Bumper reinforcement for splitter?
 

I've just installed a splitter onto the front bumper of my TII. I'm using support rods going from the FRP splitter to the bumper to help support the lip on the highway, at higher speeds on the track, and to change the angle of the lip of the splitter slightly. But the rods won't help at all right now because the plastic of the bumper is all rubbery and flimsy as hell. I don't have a lot of experience in fabricating stuff and I am in no way an engineer, but I am trying to find a way to reinforce the bumper so that it will be solid enough for me to adjust the supports to change the angle of the splitter slightly without it just pulling the bumper down. Anybody got any ideas??

Thanks!

Tom

what material is your splitter made from?

I attached two support rods on mine. I attached them to the inside most mounting hole on the turn signal. Basically it's the turn signal, then a thin gauge piece of aluminum covering the turn signal then the support rod mounting tab. This is all held in with a large screw. The screw goes through the stock metal tab. Make sense?

It doesn't seem to pull the bumper and I can lift and drop the front of the splitter anytime I want.

Where did you mount yours and with what?

It's made out of fiber reinforced plastic.

I'm not quite sure what you mean SCCAITS, I'll have to go out and look at the car during the day tomorrow and see if I can picture it. Do you happen to have any pictures?

My splitter/lip is riveted onto the bottom of the front bumper cover. Pretty crude method I used for the support rods, all they are is two battery bracket rods (hook on one end threads on the other). I drilled a hole into the splitter and slipped the hook in at an angle so it hold when it is upright, and then I just drilled holes into the bumper directly above and put a nut on to hold it in the bumper. I guess I should just find a better way to mount the rods to something other than the flimsy bumper cover.

These are the supports I used: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Five-...spagenameZWD1V

This is the splitter: http://www.flatout-motorsports.com/c...roducts_id/170


Here is a picture right after I installed. It was on it's way to the paint shop. I don't have any post paint pics yet. It is installed with 8 dzus fastners for easy on/off when loading/unloading on trailer. Permanent installation would have been much easier but it sits 3.5" off the ground in front.

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/3659/pict0225kd3.jpg

Have you thought about going through the bumber to the support beam behind it?

SCCAITS: Is that a stock nose on your car?

Thanks,

-bill

Yes, that's stock front bumper. 89-91 S5 bumper - no other choice for ITS. The turn signals and FTP lenses are covered in thin gauge aluminum plates. The actual housing and lenses are still on the car. Some technical rule types may argue this an ITS rule violation. There is no competitive advantage for this over tape. The brake ducts are also not installed in the pic, they go in the fog light area. There is also about a 2" x 4" cutout for a tow hook which is not installed in the picture. I'll post a pic tonight, it looks much better and easier to tell what is what now that the paint is done.

Cool. I have an S5 track car and am trying to eventually take it to ITS. The primer-grey in the picture just makes it look like a one-piece fiberglass nose, so I was just wondering.

Just to keep it topical - how much of a difference do you think that the splitter supports make? Did you consider just going with some threaded rod instead of the turnbuckle approach? Finally, it looks like you mounted the upper supports on the bumper face - did you bolt all the way through to the support beam behind it?

Thanks,

-bill

Good luck on the conversion.

I think the supports make a negligible difference for my particular splitter. I think every design is different and depends on how it attaches to the bumper. If you notice, mine attaches to the front and sides of the bumper, including the fenders (total of 8 dzus fastners - hard to see, painted yellow), it does not attach to the underside of the bumper. It's pretty heavy and made of fiberglass. The place that makes my splitter does not run supports. I added them on there because IMO 1) it could only help, and 2) it looked better. I did not consider threaded rod, the one's I got were $30 on ebay and designed for the application I needed. You can tell in the picture where it is mounted to the bumper. It does not go through to the bumper support. So far it feels very stable where it is with no movement. When you take your turn signal lens off, you'll see the screw that holds it on goes through a metal clip. I just used a larger and longer ss sheet metal screw that goes through the support rod mount, then thin gauge aluminum, then the turn signal lens, finally securing itself inside a metal clip.

The only thing missing on the front is the bumper brake ducts. Those I will be trying to fab this weekend. I'm starting with a pair of CF Nascar bumper ducts I found and will mod away until they fit right. I couldn't get the regular plastic ducts to fit like I wanted.

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/7582/pict0270lx3.jpg