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I'm about to start the installation process of my EOS splitter and side skirts (also have a rear spoiler for later) and am curious about the pros/cons of rivets vs. screws? Obviously once riveted its on for good. I guess screws can come loose? I've seen videos where installers have gone with the screws but said they would later replace with rivets. I figure its a one-and-done installation so why not rivet to being with? I'm open for discussion.
Don't rivet. Either scrivet or screw.
Although the rivet can be drilled out, the first time you bust
the splitter on a curb or incline you will be cursing your decision on using rivets.
My humble opinion.
I installed a splitter and skirts almost five years and 49,500 miles ago with screws. Nothing has ever come loose. Just be careful not to over tighten. Also be careful when you drill the rockers there is fluid lines under one side I believe.
Yes there are tranny lines under the drivers rocker panel if a automatic tranny?When drilling go as shallow as possible.Don't understand the holding strength on such thin fragile material with a screw that needs depth and strength of material to hold? The splitter area I used screws.There was more meat to screw into
A screw insert may spin cause material is so thin? In the rocker area.
These are my thoughts,yours and others may vary.
I went with rivets on the skirts with fenderwashers to hold more area and compressed to hold.Skirts used as many stock screws as lined up.
About 35k miles on these parts with no issues.
Purchased a cheap splitter here from JW Motorsports they are vendor here but their customer service sucks.Splitter was beefed up with aluminum to strengthen the cheap.
Fender washers hold more area commonsense really.
Who's looking underneath
What a mess
The other thing about using screws is the panel you're screwing into. It's basically (not exactly....basically for purposes of this discussion) fiberglass that's around an 1/8" to 3/16" thick. It's not like metal with "real" threads to screw into or "real" threads that can be formed. Instead you have a couple tiny screw threads holding on to some fibers and some resin. This is why if someone tightens the screws too tight they "strip the threads" and just spin. If you use the correct mushroom rivets, they spread out over the surface of the panel (hence "mushroom") and provide a very secure attachment.
I suppose if someone wanted to make the skirts removeable they could get everything in place with screws, then remove everything and install nutserts into each screw hole.
So yes....screws will hold them in place. Some even use 3M automotive tape successfully. Just keep in mind what you're asking of the fasteners and what they're attaching to.
To circle back, I installed my skirts using rivets (and the original bolt in the front). My thinking was the skirts aren't going to be removed intentionally, so put them on to stay on. Installed the grille last weekend. Working on the stage 2 splitter now. I'm thinking it best to use the screws for it, as there may be a point that the front cover (fascia) needs to come off and screws would make that much easier.
Question for those who installed the stage 2 splitter with winglets: my EOS kit didn't come with nuts/bolts for the winglets. I'm going to purchase anodized black countersunk screws, but don't know what size to get, as well as the corresponding nut?
I replaced my poverty splitter on my GS with the ACS stage 3 setup with under tray. Used the correct size bit and knocked the heads off the factory rivets in 2 minutes.
I did the install of the Stage 2 splitter last night. Took less than 90 minutes by myself (from start to finish). I used stock fasteners along the 'back' as suggested in the instructions. Went with rivets along the front. Reasoning was that the splitter merely attaches to the bumper cover and doesn't interact with any fasteners along the frame, so I can pull the bumper cover (if needed, hopefully not) without having to remove rivets.
Installed the winglets. So side skirts and splitter are done! Still have a Stage 2 spoiler to out on. That will be a more time-consuming affair, so probably Labor Day project.
One comment… the winglets are not ‘solid’. They are hollow. Don’t crank down the screws too far or you will distort the shape and cause a simple.
08-10-2023, 03:22 PM
aero kit install question
