Replacing lower front air deflector.....
#1
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Replacing lower front air deflector.....
What is the process to replace the lower front air deflector(s)? These are the deflectors located under the bumper in front of the left and right wheels.
I have a friend who cracked one of his pulling into a parking stall and needs to remove and replace it.
Any help appreciated. I suspect a few bolts holds them on.
..
I have a friend who cracked one of his pulling into a parking stall and needs to remove and replace it.
Any help appreciated. I suspect a few bolts holds them on.
..
Last edited by nmvettec7; 12-25-2016 at 10:09 PM.
#2
Found this in the sticky section under fascia removal. Image courtesy of "Theta". It was just a few bolts on my convertible, and same on my z51 coupe. I haven't been under the Z06 yet but would imagine it's the same. Hope this helps.
Original thread, https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...er-fascia.html
Original thread, https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...er-fascia.html
Last edited by JC 2004; 12-25-2016 at 10:25 PM.
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Black Rose-MD (01-04-2018),
nmvettec7 (12-25-2016)
#3
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Found this in the sticky section under fascia removal. Image courtesy of "Theta". It was just a few bolts on my convertible, and same on my z51 coupe. I haven't been under the Z06 yet but would imagine it's the same. Hope this helps.
Original thread, https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...er-fascia.html
Original thread, https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...er-fascia.html
#4
Melting Slicks
Will be an easy 5 minute job!
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nmvettec7 (12-25-2016)
#5
Team Owner
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ttt
His car really don't need it unless he is going to be doing speeds of at least 150 mph on the track are interstate.
Those are not on the car to help the coolant at all. I took mine off the car when I put a splitter on the front.
Those are not on the car to help the coolant at all. I took mine off the car when I put a splitter on the front.
#6
Safety Car
Thread Starter
He likes to keep his C7 in stock condition, but I will mention this to him.
Thanks for the reply.
#7
Melting Slicks
Agree! I took mine off the day I took museum delivery to install my side skirts and front splitter, and never reinstalled them. Gives more ground clearence and they are a simple install at a later time should you wish.
#8
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I am sure he may be a guy that wants to keep it 100% stock looking, but also want it to look like he just drove it off the show room also. Robert
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nmvettec7 (12-25-2016)
#9
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Ok, if he wants to keep the car "stock", take off the torn up part and remove the other side. Buy the 2 replacement pieces and put them in storage. When he gets ready to sell the car, put the new pieces on and enhance the sale!
BECAUSE.... replacing the two front air dams will eventually destroy the 2 new front air dams and you'll be replacing them over and over and over and....
You don't really need them. So why replace fresh plastic to scrape and brutalize just to keep replacing the parts?
Just sayin'.
Elmer
BECAUSE.... replacing the two front air dams will eventually destroy the 2 new front air dams and you'll be replacing them over and over and over and....
You don't really need them. So why replace fresh plastic to scrape and brutalize just to keep replacing the parts?
Just sayin'.
Elmer
#10
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Ok, if he wants to keep the car "stock", take off the torn up part and remove the other side. Buy the 2 replacement pieces and put them in storage. When he gets ready to sell the car, put the new pieces on and enhance the sale!
BECAUSE.... replacing the two front air dams will eventually destroy the 2 new front air dams and you'll be replacing them over and over and over and....
You don't really need them. So why replace fresh plastic to scrape and brutalize just to keep replacing the parts?
Just sayin'.
Elmer
BECAUSE.... replacing the two front air dams will eventually destroy the 2 new front air dams and you'll be replacing them over and over and over and....
You don't really need them. So why replace fresh plastic to scrape and brutalize just to keep replacing the parts?
Just sayin'.
Elmer
Very valid point. I agree.
Richard in New Mexico
..
#11
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
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Granted is does increase downforce at 150 mph, that is why the center is left off the Z51! According to Tadge it increased front downforce to where it was causing some oversteer at high speeds. He said they are careful to maintain a front/rear downforce balance. They no doubt don't want Ralf Nader writing another book!
I kept my side airdams on when I installed the splitter. Directs air around the from tires, reducing drag. The side air dams do little to increase downforce.
Last edited by JerryU; 12-26-2016 at 10:02 AM.
#12
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
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Another good reason to reinstall the air dam is they are an early warning signal (if you drive very slowly) that the next lowest thing to hit are the "skid pads!" Hit those several times with my C6 and once with my C7! Fortunately for the C7 installed FANGS when I got the car and no damage!
Each time it occurred I was pulling into a store parking lot and oncoming traffic caused me to pull in much faster than my normal craw!
Chuckle when folks remove the air dams because they "don't like the noise" when they scrap. That sound is like music compared to the terrible aluminum on pavement sound when the skid pads hit!
Some don't like the look so remove them. To each their own - but that shouldn't be justified because they "do nothing!" Like the "Fox who Couldn't Reach the Grapes," they weren't really sour!
Flexible plastic air dams act as a warning before you do real damage and hit the next lowest item, these aluminum skid pads, or what GM calls a radiator support.
Last edited by JerryU; 12-26-2016 at 10:37 AM.
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nmvettec7 (12-26-2016)
#13
Safety Car
Thread Starter
My friend pulled into a parking stall that had a broken parking stall cement stop with a piece of rebar sticking up, so it tore the air deflector. Although he has the front cameras, he wasn't looking or watching closely and the rebar sliced the air deflector, thus the reason to replace.
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..
#14
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#15
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St. Jude Donor '09
GM has engineers smarter than me. So I leave the deflectors on. If I get the chance to drive fast, I want the car to behave as designed.
