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Grand Sport guys - Front splash guards mandatory??
Looking at the new car in the garage, it really seems like these huge sticky tires are going to throw back lots of debris. Am I correct? Are splash guards a "must have?" If yes, which ones are you all using?
Looking at the new car in the garage, it really seems like these huge sticky tires are going to throw back lots of debris. Am I correct? Are splash guards a "must have?" If yes, which ones are you all using?
I don't have them and have zero road rash on both sides of my GS (2 years old). The OE side skirts and the AS3+ tires keep it safe enough. The sticky OE PSS are rock and screw magnets.
I have the GM front and rear splash guards on my GS and along with the OEM skirts have no damage even thought I have run through unavoidable construction zones where I could hear undersides being pelted by debris.
I thought I was going to need a trip the the body shop. I also like how the OEM C7 splash guards look and blend in with the overall design. The ACS are slightly however I don't believe they need to be.
I have the ACS XL guards in Carbon Flash on the front and rear. Way more protection than the regular guards plus they really compliment the black wheels.
I'll just throw in that damage and lack there-of has a lot to do with how and where you drive your C7. There's some parts of the country where road conditions are more prone to cause damage than others. Also driving habits are definitely a factor. If you allow proper following distances behind vehicles in front of you (especially behind trucks/trailers on Interstates) you will experience less damage, as you will if you try to avoid construction sites and gravel driveways and parking lots. If you tailgate and/or drive 30-40 mph down gravel drives or across gravel parking lots you are going to get damage no matter what protection you have chose.
I have the ACS XL guards in Carbon Flash on the front and rear. Way more protection than the regular guards plus they really compliment the black wheels.
Just because they are bigger, doesn't mean any more protection. If the GM guards are wide enough to stop every object from hitting the panel behind them, then making the guards 1/2", 1" or 10' wider does nothing to protect the panels "better".
I believe 6 years with lots of people using them has shown the GM guards to be 100% effective. In the case of the GS & Z06, the side skirts do far more to protect the side of the car than anything else.
I have experience with the GM guards on both a Stingray & GS, and they 100% due what they are designed to do. On the Stingray and with the GS in the back, the stone chips you see tend to be in the areas not protected by the guards from rocks being thrown from the center of the tire straight back - i.e., in the bottom outside corners of the rear diffuser.
Just because they are bigger, doesn't mean any more protection. If the GM guards are wide enough to stop every object from hitting the panel behind them, then making the guards 1/2", 1" or 10' wider does nothing to protect the panels "better".
I believe 6 years with lots of people using them has shown the GM guards to be 100% effective. In the case of the GS & Z06, the side skirts do far more to protect the side of the car than anything else.
I have experience with the GM guards on both a Stingray & GS, and they 100% due what they are designed to do. On the Stingray and with the GS in the back, the stone chips you see tend to be in the areas not protected by the guards from rocks being thrown from the center of the tire straight back - i.e., in the bottom outside corners of the rear diffuser.
I agree 100%. I have to believe that GM did quite a bit of testing to determine how wide their splash guards needed to be for effective protection as opposed to a " that should be good enough" approach.
I also understand why ACS made their slightly larger than GM's, "bigger has to be better" right? Good sales strategy on ACS's part even if nothing else.
I agree 100%. I have to believe that GM did quite a bit of testing to determine how wide their splash guards needed to be for effective protection as opposed to a " that should be good enough" approach.
I also understand why ACS made their slightly larger than GM's, "bigger has to be better" right? Good sales strategy on ACS's part even if nothing else.
They are slightly larger but they are half inch longer which protects my side skirts edge thats why I prefer ACS.
Looking at the new car in the garage, it really seems like these huge sticky tires are going to throw back lots of debris. Am I correct? Are splash guards a "must have?" If yes, which ones are you all using?
Need more than Splash Guards!
When I got my September 2013 built C7 Z51’s bought GM Splash Guards for front and rear. From my prior 3 Vettes new something was needed. Within one month the heavy plastic protection GM provides was DINGED from rocks. Bought full length side skirts. After ~2 months realized all dings stopped. About 2 months after removed the marked up GM plastic, which by then had discolored on the edges!
When I sold the car 3 1/2 years later the rocker panels looked new. When I ordered my Grand Sport, was no questionen I wanted full length side skirts so ordered the Stage 2 aero option. Had removed the GM Splash Guards before I sold the 2014 and was going to use those. Then forum posters convinced me to get the ~1/2 inch wider and deeper ACS front Splash Guards. Did use the GM Splash Guards in the rear. They did the job in the rear where the fender dips in and is short.
In the 2 years I have had my Grand Sport no dings and I was able to remove the discolored on the edges GM plastic protection.
In a word, absolutely. They're cheap insurance with those sticky tires. I have the splash guards along with the GS side skirts. And just for some more peace of mind I had the rockers, and rear quarters covered while I was having Expel installed on the front of the car. Overkill, maybe, but I don't think about road rash now.
Not a GS but my Z51 had the factory GM splash guards and it wasn't enough. The area in front of the rear tires where the body flares out slightly has collected chips in the clear paint protection film applied there. After tracking the car it was covered with rubber marks in this area as well. Granted track driving is an extreme use case, but the cure was the Z06 style side skirts. Once I put the full length skirts on there was no more stuff getting onto the sides of the car. Picture for reference...
^^^
Yep, GM knew where the stones hit! They put that heavy plastic wrap from the door center up more than a foot in front of the rear wheel well!
After I installed will length side skirts on my Z51 I removed the plastic that was already discolored on the edges.
It's EASY to remove IF you pull at the correct angle. On my first side didn't know how important that was and for only about 8 inches along the bottom I didn't. The glue stayed on the car and it took ~20 minutes to come off! On the 2nd side did it right and no need for my 3M adhesive remover!
06-08-2019, 10:16 PM
Grand Sport guys - Front splash guards mandatory??
