kewlbrz

The service manual shows this job can be completed without removing the front fascia.

Who has performed this, and is it easier to perform without removing the front fasica?

Also, I understand that special bolts/tools are needed to reattach the skid bars and/or the horn, air pump etc... What exactly is involved with the tools and fasteners in that respect? The service manual isnt clear on that subject.

The skid bar comes as one complete assembly (left and right) correct?

Any other caveats to be aware of?

thanks!

jmX

The skidbar meaning the thing the air dam mounts to and the radiator sits on? I replaced mine....fascia stayed on, no special tools required. Took about 90 minutes. Do you have any specific questions? You got some threaded inserts right? There are 2 different sizes, you need 8-10 of the small ones and I think 2 of the larger inserts.

kewlbrz

thanks jmx. I quess my biggest concern right now is the threaded inserts. Are these obtainable from the dealer? Or where is a good source? Any special tool required for the threaded inserts? I have heard some say some sort of special press fit tool is required.

jmX

The dealer will have the inserts. Its gonna be hard to explain the part to them, but their computers will show them. I'll look tonight to see if I still have the GM part #'s from them if you want.

As for installing them, the way it works is this:
You put the insert in the hole, it'll be really loose. Then, Start bolting the part that bolts onto it normally (ie, those aluminum air dam support brackets) and once the bolt gets tight, the shell of the insert expands and locks the threads/insert into place. From then on, the insert is permanently attached to skid bar and you can unbolt/rebolt your parts on it just like normal. No special tools required.

scool93535

I got mine from the dealer and, a frendly shop manager had them pressed in for me. You can do it yourself if you shop isn't as helpful. You'll need the right size bolt, which you can take out of the old one and, 2 nuts of the right size. Put a nut on the bolt, insert the bolt into the insert until the threads are about even with the bottom of the insert. Back the nut down till it c omes in contact with the insert. This will be the outside compression point. While holding the insert in place, hold the bolt so it doesn't turn, un-screw the nut to compress the insert. This will be easier to do if you install the threaded inserts before mounting the skid bar. It will also be easier if you have the proper tool.

LOL


:cheers:

kewlbrz

Thanks guys.

Jmx, I called Bob at Fitchner Chevy, and he said his computer regarding the skid bars states "special nut and bolt may be required" He said it only shows a qantity of 4 according the diagram and it calls them nut-serts. He couldnt tell where 10 or more (as you eluded to) would be needed. Any elaboration or part #s you could provide would be greatly appreacited. You've allready been very helpful

thanks!

-shawn

BlueDragon

Rouch! watch out for those nut-serts, If you can get them pressed in do so. Sometimes whe you start to tighten them they will spin in the socket and there is nothing you can do! I did mine and had to grind one out, because the hex in the actual bar was too loose and when you started to put enough force to crimp the nutsert it went so far and began to spin!

Otherwise the skid bar replacement is quite straight forward. Be careful with your wiring harness, as that one goes to the airbag sensor, so dont' bang it around too much and be sure to disconnect the battery!

Jer :skep:


[Modified by BlueDragon, 3:05 PM 1/17/2003]

SFVetteman

The skidbar is 10400765. The 4 nuts are 10281493. They sit in the frame that the skidbar attaches to. The bolts that are associated with those nuts are 11516594. These are not the bolts that are referred to in the skidbar description. Those bolts are 11515919. In fact, I can find no 11515919 number listed in the bumper/fascia assembly :confused:

kewlbrz

sfvetteman. thanks

So what is 11515919 exactly?

What about the inserts for the accessory bolts such as air pump and horn etc. is there any for there? I assume thats what jmx is talking about needing 10 or more of.

thanks! :cheers:

jmX

You will 100% definitly need more than 4 because your AIR pump, horn, and air dam supports all bolt to this thing.. And 2-4 of them are bigger than the rest(I never got any of the bigger ones so I just mounted the horn I think in a different position) and there are extra holes on that skid bar that you dont need inserts in. If you remove your stock one you'll see what I mean.

As for having things pressed in, I only had one "nutsert" spin in the hole so I couldnt tighten the bolt, and to fix that I wraped the thing with a layer of tape to make its diameter bigger, and then it worked just fine. It was a piece of cake to get them all in with nothing more than that piece of tape and the stock bolts that go in them.

I'll look for the part #'s tonight, BOB didn't have the #'s for those 8-10 smaller ones either when I ordered so I just got them from my local dealer. When you go, if you just tell them you need the threaded inserts on that part they can pull up the diagram of the frontend and it actually shows them going into the skid bar with a part # pointing to them.

