Anyone removed the front skid bars?
09-09-2009, 06:33 PM
#1
Race Director
Thread Starter
Anyone removed the front skid bars?
Those large chunks of aluminum under the nose. I'm thinking of removing them for extra weight. I've never hit anything with them and this is on my race car. It looks like there are bars to them from the K member which can also be tossed. Anyone else done so?
09-09-2009, 07:13 PM
#3
Race Director
Thread Starter
No kidding! I've unbolted a ton of extra brackets and fasteners, wire holders, etc.
I might look into using the openings there as brake duct scoop locations. Since there will already be a hole in the bottom of the bumper to patch or use for cooling.
I might look into using the openings there as brake duct scoop locations. Since there will already be a hole in the bottom of the bumper to patch or use for cooling.
09-09-2009, 07:20 PM
#4
Le Mans Master
Never seen it done since it appears to hold the bumper up.
09-09-2009, 07:32 PM
#5
Race Director
Thread Starter
I looked around fairly quickly and didn't see any of it attaching to the bumper.
09-09-2009, 08:02 PM
#6
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Loke I say, it has been a few years since I did it and it wasn't fun
09-09-2009, 08:26 PM
#7
Race Director
Thread Starter
On my '88 it looks like a lot of the bumper bracketry is attached to the frame. I'll check it out and see how it goes.
09-09-2009, 09:07 PM
#8
Race Director
Thread Starter
The FSM doesn't show the skid plates supporting anything. Checking there and on the car shows a large vertical bar attaching to the frame by the hood support. The horizontal bars off the K member attach to that. I may look into running an aluminum bar from the K member to the frame instead of that clunky mess. So it looks like forward of that vertical bar can be eliminated but I have further checking to do. Anyone done it?
09-10-2009, 04:50 AM
#10
Safety Car
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Not me..........mine have come in handy several times. Those concrete bumpers in parking lots are hell. I have felt the front of the car raise up many times.
09-10-2009, 06:49 AM
#11
Safety Car
They don't weigh enough to make any difference anyways. If they weigh a 1/2lb I would be suprised. The only thing that weighs alot involving all that is the main skid bar but I don't think you want to drive without that.
09-10-2009, 06:56 AM
#12
Safety Car
this is the part that is heavy but not all that much and its weak anyways. You can see my original was bent.
see it don't take much to bend the hell out of them. You can see through the holes just how thin they are. I'm not sure what this car hit so don't ask
see it don't take much to bend the hell out of them. You can see through the holes just how thin they are. I'm not sure what this car hit so don't ask
09-10-2009, 09:34 AM
#13
Race Director
Thread Starter
This is a race car, half pounds do matter and it doesn't drive over things in parking lots. I'll weight up the parts when I'm done.
09-10-2009, 05:52 PM
#14
Race Director
Thread Starter
Well the bumper didn't fall on my head when I removed the parts. As I thought it isn't there to attach the bumper whatsoever. I did think that the skid plates were solid, partly because I remember seeing a tow hook attached to it. Mine are hollow and filled with a gravel/OPR mix. 
No final tally on the weight yet. The skid plate itself is still attached inside the bumper somehow. I'm also thinking of grinding off the large steel bracket from where the bar attached.
The part on my '88 doesn't look like that picture above at all. They are two tapered metal parts that stick down out of the nose aside the radiator and are attached with a horizontal and vertical bar.
No final tally on the weight yet. The skid plate itself is still attached inside the bumper somehow. I'm also thinking of grinding off the large steel bracket from where the bar attached.
The part on my '88 doesn't look like that picture above at all. They are two tapered metal parts that stick down out of the nose aside the radiator and are attached with a horizontal and vertical bar.
09-10-2009, 06:26 PM
#15
Drifting
Aardwolf didn't you have a post awhile back about lightening your C4 and what each piece weighed when removed. What does your car weigh now? Your right 1/2 lbs. add up here and there. The lighter the faster right? Pipe
09-10-2009, 07:18 PM
#16
Race Director
Thread Starter
Yes, I'd like to see a parts weight list be a sticky. I don't think this will be more then ten pounds off but that's a sweet drop to me. I detached the skids by two bolts each right under the fog light opening.
I'm always amused and annoyed at the same time by how long of fasteners they used. Those two bolts are probably 2.5" long and like many other bolts on the car are two inches to long. I've got a bag of bolts that I removed that must be up to ten pounds by now.
The car gets faster, breaks less parts, and puts money in my pocket for more racing by selling the parts.
I'm always amused and annoyed at the same time by how long of fasteners they used. Those two bolts are probably 2.5" long and like many other bolts on the car are two inches to long. I've got a bag of bolts that I removed that must be up to ten pounds by now.
The car gets faster, breaks less parts, and puts money in my pocket for more racing by selling the parts.
09-11-2009, 07:45 AM
#17
Safety Car
Well the bumper didn't fall on my head when I removed the parts. As I thought it isn't there to attach the bumper whatsoever. I did think that the skid plates were solid, partly because I remember seeing a tow hook attached to it. Mine are hollow and filled with a gravel/OPR mix.
No final tally on the weight yet. The skid plate itself is still attached inside the bumper somehow. I'm also thinking of grinding off the large steel bracket from where the bar attached.
The part on my '88 doesn't look like that picture above at all. They are two tapered metal parts that stick down out of the nose aside the radiator and are attached with a horizontal and vertical bar.
No final tally on the weight yet. The skid plate itself is still attached inside the bumper somehow. I'm also thinking of grinding off the large steel bracket from where the bar attached.
The part on my '88 doesn't look like that picture above at all. They are two tapered metal parts that stick down out of the nose aside the radiator and are attached with a horizontal and vertical bar.
09-11-2009, 10:01 AM
#18
Race Director
Thread Starter
I found those and have one side done. I'll post up some pictures later on. The nose looks a lot smoother without the skids there. I wonder if there will be any aero gain or detriment. The skids may have acted like fences to help hold air into the radiator but I plan to add hood vents so I'd think that would counteract any issues in the nose. Maybe the CD is less.
09-11-2009, 11:11 AM
#20
Safety Car
I found those and have one side done. I'll post up some pictures later on. The nose looks a lot smoother without the skids there. I wonder if there will be any aero gain or detriment. The skids may have acted like fences to help hold air into the radiator but I plan to add hood vents so I'd think that would counteract any issues in the nose. Maybe the CD is less.
