400ci94mm

Maybe this is the right section for this thread....

When it comes loose it starts to scrape on every little bump in the roads and speed bumps....etc....

When my girlfriend bought the car the service guy at the dealer told my girlfriend that she will have to replace that piece like once a year, to just bring it in when it gets loose and they will replace it with a new one. Sounds like that would be a recall item if it kept coming loose like it does. They told her about $100.00 plus labor to put it on I guess.

Now I know most Vette owners ON THIS SITE ANYWAY - NEVER bring their cars back to the dealer once they buy them, they fix them on their own or have certain body shops that they trust do the repairs.......thats what I do with my car. No dealerships allowed.....

So, I reached under there and felt the screw in the center had just gotten loose and backed out...at least thats what it felt like, I could not get under there to see it.....(so maybe thats not what I was feeling)

....Tell me there's a way to NOT have to keep buying them once a year like the Stealership told her.......

Whats the fix....lock-nuts I'm guessing....?

What size and how many do I need to buy...?

Thanks in advance......

talon90

I'm confused.

First and foremost, there is nothing on the Corvette that by design, will need to be replaced one per year.

There are two parts towards the front of the Corvette and lower fascia that you could be describing and I can't discern which one you are speaking about.

First is the black air damn that is under the front end. These are what could best be described as rubber strips about four inches in width that are attached near the front cross member that are used to direct air up to the engine as well as prevent air from freely flowing under the car and causing aerodynamic lift at speed. These can only be viewed from down low or looking under the car's front end.

The second is a partial front splitter that is part of the aerodynamics of the Corvette and is firmly attached to the bottom of the front fascia.

Neither of these parts is intended to be replaced. The air damn will normally scrape on any and all obstructions. Speed bumps, sloped driveways, major road imperfections, etc. will all result in a scrape. This part is easy to replace and can be replace but doesn't need to be replaced.

The lower splitter is not loose, not intended to scrape and not intended to be annually replaced.

It sounds like you have a loose fastener. Jack up the front and tighten it up and that should be the end of your worry. No, you will not have to do this annually. If it can't be tightened, take to a different dealer (one that has a clue) and have it fixed properly and be done with it. Just as additional information, there are three parts that make up the air damn. One center piece and two outer pieces. The two outer pieces are shipped to the dealer in the car for transport and they install them as part of the PDI process. My guess is that they screwed up and stripped the screw preventing it from fully tightening and as a result, your's is loose. They are probably making up a story in hopes that you'll just live with it.

400ci94mm

Thanks....and believe me, I know all about the stealerships little scams and the dirtbag service writers.......

Imagine if a part had to be replaced once per year at the OWNERS expense....on a brand new car. Hahahahaha....Vette people would be pissed and file a class action lawsuit.

Yes...its the black strip that attaches under the front facia. The black part that you can see...not the lower air dam under the front end that you cannot see.

I think you're right....they stripped it...or its a factory mess up and they stripped it when assembling the car.......because the center screw/fastener is almost all the way out......and I know that should not happen, not even in 10 years time. So I'm sure they stripped it and are just scamming my girlfriend into paying for a new one each year. What a joke.

After all....service-writers make MOST of their annual income from COMMISSIONS on everything they sell, and labor charges. LOL.....
I tired to mention the Pfadt front end alignment to her service writer and he just turned into a ******** and didn't want to talk to me. Typical after they find out a women has a boyfriend.......LOL

Thanks again....I'll let her read this and make a decision from here. Hope she takes it somewhere else or at least rips her current dealership a new ******* for stripping it out, then lying about it and telling her its a part that needs to be replaced once a year.....

JoesC5

The splitter is designed to give some when it comes in contact with a parking curb, speed bump, driveway dips. Etc. The spiltter is held in place with hex head sheet metal screws and use a 7mm socket. The spliter can be folded 90 degrees under the front bumper and will spring back. Sometimes the center screw will pull out of the C-clip and the screw needs to be tightened. Sometimes, the C-clip will tear out a section of the bumper and most fix that by drilling a small hole in a ~1"X2" piece of sheet metal, and placing the sheetmetal above the broken piece of the bumper serving as a large nut for the sheetmetal screw. I drag my splitter everytime I pull out of my drive onto the street. That just messes up the bottom of the splitter, and ever so often, I use a 12" mill file to remove the fuzzes from the bottom of the splitter. Also use the mill file on the bottom of the air dams, to keep them looking good.

I purchased the splitter, # 15834249, that retails for around $225, from SDPC for $149 including shipping.

I have found that the splitter can easily be reconditioned using a 3M foam sanding block, going from rough to fine and then finshed using 2000 grit paper. I put a couple of layers of painters tape on the nose of the bumper to protect the paint, and using my hand, slightly fold down the splitter so I can sand the top of it. After sanding, I use tire black on the entire splitter.

No need to replace unless the splitter is really damaged. Then it is easy to replace using a 7mm nut driver/socket, 1/4" or 3/8" ratchet and a short extension. Not even necessary to jack up the front of the car..

Oh, and explain to the driver to not hit parking curbs. They are the main culprit for damaging the splitter.

400ci94mm

Thanks....I just went out to look at the splitter.....its in perfect condition. It looks like it rubbed the ground very lightly but its perfect.

I can't believe these scammers told her to replace it every year.......so sick of stealerships.

The three screws are pulled out of the bumper. I see I can fix it in a couple minutes but I don't have the 7mm socket with me right now. I will drill 3 new holes if needed or do the sheet metal fix.

Thanks a lot......

JoesC5

There are metal C-clips that are slipped over the edge of the bumper. The screws screw into them, not directly into the plastic bumper.

400ci94mm

Gotcha......

I have a WS6 Trans Am.......I see the same clips on my car in certain places. Its basically a type of nut for the screw to grab onto......

Maybe I should use a new set of 3 bolts and washers with actual lock-nuts on each one.

400ci94mm

Jeez man....did not notice this last night.

But the front end is lowered like 1 - 1 1/2 inches....evenly on both sides. No doubt, its dropped down.

I know the springs are what dictates "ride height"......so what can cause the front end to be lower on both sides?

Air pressure is normal on both sides.......

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