I purchased this GM approved accessory for some production from radiator fin dents due to rock strikes. Living in Colorado we sand and salt roads over the long winter and we have rocks on our roads. I've owned my 2025 C8 Stingray for 10 months now, and I was surprised how many small dents I had in the aluminum fins of the radiator. So maybe the Scrape Armor radiator guards might help a bit. The C8 radiators are located right in the tire tracks of the road. So following a vehicle I am subject to very small rock strikes. You can see the aluminum radiators in my aviator photo.
I found the product very well packaged and well made. The instructions were very descriptive. But... I struggled with my installation, mainly because I'm and old geezer. Removing the original fasteners holding the wind deflector on were difficult for me to remove. And then installing the Scrape Armor screen bracket was also difficult for me. I worked on my back on the floor. My Vette was up on my quick jacks. I had to reach up to the fasteners, I couldn't see them very well, There just isn't much room for my hands. I do recommend purchasing the Scrape Armor small tools and that may have helped me. The plastic push in rivets made installing the screens easier than the screen brackets.
Well I finally finished to jop with considerable cussing. We shall see if they can minimize dents in my radiators.
David

 

The Scrape Armor screens aren't that easy to install, but they work pretty well to protect the radiator fins.

 

I'm thinking that you have to remove the front bumper to install them, I had mine already installed when I purchased my car when it was new.

 

You do not have to remove the front bumber. There are YouTube videos on their install.

 

I too was a little surprised how difficult the Scrape Armor Radiator Guards were to install (old guy also). Having a two post lift made the install easier but what I think helped me the most was the tool kit included with the guards. I have a very well equipped shop and when I bought the guards, I thought the mini ratchet was going to be a joke. Man I was wrong! The included tool kit is well made and was very helpful.

Hope the guards help you as intended. I installed mine for track duty but my first event isn't until April. We shall see how well they work at that time.

 

I installed mine pretty easily just sitting on the garage floor and not raising the car. But agree on the tool kit.

 

FWIW....
Yes, a small ratchet (or the SA available tool) is necessary.
Placing cardboard in front of the radiators, to prevent damage from your hands.... +1
A trim tool to hold and install the outermost retainer can also ease installation.

I installed myself (SR HTC), only lifting the front with floor jacks and supporting stands... ie no bumper removal.

FWIW, working on a car as one ages is not insignificant...poor eyesight and lighting as two examples.

Congrats on your successful installation

 

Well, I finally got my radiator guards installed. Then I was surprised how the plastic under trays were attached under the car. There are 14 fasteners that screw into metal clips acting as threads. But the fasteners in the front curved section just screw into the under tray itself. Most of them do not attach to the front "splitter" at all. There are holes in the lower front bumper, but they appear to just be clearance holes.for the under tray fasteners. I should have taken careful note of how I took the under trays off, but old geezer syndrome caused a miss on that one. Any advice on how the plastic front splitter and the front of the under trays are supposed to be installed would be appreciated.
David

 

Funny when I installed my screens (not Scrape Armor BUT I removed the center/side grill so as not to have visible wire ties, which I accomplished as did others) I watched a video. Not of screen install but new CF grill gar. thought it was strange they showed a small gal. BUT after facing what you found understood! She did it without removing the bottom aero panels.


As all my How To install whatever pdf Docs I include what not to do! Clearly said in the now many page pdf download DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE THE GRILL BAR BOLTS WITHOUT FIRST REMOVING THE AREO PANELS. You are sure to drop the wrench as i did my small 1/4 inch drive ratchet! This Pic from a video of installing a CF grill bar done without removing the lower aero panels as not needed if just replacing the grill bar. This small gal with small hands did it but with larger hands NOT easy to do from the grill!

 

My How To Doc pdf download is now 29 pages. But like all ~60 I have made it's large Pics and captions. It covers the AC Protective Mesh install AND my install of an aftermarket 5VM splitter. Worth looking at Pics and read captions as necessary:

http://netwelding.com/CF_Splitter.pdf

 

They Protect The A/C Condenser !!

 

Special thanks to Jerry U for all the information is his post link above. He is an advanced auto technician for sure, or maybe more.. I really want to know what holds the modest Stingray front "splitter" as well as the front plastic under trays. I can't believe GM installed the screw clips onto the front edge of the under tray. So you installed the screws and they tighten to the clip but to not hold up the under tray or the front splitter. What could I be missing. I know the C8 Corvette is a complex machine for sure, I think there should have been thread inserts in the underside of the front bumper wrap under where the clearance holes are. Then a guy could actually install the under trays and the splitter with a regular bolt ConfusedDavi

 

JerryU is just an old Hot Rodder, been gearhead from when I was ~13, now 83.

Starting on page 19 of my How To Doc pdf I posted is the Splitter install on my 2020 C8 Z51. The aftermarket CF, painted Carbon Flash splitter, bolts the same way the OEM plastic splitter attaches.
Here is one of the 50+ pics in that Doc with long captions you'll fine. BTW it's one of ~60 How To/Info Docs I have posted as pdfs re Vette Mods and info on the recent Vettes including 7 Docs of my current E-Ray where I have not done that much!

The OEM Plastic Z51 Splitter is held on with screws that just hold into the composite front bumper and plastic aero panels with clips. That is where the the GM 5VM CF Splitter attaches.