I've damaged and replaced all 3 already, but they are not expensive so why not. They are made to scrap and wear and be replaced.
I've damaged and replaced all 3 already, but they are not expensive so why not. They are made to scrap and wear and be replaced.
#16
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St. Jude Donor '15-'16,'18
I removed my 2 deflectors when I installed a splitter but reading this thread has me thinking I may put them back on. Decisions, Decisions!
Last edited by rmorin1249; 12-26-2016 at 09:31 PM.
#17
Advanced
Repl Air Deflectors
Question (base 2015)?? Can you reuse fasteners/bolts. Found a site (Corvette Mods) and they sell the bolts separate @ $29. Need to replace center & right. Since I'm replacing might as well do left side as well. Total for all 3 minus shipping comes to $113. Bolts extra...smh. Any special tools like torx or hex needed?
#18
Melting Slicks
Hey nmvettec7 - glad to see you're still around. I hadn't seen a post from you in a while and wondered. But then, I'm only on periodically.
FWIW,
* We live on the side of a mountain, have a steep hump to get into our driveway, and have a very steep road down to the main road.
* I removed the deflectors on our '15 Z51 because I got tired of them always scraping - and nothing else ever hit. I figured if I decided to track the car I'd put them back on for the track day(s).
* I removed them from our GS for the same reason. But I also had to install the ProTeckit splitter protector on our GS because it always scraped - must be just a bit lower in the front than our Z51 (I installed the 'poverty' splitter on the Z51 and the GS has the stage 2 carbon stuff, so that might be it too).
* A lot of guys like to leave the deflectors on for 'early warning' and I get and respect their decision. For me, they were an annoyance. I've never, ever hit the fangs/supports. If I don't take the right angles, I hit the splitter or the bottom bolts/bottom of the skirts mid-car on the outside edge of the car. The deflectors were actually a hindrance in my situation.
* While it's rare, I remember a couple of posts and pictures where the deflectors were scraped so bad that they actually tore the plastic piece that they're bolted thru. I think that's really rare, but I remember at least two.
* I like to sell my cars 'stock' too, so I figured I'd just put them back on when I sell/trade the car.
* Finally, I get that the engineers know what they're doing and they serve a purpose. But if I'm not tracking, combined with the type of scraping problems I have where we live, the cons of leaving them on outweighed the pros.
PS: I've had both cars WELL into triple digit speeds in safe areas. No ill effects from not having those two little deflectors off............:-)
FWIW,
* We live on the side of a mountain, have a steep hump to get into our driveway, and have a very steep road down to the main road.
* I removed the deflectors on our '15 Z51 because I got tired of them always scraping - and nothing else ever hit. I figured if I decided to track the car I'd put them back on for the track day(s).
* I removed them from our GS for the same reason. But I also had to install the ProTeckit splitter protector on our GS because it always scraped - must be just a bit lower in the front than our Z51 (I installed the 'poverty' splitter on the Z51 and the GS has the stage 2 carbon stuff, so that might be it too).
* A lot of guys like to leave the deflectors on for 'early warning' and I get and respect their decision. For me, they were an annoyance. I've never, ever hit the fangs/supports. If I don't take the right angles, I hit the splitter or the bottom bolts/bottom of the skirts mid-car on the outside edge of the car. The deflectors were actually a hindrance in my situation.
* While it's rare, I remember a couple of posts and pictures where the deflectors were scraped so bad that they actually tore the plastic piece that they're bolted thru. I think that's really rare, but I remember at least two.
* I like to sell my cars 'stock' too, so I figured I'd just put them back on when I sell/trade the car.
* Finally, I get that the engineers know what they're doing and they serve a purpose. But if I'm not tracking, combined with the type of scraping problems I have where we live, the cons of leaving them on outweighed the pros.
PS: I've had both cars WELL into triple digit speeds in safe areas. No ill effects from not having those two little deflectors off............:-)
Last edited by Hopper12; 11-07-2017 at 05:53 PM.
#19
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St. Jude Donor '15
Question (base 2015)?? Can you reuse fasteners/bolts. Found a site (Corvette Mods) and they sell the bolts separate @ $29. Need to replace center & right. Since I'm replacing might as well do left side as well. Total for all 3 minus shipping comes to $113. Bolts extra...smh. Any special tools like torx or hex needed?
Yes, you can reuse the bolts, no problem. Gmpartsdirect usually has the most competitive prices.
Here’s the right and left air dams:
https://www.gmpartsdirect.com/auto-p...omponents-scat
The center one is here:
https://www.gmpartsdirect.com/auto-p...nts-front-scat
It’s a 7 or 9mm bolt, I can’t recall off the top of my head, but nothing special.
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Bfon1987 (11-17-2017)
#20
Advanced
Corvette mods is terrible, don’t buy anything from them.
Yes, you can reuse the bolts, no problem. Gmpartsdirect usually has the most competitive prices.
Here’s the right and left air dams:
https://www.gmpartsdirect.com/auto-p...omponents-scat
The center one is here:
https://www.gmpartsdirect.com/auto-p...nts-front-scat
It’s a 7 or 9mm bolt, I can’t recall off the top of my head, but nothing special.
Yes, you can reuse the bolts, no problem. Gmpartsdirect usually has the most competitive prices.
Here’s the right and left air dams:
https://www.gmpartsdirect.com/auto-p...omponents-scat
The center one is here:
https://www.gmpartsdirect.com/auto-p...nts-front-scat
It’s a 7 or 9mm bolt, I can’t recall off the top of my head, but nothing special.