Air Dam - Splitter and Speed Bumps
#1
Air Dam - Splitter and Speed Bumps
I purchased my 427 Collector Edition a short while ago and so far have not encountered a situation that caused either the splitter or air dam to scrape. I use the "Tour" mode a lot to help reduce scraping, which seems to be helping. What I'm wondering about is which part scrapes a speed bump (etc.) first... the splitter or the air dam? Has anyone scraped their splitter on anything that broke it?
Thanks!
Thanks!
#2
Race Director
I purchased my 427 Collector Edition a short while ago and so far have not encountered a situation that caused either the splitter or air dam to scrape. I use the "Tour" mode a lot to help reduce scraping, which seems to be helping. What I'm wondering about is which part scrapes a speed bump (etc.) first... the splitter or the air dam? Has anyone scraped their splitter on anything that broke it?
Thanks!
Thanks!
In answer to your question, you can very easily damage your splitter if you pull up too close to a parking bumper.
#3
Drifting
For a street driven vette, an air splitter is about as useless as a necktie. The carbon fiber ones (like on my ZR1) are expensive and easy to damage from parking stops, speed bumps, driveway inclines, misc. crap laying on roads. I love the looks, but fear driving with it.
#5
Le Mans Master
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St. Jude Donor '13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-'20-'21-'22
My guess is the plastic air dam underneath is what's scraping. If you want to know if the splitter is scraping run your hand underneath the edge of it. If it's rough, it's scraping. If it's still smooth, it's not. Yet.
#6
Tech Contributor
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It takes quite a high bump or a driveway with a severe dip to hit the small splitter on the Z06. Most of the noise you hear is the air dam which is designed to scrape. Several years ago I was turning into a hotel driveway and was entering at an angle to keep from scraping when a car came the other way. To avoid it I had to make a sharp turn toward the slope just as the front wheels went into the dip between the driveway and the street. The front end scraped hard. When I got out I had torn the splitter and had severely scratched the fascia just above the splitter. The splitter was barely hanging on the car.
Bill
Bill
#7
Melting Slicks
I installed the ZR1 splitter on my grand sport a couple weeks back. i was afraid of impacting it too. We have two speed humps on our street. Something like 4 feet wide maybe 4 inches high. I take that slowly and have no issue.
Coming out of my driveway, I have a couple inch drop. I found it actually easier to front out instead of backing out. The air damn seems to have less resistance pushing instead of pulling. The driveway is two cars wide. When I leave, I fortunately only ever have to go left so I pull to the far right and angle the car to the left so the passenger side hits the street first.
I also had it and my side skirts covered with Xpel ultimate clear bra.
I don't think the splitter is any lower than the OEM chin spoiler but it sticks out a little further so it may have a tendency to plow. Also it's not plastic so it won't give like the chin spoiler would.
Just be careful.
Coming out of my driveway, I have a couple inch drop. I found it actually easier to front out instead of backing out. The air damn seems to have less resistance pushing instead of pulling. The driveway is two cars wide. When I leave, I fortunately only ever have to go left so I pull to the far right and angle the car to the left so the passenger side hits the street first.
I also had it and my side skirts covered with Xpel ultimate clear bra.
I don't think the splitter is any lower than the OEM chin spoiler but it sticks out a little further so it may have a tendency to plow. Also it's not plastic so it won't give like the chin spoiler would.
Just be careful.
#8
Advanced
Do yourself a favor!
Get a Curb Alert. Several Forum sponsors sell them and THEY WORK!
They won't stop the scrape of a speed bump but they WILL STOP the dreaded SPLITTER SPLATTER of a parking bumper or curb.
Easy install and real good for peace of mind.
I got mine from Southern Car Parts (GOOD FOLKS), but there are plenty of others, just get one.
charles
They won't stop the scrape of a speed bump but they WILL STOP the dreaded SPLITTER SPLATTER of a parking bumper or curb.
Easy install and real good for peace of mind.
I got mine from Southern Car Parts (GOOD FOLKS), but there are plenty of others, just get one.
charles
#9
Burning Brakes
My '12 GS splitter scrapes in/out of the driveway no matter the angle. Nothing a little work with a piece of 80 grit sandpaper won't smooth out. Eventually I will have sanded be enough it won't scrape anymore. Sure glad it's not carbon fiber, those splinters hurt!
#10
Safety Car
For a street driven vette, an air splitter is about as useless as a necktie. The carbon fiber ones (like on my ZR1) are expensive and easy to damage from parking stops, speed bumps, driveway inclines, misc. crap laying on roads. I love the looks, but fear driving with it.
On this one I'm attaching a 16 gauge stainless steel plate underneath, who cares if that et scratched
#12
Race Director
I had mine a week and ruined my splitter,bought a new one and am more carefull now. I have never found a speed bump that effects the splitter,hope I never do.
#13
I installed the ZR1 splitter on my grand sport a couple weeks back. i was afraid of impacting it too. We have two speed humps on our street. Something like 4 feet wide maybe 4 inches high. I take that slowly and have no issue.
Coming out of my driveway, I have a couple inch drop. I found it actually easier to front out instead of backing out. The air damn seems to have less resistance pushing instead of pulling. The driveway is two cars wide. When I leave, I fortunately only ever have to go left so I pull to the far right and angle the car to the left so the passenger side hits the street first.
I also had it and my side skirts covered with Xpel ultimate clear bra.
I don't think the splitter is any lower than the OEM chin spoiler but it sticks out a little further so it may have a tendency to plow. Also it's not plastic so it won't give like the chin spoiler would.
Just be careful.
Coming out of my driveway, I have a couple inch drop. I found it actually easier to front out instead of backing out. The air damn seems to have less resistance pushing instead of pulling. The driveway is two cars wide. When I leave, I fortunately only ever have to go left so I pull to the far right and angle the car to the left so the passenger side hits the street first.
I also had it and my side skirts covered with Xpel ultimate clear bra.
I don't think the splitter is any lower than the OEM chin spoiler but it sticks out a little further so it may have a tendency to plow. Also it's not plastic so it won't give like the chin spoiler would.
Just be careful.
#14
Drifting
"Sport" mode better for Speed Bumps & Dips
I purchased my 427 Collector Edition a short while ago and so far have not encountered a situation that caused either the splitter or air dam to scrape. I use the "Tour" mode a lot to help reduce scraping, which seems to be helping. What I'm wondering about is which part scrapes a speed bump (etc.) first... the splitter or the air dam? Has anyone scraped their splitter on anything that broke it?
Thanks!
Thanks!
#15
You're right - pull up close and what used to be really close is now "crunch"! In the tour mode, the car settles a smidge higher than it does in sport. While it doesn't let me have enough room to drive over speed bumps, it does help some, along with the other speed bump "practices".
#16
For a street driven vette, an air splitter is about as useless as a necktie. The carbon fiber ones (like on my ZR1) are expensive and easy to damage from parking stops, speed bumps, driveway inclines, misc. crap laying on roads. I love the looks, but fear driving with it.
From a practical matter, you're right on target. However, it is one of the many other items that are on and in the car that I try to take the best care of I can. I'm figuring that if I ever break it, the cost will be a bunch more than an air dam does, so I'm trying to educate myself and avoid breaking it in the first place. You're spot on - I love the looks and get up tight when I see a speed bump in my path! I go out of my way to go out of my way to drive around the thing! What can you do?!
Last edited by jmk; 07-30-2013 at 01:48 PM.