I recall on the ends I used larger screws thru the plastic/composite for better hold and alignment on my install.
My Doc also shows the aftermarket splitter install on my 2014 C7 Z51. You'll see I drilled holes and added 6 rivets in addition to the screws. Could do that BUT in 4 years I had zero issues with my OEM plastic 3 piece Z51 splitter or my larger Carbon Fiber GM 5VM type.

SIDEBAR
Cars are NOT my profession but have been a passion my whole life! I retired in 2000 and have more time to take pics and make these How To Docs. I do have a part time Internet business where I have made ~25 short, quality video's. No Youtuber, don't allow ads! BUT all start as an Ad Agency would use, with a Storyboard (paid high cost Ad Agencies to make professional videos in my former life) with exact words for the script. Requires several video clip/audio takes in addition to compiling and adding transitions! My PDF's are just the Storyboard, Pics with long captions. Just scan Pics and read Captions, ONLY where needed. Much like folks read car etc magazine stories: First they look at Pics; Then read captions; Then text only where needed or of interest! (Learned that from CarTech where I wrote two books re my profession, Welding. One, "Weld Like A Pro" is 10 years old and still selling, just got my end year Royalty Check!) . Yep, they required ~300 high res Pics with long captions. They love my Sidebars where I provide welding science and basic metallurgy for layman! Wrote those books to help get young folks into the profession. I use this technique as can include what not to do! Also to provide all that info in a video would require a long epoch like "Gone With The Wind." YouTube provides great analytics like a time tine when folks on average stop watching. No way would anyone watch a video as long as my Doc would take! )

 

Again many thanks for sharing all your knowledge. The photo shows the screws and what looks like the undertray. The splitter is under the undertray. My car has these metal clips attached to the front perimeter of the undertray, Why it was built like that I have no idea. The undertray is not fastened tight to the bumper along the front perimeter. It seems like the metal clips that provide a thread for the screws ought to be on the bumper so the splitter and the undertray can be fastened securely to the vette. Maybe a plastic molly inserted in the bumper holes and then a longer screw to capture the under tray and stock splitter to the body would help; Thank you kindly for your help.
David

 

You're way overthinking! Recall a course we took in the late 1960's at our R&D lab called value engineering. We had a number of folks visit and give classes about once a month. May have helped our welding/cutting machine design folks but I was in welding process development and not much use to me (at the time.) BUT value engineering was used by automotive in spades. They reduced the number of elements required for fastening. Use one common fastener to do several jobs. Sure saw it after with repairability. Car designers didn't consider repair only assembly time. Why we have the very strong interior parts being held with very strong clips, few screws. Just press hard or use a robber mallet to attached. Almost break some or parts taking apart!

Trust the GM engineers. they no doubt tested. As stated I had zero issues in 4 years with my 2020 C8 Z51 with it's original smaller plastic/composite three piece splitter or my larger GM type Carbon Fiber 5VM larger splitter. In fact may be a benefit as I scraped that larger splitter several times and it "bends up." You want it more ridged for some reason and better chance to have it crack!

 

Thaput.nk you all for your input. Jerry U is right, I'm thinking too much. And yes, I remember taking value engineering way back when. But I'm just not happy with the way the under panels are attached to the front bumper under side. I tried putting the under panel up first, and then the splitter on the bottom. That way the screws would thread into the under panel clips and hold the splitter tight to the under panel. But I could see the clips from the front. It looked like my corvette was wearing braces. By putting the under panel on the bottom, I couldn't see the clips.

 

Okay, three photos to show my dilemma and possible fix. The first photo shows the plastic undertray with the metal clips used to receive the screws. Since we are attaching the undertray and the front stock splitter to the lower bumper, I think these clips should have been somehow in the lower bumper. Having them in the undertray means we are threading in screws and tightening them to do nothing. The other screws into the undertray actually screw into parts that hold up the undertray. It is just the front parameter screws that do nothing. The second photo shows a stupid idea I have to securely attach the undertray and splitter to the front bumper underwrap. I had some plastic drywall molys left over and screws that go with them, They were a light press fit into the bumper 5/16 diameter "clearance" holes. I figured I could remove them easily if my idea didn't work. I installed 4 of them on the right side and then securely tightened the screws and the undertray and splitter are now tight to the bumper. Much better than they were. We shall see how well they work next spring. The third photo is the Scrap Armor protective guard installed. It does offer good air flow to the radiators. Your comments are always welcome and I know I'm stupid. My wife reminds me almost daily.
David

Photo of the factory screw clips that do not hold the undertray tight to the front bumper.

My silly idea to hold the under tray tight to the front bumper. The molly presses into the front bumper clearance holes.

Good air flow to the front radiators

 

the scrape armor screens do not use tywraps to install.

 

My wire ties, like others who used Custom Custom Car Grill mesh (who have been in business 30 years and had screens for my 2020 C8 two years before Scrape Armor came out with theirs) are hidden behind the Grill. That requires, just like Scrape Armor, removal of the grill bar screws as that gal with small hands was doing!! My wire ties were not not visible and no 3M tape held brackets like Scrape Armor which some posts say come lose!

Once the center 3 screws are removed there are places to install wire ties behind so there is zero visibility! BTW the grill bar and side just slip out once the 3 screws are removed. For those who worry about Nylon ties not holding up (mine were fine for 4 years before I sold my 2020 C8) there are stainless steel wire ties available from Amazon for $0.10 each!