Build Advice - Rear wings and guards

[CtrMint]

Hi All,

Just wondering if I can get some build advice on the rear wings and guards.  From reading the new Ikea style manual and the older 2015 manual and identified some conflict or clarity issues and so would appreciate some recommendations.

First up is the order.  The older 2015 manual clearly says fit the stone protectors to the rear wings first, as there is isn't sufficient clearance for a drill chuck once the wings are on the car, seems sensible.  Yet the build order in the Ikea manual shows mounting the wings first.  Do you recommending fitting the stone guards to the car before mounting the wings?

Alignment.  If I do mount the stone guards whilst the wings are off the car, how close to the inner edge should they be?  I know there is a rubber trim which runs between the arch and body which I don't want to foul on, but equally I don't want a tiny gap which shouldn't be there or looks wrong.  Again advice here would help.  I believe the stone guards should be 5mm from the bottom edge of the wing.

The Ikea manual suggests the rubber trim is only placed around 3 sides of the guards, so I guess the 4 and inner edge is the rubber trim I mentioned above?

Are the wings handed by any chance?

Thanks the input.

[Tazio]

Put the stoneguards on first, just line them up with the inside edge of the wing. Doing them off the car ensures that when you rivet them on using a hand riveter it doesn't kick back and mark your painted body.....ahem...

[AdamQ]

I think your deductions are pretty much spot on.  I agree entirely about fitting the guards to the wings first and the inner edge of the guard should be flush with the inner edge of the wing.  And what you say about the two bits of trim and their locations is correct.

5 mm from the bottom edge of the wing sounds about right - for the alignment here I'd be aiming to have the trim along the lower edge of the guard flush with the lower edge of the wing.

The wings are handed.  I think it'll be obvious which is which if you just hold them up to the car.  Also, I think there used to be a pre-drilled pilot hole for the rear light cluster, plus there's a hole/cut-out (perhaps two) in the inner flange for the radius arm mount I think.

It's a while since I've done this, but I seem to remember that the order in which you install the rivets can be of significance in getting the guard to sit as flatly and evenly as possible against the wing.  Wiser folk will confirm, but I'd be inclined to secure a short edge first (the bottom maybe as you know exactly where you want that) and then work up the long sides alternating from side to side, drilling and riveting as you go.

HTH ...  Adam

[Grubbster]

When I fitted my wing protectors many years ago I use rivet backing washers to help prevent the rivets pulling through the fibreglass, 4mm ones IIRC, I also pre-bent them first by rolling around a former so they were close to the right shape prior to fitting.

[CtrMint]

Is pulling through a risk?  I am using an air tool riveter which is quite powerful in when turned down?

[Jonathan Kay]

Private Message sent.

Jonathan

[Grubbster]

Is pulling through a risk?  I am using an air tool riveter which is quite powerful in when turned down?

I doubt it really is much of a risk, I'm in the minority of people I expect! I just thought it was good practice to add the rivet washers so I did.

[raw]

I used small dome headed aluminium allen bolts and nylocs (from ProBolt) rather than pop rivets when I swapped from stainless to carbon protectors a few years ago - when stripping the car for repainting last winter, I didn't have to worry about drilling rivets out in proximity to carbon and fibreglass.

In terms of fitting, I prefer to lay wing on a flat surface and fit the protectors off the car. The other way would be to fit the wings with 3 or 4 bolts, place the wing protectors in position and drill a couple of holes at the top and bottom, then remove the wings and finish off away from the car.

For the innermost fixings next to the body, I spaced the protector off the wing with a flat piece of rubber so that there was no distortion.

 

[700newtons]

A good alternative to fitting wing protectors is 3M film. Premier paint guard sell it cut in the right shape (with a club discount). You can fit it yourself on a new wing.

It is remarkable stuff. I did about 25k miles and the wing was still in very good condition. 

[DJ.]

All good advice

The way I did it was:

1. Fit the stone guards as you suggested, I didn't bother with washers but have a hand gun.

2. Check the holes in the wing against the rivnuts and holes in the body until all bolts fit easily. At the same time cut away the wing to clear the radius arms (this weakens the wing considerably, so best done after fitting the guards)

3. I glued the wing to body seal to the wing flange with contact adhesive after cutting the notches. This makes it much easier to make holes for the bolts in the trim and save a lot of fiddling while mounting the wing.I

Duncan

[Tom_Arundel]

There is a good case for painting the underside of the wing with a rubber based paint to deflect stones and to fit the rear lights when the wing is on the chassis as they can be out of level if fitted off the chassis

[Wrightpayne]

I originally used rivets on the stainless guards but used 4mm stainless dome allen bolts and nylocs when I switched to carbon guards!

Ian

[pugwash]

Three coats of Stoneguard went on the underside of all of my wheel arches before assembly for exactly that purpose.  Simple to apply.

[tomwood]

My advice would be to fit some 3M protective film on the wings before you do anything else. Wish I’d done this but I didn’t and now I regret it.

The protectors do their job but the bit at the edge of the wing that they don’t cover gets peppered by stones big time.

less than 5000 miles in and I’m already thinking of taking them off, respraying, fitting the film and then putting the carbon protectors back on again.

[7 wonders of the world]

3M type film on the wing is much better, the stone gaurds get pebble dashed and soon look tatty.

Use nylon bolts to secure the wings to the chassis panels then if you do kiss something the bolts give way preventing the rivnuts being torn thro the ally panels.

 

[CtrMint]

Thanks all.

Plan is to use the nylon bolts after IVA, just in case there is an issue with them. 

I'm considering some PPF and also using the carbon guards.  I like the idea of using bolts instead of rivets.

@Wrightpayne (Ian) don't suppose you have a pic, to see how they look?  Thanks

[pugwash]

The carbon ones seem to keep their appearance pretty well.  I did get PPF up the exposed edge which the stoneguard doesn’t cover and for some distance above the stoneguard. 

[CtrMint]

At £68 per guard, I think I'll ppf them too.

[Wrightpayne]

[CtrMint]

Thanks for that, I'll defo use a button head bolt too.  I checked with a drill bit and my pre-drilled holes are 3.5mm that made  some black A2 stainless button heads 1.74GBP each, so I've gone with 3mm which are cheaper at 49p each.  The head diameter is 5.7mm so plenty of coverage over the 3.5mm hole.

https://www.accu.co.uk/en/socket-button-screws/155051-SSB-M3-8-A2-BL

[John Vine]

The protectors do their job but the bit at the edge of the wing that they don’t cover gets peppered by stones big time.

It does indeed.  My answer to that was to invest in a pair of wraparound carbon-fibre guards from Jon @ Millwood:

JV

[CtrMint]

That looks pretty sweet, but I think I'll stick with the standard ones and add some PPF.