When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I've been looking at this V-mount kit for quite some time and decided to pull the trigger because of the A) Core size B) Uses stock radiator (or stock replacements) and C) No need for battery relocation.
So far, I absolutely LOVE it! Even in the desert during the summer after proper warm up (185 F), the operating temps drop 10-15 degrees, sometimes even more!!...but there's one problem; You can't reuse the stock undertray.
In my defense, I knew this before pulling the trigger on the kit, but what I failed to anticipate was how my anxiety would bug me about my radiator being so close to the ground. Not sure if any of you have ever been to New Mexico, but not only do they have some pretty terrible roads...they're also LITERED with debris and rocks...waiting to take my radiator out...and my soul with it. A friend of mine recently lost his entire PS pump pully to road debris (on a GTi) so I'm looking for some possible solutions.
Any of you guys have any solutions? If needed, DaleClark and others have pictures of how low the fan shrouds sit to the ground. Or I can go home and take pictures. Thanks!
When you say you "can't reuse the stock undertray" with your V-mount setup, is it because it just won't bolt up due to clearance & interference issues, or is it simply because it lacks the openings you'll need for proper air flow with a V-mount setup? If it's the latter case, you might try this aluminum undertray kit from LRB:
Just buy the V-mount option that has the cut out holes for ventilation. Or you can take your stock plastic undertray and strategically go to town on it with a jigsaw.
My fans are getting battered with my HKS kit. Saw a decent chunk missing on the leading edge shroud when changing my oil last week. The "cage" for the fan motors are also scraped to hell and I keep having to re zip tie the wiring and connectors back up along the shroud. The problem is how low they hang below the bumper, atleast with my FEED. You would need something that bolts to the splitter part of the bumper and then almost immediately forms further towards the ground and around the leading edge.
I suppose one option is to use some slim fans but I know our OEM's kick ***. Would be awesome to have an undertray as well though.
The problem with buying or attempting a flat undertray is you would have to cut out a massive section to provide clearance for the fan shrouds, atleast with my feed bumper. Which I would think negates OP's point of wanting protection.
Last edited by AE_Racer; Jul 23, 2020 at 11:54 AM.
What front bumper do you have? I have the Sanai which hangs lower than stock, I have a flat bottom at the bottom of it. It should clear the hks radiator. I made custom mounts for it: I’ll look for a pic or two
When you say you "can't reuse the stock undertray" with your V-mount setup, is it because it just won't bolt up due to clearance & interference issues, or is it simply because it lacks the openings you'll need for proper air flow with a V-mount setup? If it's the latter case, you might try this aluminum undertray kit from LRB:
Just buy the V-mount option that has the cut out holes for ventilation. Or you can take your stock plastic undertray and strategically go to town on it with a jigsaw.
So the issue is clearance. I’ve seen the LRB undertray....may be a good starting point. Thanks!
Originally Posted by AE_Racer
The problem with buying or attempting a flat undertray is you would have to cut out a massive section to provide clearance for the fan shrouds, atleast with my feed bumper. Which I would think negates OP's point of wanting protection.
My point exactly. I don’t have an aftermarket bumper (ehh hmmm the roads here) so my fan shroud hangs about an inch or so lower than my S6 front lip, but I’d imagine if you were able to run an aftermarket bumper, you could mount a flat undertray and fab some brackets on the aft side to mount? I’m not sure....just throwing out ideas and seeing what sticks.
Originally Posted by silverTRD
What front bumper do you have? I have the Sanai which hangs lower than stock, I have a flat bottom at the bottom of it. It should clear the hks radiator. I made custom mounts for it: I’ll look for a pic or two
I have the stock S6 front bumper with the R1 lip. My car really isn’t as low as most of the others I’ve seen, but if not taken at an angle, the lip will catch the edge of my driveway. Also, it gets so hot out here that the asphalt in most of town is deformed in ways I’ve never seen, as well as our fair share of potholes. So for the rest of my time here, stock bumper it is. However, I am interested to see how low yours hangs. If an aftermarket bumper were to hang lower than the fan shroud on the HKS kit, I could get someone fabricate brackets for the back of an LRB undertray.
The undertray is a flat fiberglass one from Shine auto. I made the aluminum risers that it mounts to. I have since added A/C so I had to chop up my side mounts a little but it is still very effective at cooling.
The problem with buying or attempting a flat undertray is you would have to cut out a massive section to provide clearance for the fan shrouds, atleast with my feed bumper. Which I would think negates OP's point of wanting protection.
Wow. That's nuts that the kit places the rad and fans so low.
Ok, ok...I see what you did there. I'll probably go with the LRB speed one just because it has the precut holes for the v-mount to push the air down. Its just becoming more evident that I wont be able to use the S6 or S8 front bumper with this setup. Thanks for the pics. Give me a great starting point.
Undertray Solutions for HKS V-Mount
