850 R bib cracking - is there a solution?

[Flatout Phil]

Having had the new bib on for about 18 months, the old weak spot that I had on the old bib has re-emerged - that is, paintwork cracking along the section for the lower air intake. It really irritates me. The bottom line is that taller speed-humps and driveways can catch it, and after a while, the cracks begin:it's at that really skinnily engineered part of the bib - just too thin.
My hunch is that some sort of steel insert - at 90' and profiled to the inside shape of the bib, resined in, might help. Anyone else got any thoughts?

At some point I will have to get the bib resprayed or replaced (not convinced that the crack won't re-emerge now the surface has been compromised) and want to put an end to the problem.

[Flatout Phil]

Bump.

[M-R-P]

Reinforcing it would only make it crack elsewhere. possibly with more serious consequences.

[Tomcat]

Provided it's not a serious crack you can melt the crack back together again on the rear with a soldering iron, just be carefull how you go as you can easily melt through or scorch the pain on the other side. Hot glue works as well to add some reinforcement, just make sure to scuff up the plastic on the back so it's not trying to adhere to a slick surface, if you put some of that aluminium mesh in the glue while it's still soft that will also stiffen it up noticably.

[Flatout Phil]

That is useful stuff. The new item costs about £356 delivered so I think I will try and get this one fixed. Or I'll do what JelT5 did with his, and just have an ordinary T5 front end! Mind you, it might end up like my mini schnauzer who had his beard trimmed right back yesterday - now looks like a duck! Not good!

[woz]

Bump.

I am with you bro - mine was cracked on both sides then one night after a swift 35 mile drive from Mo in laws to home, got out of car to find one side dangling on the ground - had been worn nearly through by scraping along the M5 and I did not hear a thing. Thinking back I then remembered whipping through a ford a bit quick and reckon the impact must have ripped throuigh where it was cracked.
I think my Tomcat splitter may have previoulsy been holding it together but the camber into Aldi took that off a few months ago. Would have been OK but not with the lowered suspension as well.:>((

Fortunately the old "Volvo vs. the Armco" standard t5 bumper had not gone to the tip yet, so thats back on for now.
I now plan to re-engineer the R bumper with some mesh and epoxy on the back - as suggested, backed up by some PU foam, not too much cos of the weight, then a layer of GRp on the back to keep the water out.
Will report back.
We used to use PU foam in the ends of GRP canoes - they became virtually indestructible as it bonds really well to plastic. Just soaks up water over the years :>(

[woz]

[QUOTE=Flatout Phil;514476... Or I'll do what JelT5 did with his, and just have an ordinary T5 front end! ![/QUOTE]

there is a NEW T5 bumper on ebay at the mo. Dark met green - paint code is 421. Bummer - mine is 412 Dk Trop Grn.

P/N is 9415284 As far as I can tell its a "spoiler with foglights" for a 94 onwards 850 or T5 estate. paint code 421. Each paint code has a different part number on these prepainted bumpers.
Woz

[Flatout Phil]

I'm not sure that strengthening it a little would send damage elsewhere. As there is little elsewhere for it to go. I am sure there is a good solution using mesh etc. I do have a unused TC spoiler but TBH it would hit every speed bump in south London - and there are an awful lot. I'll have to whip it off and study it.

[glock19]

Is your car lowered, or is the rear springs too strong (Nivomats with standard springs & weak front springs, can do that) that the front end is dipped ? I'll leave you to your repairs but for speed bumps, try not to brake when you are already at the bump. Slow down slightly ahead so that the front does not dive, and cruise over the bump.

At slopes or underground car parks, I use my handbrakes to slow the car so that the rear end drops down instead of using the front brakes when I know 50-50 that the front bib will be scraped. Same applies to going up a ramp.

Oh, 18" Pegs or Nebulas helps too :D

[woz]

On mine, it has Eibachs - about 30-35mm lower than std, then the R bumper and previously a TC splitter but that was just too low to be practical. Any odd camber and it grounded - got so battered about that it started to look tatty, so had to take it off. Shame cos when new it looked loverly. Over 75mm lower at the front than standard.

BUT I had to take the Metro to go to Aldi, and any country lanes with grass up the middle were a complete no-no.
I think either an R bumper and no extra spoiler - OR a standard T5 bumper with an add on splitter /lip spoiler would be as low as you really want to go for day to day driving.

WAF

[Flatout Phil]

Is your car lowered, or is the rear springs too strong (Nivomats with standard springs & weak front springs, can do that) that the front end is dipped ? I'll leave you to your repairs but for speed bumps, try not to brake when you are already at the bump. Slow down slightly ahead so that the front does not dive, and cruise over the bump.

At slopes or underground car parks, I use my handbrakes to slow the car so that the rear end drops down instead of using the front brakes when I know 50-50 that the front bib will be scraped. Same applies to going up a ramp.

Oh, 18" Pegs or Nebulas helps too :D

It's fairly standard TBH apart from the ARBs. I think I have a few killer humps ( =8-o ) round here. What has fecked all my bibs has been the crossover onto the driveway, and any ramp at the edge of the camber. I like the idea of the handbrake too. I usually bump the car back and forth a few times if it has sat for a few hours and there is a ramp to cross to pump the Nivos up a bit. How sad is that?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fjq0VBCrNo