Scraping front-bottom :(
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 232
Likes: 52
From: Miami FL
Scraping front-bottom :(
2) Most parking lots, including where I work, have a small concrete barrier several inches high at the front end. I have never before owned a car that is so low to the ground. Our C5 Corvettes have a downward protruding air dam that scrapes these, which for me is more of an embarrassment if somebody is nearby.
Does anyone have any parking technique recommendations to facilitate stopping short of the concrete barrier? Perhaps the Heads Up Display location relative to the street, can be used in some fashion to guide me?
Any advice would be welcome, except for "Just be more careful and don't scrape your car, moron!"
Does anyone have any parking technique recommendations to facilitate stopping short of the concrete barrier? Perhaps the Heads Up Display location relative to the street, can be used in some fashion to guide me?
Any advice would be welcome, except for "Just be more careful and don't scrape your car, moron!"
Last edited by Dave's 1st Corvette; Oct 18, 2015 at 04:34 PM.
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The front air dams are just made of plastic and are really designed to be flexible should any scraping occur. With the car being so low, it's hard not to scrape the air dam at some point and when it gets to looking bad, they are not all that expensive to replace. One technique that you can use is to approach the object at an angle - sometimes that minimizes the amount of contact the air dam will have and thereby reduce the scraping noise.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 3,275
Likes: 739
From: Miami FL
Welcome aboard! 
Two suggestions in order of difficulty (although none of them require considerable effort):
1) Fangs
2) Curb Alert
I installed both of them and I'm very satisfied.
Two suggestions in order of difficulty (although none of them require considerable effort):
1) Fangs
2) Curb Alert
I installed both of them and I'm very satisfied.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,308
Likes: 159
From: LaGrange Park, IL IL
St. Jude Donor '13, '15
this ^^^^The front end is longer than you think. Learn to stop sooner and it's a free mod. I'll sometimes use the reflection in the car next to me to help see when I am getting close.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,855
Likes: 78
From: Sammamish WA
WA Events Coordinator
All of my cars are lowered, and I always back into parking spots. If someone has to wait, too bad. It is safer pulling out since you have much better vision when pulling out. My Son's do the same thing, only the Wife is stubborn and doesn't back in.
I do have fangs installed, more for protection on the occasional mega high speed bump....
I do have fangs installed, more for protection on the occasional mega high speed bump....
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,432
Likes: 74
From: KcMo.
2018 C5 of Year Winner
Back in if you can.
Angled approach.
If I were to get to close pulling in one of these parking spots I'd hit my bumper
I've gotten pretty good at gauging distance as I can't afford constant bumper replacement and I can't imagine raising her back up
Angled approach.
If I were to get to close pulling in one of these parking spots I'd hit my bumper
I've gotten pretty good at gauging distance as I can't afford constant bumper replacement and I can't imagine raising her back up
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 232
Likes: 52
From: Miami FL
I reviewed the Curb Alert web site and I do like it. That would be a nice weekend project for me in December once it cools down here in Miami.
Cannot always back in, here in Miami. Parking spaces tend to be very narrow, and frankly I'm not that good at backing in to spaces that are wide.
I'd have to position the Curb Alert sensor in the rear of the car!
Cannot always back in, here in Miami. Parking spaces tend to be very narrow, and frankly I'm not that good at backing in to spaces that are wide.
I'd have to position the Curb Alert sensor in the rear of the car!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 6,644
Likes: 479
From: OK
The curb alert may help with not pulling up too close to barriers, but it's NOT going to help with the AIR DAMS rubbing when your going thru a dip or going up an incline that's fairly steep... again removing the side dams and trimming the middle dam is a viable option if you don't want them scraping... adding the fangs is also a good idea.
IF your driving your car 150 MPH then you might want to reinstall the side air dams to keep the air drag off of your front tires and reduce lift under the car... other wise they DO NOTHING else for your cars performance for normal driving... trimming the middle air dam hasn't added 1 degree to the operating temps of our car... just sayin.
IF your driving your car 150 MPH then you might want to reinstall the side air dams to keep the air drag off of your front tires and reduce lift under the car... other wise they DO NOTHING else for your cars performance for normal driving... trimming the middle air dam hasn't added 1 degree to the operating temps of our car... just sayin.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,328
Likes: 40
From: Orangevale California
St. Jude Donor '10
I reviewed the Curb Alert web site and I do like it. That would be a nice weekend project for me in December once it cools down here in Miami.
Cannot always back in, here in Miami. Parking spaces tend to be very narrow, and frankly I'm not that good at backing in to spaces that are wide.
I'd have to position the Curb Alert sensor in the rear of the car!
Cannot always back in, here in Miami. Parking spaces tend to be very narrow, and frankly I'm not that good at backing in to spaces that are wide.
I'd have to position the Curb Alert sensor in the rear of the car!
I bought 2 sets thinking I'd ruin my 1st set pretty quickly but the dam things are incredibly durable.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,328
Likes: 40
From: Orangevale California
St. Jude Donor '10
Not sure what happened to the OP, but I do have a brand new, still in the package set of Fangs that will be posted later today in the C5 Parts for Sale section.
$45 shipped anywhere in the US.
PM me and save me the trouble of listing them...
$45 shipped anywhere in the US.
PM me and save me the trouble of listing them...