BTW, they use those things on more than one car so they are apparently more common than you might think. My dealer even had lots of them in stock when I went now that I think about it.

c4c5specialist

Hi Shawn,
Well, there are at least 5 depending on what model and year. I would suggest that you set the nuts, before attempting to just tighten the fasteners to the nuts.
As for the rest, I usually use another fastener, with 2 washers, and a regular nut on the top. Thread the bolt into the nut that you are inserting into the skid bar, and then torque the nut to at least 15NM. You will find that this will set the nut, and then you can remove the fastener, washers, and nut.
Once the weldnut is set, you can install the air pump, and the horn with no problem.
Just make sure to absolutely support the radiator assembly, and the condenser, otherwise you may pinch an AC line.
Allthebest, c4c5 :crazy:

SFVetteman

So what is 11515919 exactly?
In the description of the skidbar the parts book adds the following line: May need nut 10281493 and bolt 11515919.

As I stated earlier, 10281493 sits in the frame that the skidbar attaches to (Since these sit in the frame and not in the skidbar, I would think they may be able to be reused). In the 74 part #’s that are in the front bumper/fascia diagram there is not a 11515919 listed. Therefore I have no idea what the function of that bolt is or where it is located. One thing I know for sure is that it is not the bolt that screws into 10281493, as that bolt is 11516594.

Other nuts that you will need:

Air Dam: (2) 10281487
AIR Pump (3) 10281487
Horn (1) 10281493
Fascia Lower Deflector Bracket (2) 11515638
Valance Panel Outer Bracket (2) 11515638
Radiator Support (2) 11515638

I believe that covers it, but I’ll double check later….gotta run :auto:

Walford

Can I ask a stupid question?

Why replace the skid bars in the first place? I've never heard of this mod, what's the deal?

:confused:

kewlbrz

Thanks to everyone who responded. :thumbs: :cheers:

Walford, the factory skid bars are designed to absorb blows to curbs, steep driveways, and such so that your front fascia and other underbody components avoid damage.. In the event the skid bars are damaged, its a good idea to replace them for next time. If they are just scratched and not bent, its probably not worth the trouble, as they will still peform thier job.

scool93535

:iagree:

That sounds about right for the number and location of the nuts. I had to replace my skid bar after a spinout at Willow Springs. I know there are more then 4 total. Two are larger then the others and there is about 8, if memory serves me correctly, smaller ones.

:cheers:

NevadaVette

Hello. I have replaced several and did one last week. Other guys have given you some good pointers but I will try to be more specific. It is an easy job if you plan ahead and know what you are really getting into.

The skid bar itself takes seven (7) insert nuts part number 10281487 (the small ones) and one (1) insert nut part number 10281493 ( the large one). Of the seven small nuts three (3) are for the air pump bracket, two (2) are for the center air deflector itself, and two (2) are for the aluminum support brackets that the middle of the center air deflector rests on. The one (1) large nut is for the horn.

Anybody that tells you that you need only four insert nuts is incorrect. They are telling you that because that is what the diagram in the Chevy parts manual indicates. Unfortunately, it indicates that incorrectly.

If they can't tell from the manual, just look at the skid plate itself. It has eight hexagonal holes and each one takes an insert nut.

Also, don't take your car apart and assume that your Chevy dealer has both insert nut sizes in stock. That could be a bad assumption.

Anybody that tells you that those eight nuts are simple to install is leading you down the primrose path. The likelihood that they will seat properly (not spin around when you are done) merely by putting a bolt into them to seat them and then subsequently removing the bolt is highly remote.

You should also be aware that the so-called "special tool" (looks kind of like a pop riveter) in the hands of guys that do nothing but work on Corvettes for a living also works inconsistently and may not seat the nuts so that they do not spin. You may get them all to seat with the tool, and then again you may not.

I have found that the only foolproof way is to braze them to the skid bar. I don't know if you have ever held a skid bar in your hand, but it is made of a very light thin guage steel, almost like you are holding a piece of aluminum, so you probably don't want your average muffler monkey heating it up and burning through it. If you do have to braze them, be careful who does it.

If you don't live near a competent and friedly Chevy dealer, the very best advice anybody could give you is to buy the skid plate with all eight push nuts
already installed. Ken Fechtner or CorvetteBob may be able to help you out if you buy it from them. Pay them whatever they want to seat them for you. It should be peanuts and it will be the best money you ever spent.

Note that the skid bar also holds up the radiator. You should brace the radiator (loosely) before you drop the skid bar so it doesn't drop down too far. You don't have to be scientific and you can get it back in by yourself.

As far as the radiator goes, it does not sit directly on the skid plate. There is a rubber isolator between the skid plate and radiator at each end of the radiator. The left one attaches to the skid plate and the right one attaches to the radiator itself. The left one is prone to falling off or getting lunched. The part numbers are 10188023 and 10278679. I don't remember which is left and which is right, but they are only a couple of bucks. Your local Chevy dealer will almost certainly have to order them. The most likely scenario is that yours are OK. If anything, the left one will be gone. However, you might want to be prepared if you are uncertain of their condition.

The plastic hood which pushes air into the radiator also attaches to the skid plate with 2 M4.2 screws at the bottom of the hood. The hood is rarely damaged but inspect it to make sure that the two plastic bolts it pushes onto at the top of the radiator (one on each side) are still in place. If not you can get them at Lowe's, AutoZone, etc.

