do you get chips around back wheels??
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 436
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From: Chatham Ontario
do you get chips around back wheels??
I'm looking at some C5 vets and the one z06 Im intrested in has lot's of stone chips around the brake cooling vent just before the back wheels. They are mostly on the passange side. I would have thought there would be more chips behind the rear wheels than in front of the rear wheels. It almost looks like the tire's would have to be spun in reverese to get chipped up there! Is this a common spot for chipping? I would hate to pass up on this car just to find most vets are chipped in this location. The car is a black 2003 Z06 with 26,000kms (16,000mi).
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 3,725
Likes: 53
From: Warrington Pa.
There is more debris on the passenger side due to the crown on most highways. Small stones, rocks that come from the shoulder make it more likely to happen on the passenger side. The marks in the brake ducts are most likely due to them being soft and stick out further than the rest of the car, so any stones from the front tires will bounce back and hit them.
Instructor
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 228
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From: Washington IL
St. Jude Donor '07
Yes, my rockers are tore up and it makes me sick. I'm thinking about looking into something to make them look a little better. There are touch up kits (TouchUp123 for example) that claim they completely remove rock chips. Not many people can see where most of the damage is, so if they even just do a good job of covering up all the light spots I'd be happy. I'm curious to hear if anyone else has tried anything similar.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,058
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From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
It should be chipped from the front wheels back. The front wheel and rear well openings should have some nice road rash in them that shows the tread of the SC tires (where there is a tread groove there will be no chipping). The front fender below the gill, the door below the belt or gill line and the rockers should all be fairly well chipped if the car has been driven. The only place that probably will not be chipped is the rocker right behind the brake duct inlets since the duct shields that part of the rocker from the debris thrown up by the front wheel. The front of the rear wheel well (actually the bottom panel of the rocker) will get some bad stone chips from debris thrown down by the tire as it rolls forward. Here is what my 8 month old 18K mile 03 Z06 looked like when I bought it 3 years ago.
This was a little more chipping than my 6 year old 97 with 24K miles had on it at the same time. The difference is in the tires. The Z06 SC tires are a softer compound than the EMT tires and pick up a lot of debris. The Z had been driven in an area of the country where there is a lot of sand in the soil.
Bill
This was a little more chipping than my 6 year old 97 with 24K miles had on it at the same time. The difference is in the tires. The Z06 SC tires are a softer compound than the EMT tires and pick up a lot of debris. The Z had been driven in an area of the country where there is a lot of sand in the soil.
Bill
Last edited by Bill Dearborn; Dec 27, 2006 at 08:21 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,313
Likes: 5
From: Middle Tennessee
Yes, our 97 has many tiny chips just forward of the rear wheels. It's worse on the passenger side. I'm think seriously about installing some painted stone guards.
Last edited by proracr; Dec 27, 2006 at 08:18 PM.
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From: AKA Harvey Mushman-I know just enough to be dangerous "Those who sacrifice liberty for safety deserve neither"- B. Franklin
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Cruise-In V Veteran
As Bill said, it's extremely common. I covered all the areas he mentioned with the clear 3M material when my car was new. 30K+ miles later I have NO chips (and I live on a dirt road
) Assuming you buy the car, I suggest you use the same thing after repairs are made.
) Assuming you buy the car, I suggest you use the same thing after repairs are made.
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It's common. The front wheels contribute to the chipping.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,300
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From: San Antonio Texas
paint chips; touch up, etc
Yes, my rockers are tore up and it makes me sick. I'm thinking about looking into something to make them look a little better. There are touch up kits (TouchUp123 for example) that claim they completely remove rock chips. Not many people can see where most of the damage is, so if they even just do a good job of covering up all the light spots I'd be happy. I'm curious to hear if anyone else has tried anything similar.
Two car washes later, many chips are back. The high pressure hoses at car wash simply remove the touch up paint. Oh, well, no one ever said life was easy.
I like the idea of the clear (3m??) tape going over the suspect areas.
Also, as others have said, get used to chips. You own the car; car should not own you. Enjoy driving it. Five years from now, I would appreciate a few chips as opposed to some body damage.
Ed
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,435
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From: Saint Louis MO
I had a clear bra installed on both of our C5's. It was a 3M product, he also installed it behind both of the wheels. Also I had him do the rocker panels where they wrap under the car and also the lower door up to the first indent. It is well worth the money if you plan on keeping your car. David
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: San Antonio Texas
clear bra and other areas to be covered with 3M
I had a clear bra installed on both of our C5's. It was a 3M product, he also installed it behind both of the wheels. Also I had him do the rocker panels where they wrap under the car and also the lower door up to the first indent. It is well worth the money if you plan on keeping your car. David
I am in San Antonio, and I too am interested in the 3M product you are talking about. I was thinking of having someone install the 3M stuff on front 02 Z06, around wheel wells, rocker panels, part of hood, mirrors, etc. Please give me a ball park range of what you paid up there.
Thanks,
Ed
Racer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 290
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From: Knoxville, TN
I've got just over 18,000 miles on mine and have similar rash on the fenders as Bill. When I bought the car it already had the clear bra installed on the front bumper, head lights, mirrors, and first 6-7 inches of the hood. No rock chips anywhere in these areas! I'm going to get the clear bra put on all the other areas before it gets any worse, definately worth the money.
Kyle
Kyle
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '03-'05-'06-'07
Yes.... I noticed it on my first vette. After getting this one I had 3m
protection film added behind the wheels and along the rocker panels. I have
observed the film picks up some stone scuffs but its better and chipping
the paint. Heres a couple pics;
protection film added behind the wheels and along the rocker panels. I have
observed the film picks up some stone scuffs but its better and chipping
the paint. Heres a couple pics;
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,092
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From: Deerfield VA
St. Jude Donor '07
+1 Spash guards from Ecklers, fit perfect, hardly noticeable. I don't have a choice because I too, live on a gravel road. Life's too short to worry about chips, re-paint the lower panels every ten years. On the bright side at least it won't rust! I know, I owned my car two weeks and my perfect hood already has 5 chips. I bought my car to drive and enjoy, and that is exactly what I plan to do. They make more GM black paint!
John
John