored to fit the existing area perfectly..