There are also two pieces of foam (3/4" x 3/4") that go between the plastic hood and the radiator on each side where the hood intersects the radiator. This seals the air flow to the radiator. They are likely to still be there but you can just make some from Lowe's stuff if they are missing. The adhesive dries up and they can fall out.

If your skid plate is lunched, the center air deflector (10401458) may also be cracked/bent or if nothing else just ratty looking - it is about $35 to replace. Note that the brackets on the skid plates are often shipped bent - you may have to tweak the metal plates that the air deflector attaches to in order to get it to align properly. Don't assume that their angle is supposed to be what a Chevy dealer hands you.

If you're doing that, you might as well get the two small outside deflectors because they are cheap - about $12 for both - (10419312 and 10419313). Look at the washered bolts when you pull them off. If the diameter of the washer on the bolt is less than 1", you have the defective bolts GM was installing which get sucked up into the rubber hole of the deflector and make it droop. If so, put a 1/4" washer 1" in diameter on the bolt when you reinstall it to solve the problem. I think there are eight (8), possibly ten (10) of those bolts. I think GM fixed the problem in 1999 or 2000.

As far as installing the skid plate itself, it bolts to the bottom of the frame with four (4) bolts (13mm head). These bolts go into 4 more insert nuts (larger than the ones in the skid plate) that are in the frame itself. If you smacked the skid plate pretty good, you may have knocked one of these insert nuts in the frame loose. I have only encountered this once. If any of those insert nuts are wiggling around substantially when you take the 4 bolts out, stop what you are doing and go get it tack welded to the frame or you might never get the bolts back in because the insert nut in the frame will spin.

You should also note that these skid plate replacements are shipped unpainted (at least the ones that I have worked with). The factory one is painted black. This is almost seems too silly to say, but the hardest part of the job for me has always been getting paint to stick to it. I admit I am not much of a painter. But I can tell you right now your run of the mill auto primers and acrylic lacquers and acrylic enamels will not stick to it, even if you sand it. It will look great but the paint will chip off with your finger nail. The only way I have been able to get paint to stick to it is to use some primer called Zinnser (Lowe's) which is a white pigmented shellac based primer and then paint it with black paint, all after first sanding it with 320. Somebody else no doubt can give you better advice on painting that I can, but rest assured your typical "it's going under the car" paint job won't hack it.

Finally, you might want to consider pulling the bumper cover. By the time you pull all the deflector bolts off the bottom you are more than half way there. The only trick is that there are a few hidden bolts. It is easy to get back off and align correctly. If it is off you won't have to jack up the car and you'll be staring right at the skid plate. It's whatever your preference is.

I'm sure this is more than you ever wanted to know about skid plates, but if you know what you're getting into it's one afternoon and a couple of beers. It's really simple if you plan it out - I think you can tell that I didn't the first time I did one - but that was because I believed too much of this internet stuff!

Sorry for the verbosity - have fun!!!

Walford

OK, kewlbrz, I get it. This is not a modification, this is maintenance. I can be so dense sometimes. :rolleyes: ;)

I'm bookmarking this thread in case I need to do it, myself; after all, my baby has 55,000 miles on her. I may need to know this soon.

0vetteshop

Kewlbrz,I have a bunch of the nuts at work in my toolbox...I you want them shoot me an e-mail :yesnod:

BIGMAC2

Wow, this is just too complicated for me. I bought the skid plate stiffeners from Corvette America (others sell them as well) and bolted 'em on! They covered the scratched/slightly compressed stock bars, and give extra protection.

NevadaVette

SFVetteMan is correct about the part number for the insert nut that goes into the frame itself (10281493) and accordingly I assume he is right about the bolt that goes into it. The reason the manual says you might need one is for the condition I previously described. If you don't mind a couple of bucks for insurance, you would be wise to pick one up (at least the nut), particularly if you will be working when a Chevy dealer is closed and a welder is available. However, it is most likely disposition will be to lay around your garage for five years.

As for the aftermarket skid plate stiffeners, they do work to a degree and are helpful for routine bumps. However, if you really smack the skid plate, it will fracture, and the stiffeners then serve to push the point of fracture from the visible part of the skid plate that you can normally see to the rear of the skid plate assembly near the radiator and the weld at the rear that you can't easily see then cracks.

The only thing surprising is that no one has really pushed for a set of A&A Frame Savers from Andy of this forum at A&A Corvette. They are basically a set of roller casters that attach to the skid plate so you roll on impact rather than scrape. Every post I have ever seen from people who have them say they highly recommend them, but they haven't been on the C5's I have worked on so I cannot comment from personal experience.

The bottom line on this whole subject is that the conceptual design of that skid plate from GM was idiotic in the first place, rivaled only by their design for headlamp bezel plugs and seat track assemblies. With all the engineers they have you would think they could come up with something along the lines of Andy's frame savers, but I guess they are too busy at night school taking cost accounting lessons.

And, yes, you can turn your skid plate into a mod. The word on the street is that if you pick one up off a Z06 it comes with a big hole in it right from the factory so you can push more air through your radiator! (For you hard core modders, that's a joke!)