Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2012 8:54 AM
To:
sales@stillen.com
Subject: Stillen 370Z front lip sagging issue
Hello,
I’ve currently been having an issue with a front lip I ordered from Stillen a while ago (I am going to say 6 months ago, maybe more). Currently, it seems the middle section of the lip is deformed and sagging quite a bit.
Upon initial installation, I noticed the provided hardware wasn’t going to be enough to properly secure this lip, so I installed it with the bumper off and used rivets. I had some issues with fitment (more specifically, getting the fang portion to line up properly). I did speak with someone at stillen who advised me a tech would be calling me back shortly to discuss. I believe I got a call back a couple weeks later and just decided to live with it as I really love the way this lip looks on my car and well, rivets are annoying to drill out
Since the middle has been sagging so much I just decided to pull the lip off and since then (about 2 months) it has been sitting in my garage. I thought it was just a freak incident and since I live in a hot area it was just the heat+downforce causing said deformation. I then came across a thread on the370z.com with a group of people experiencing the same issue:
who else has a saggy stillen front lip?
Now, I know that I probably had the lip long enough so any warranty on the part has been expired and whatnot, but since the lip is no longer on the car, I was wondering if you guys would want it back to review it and see what the cause was (I can also take pictures for you, but they are pretty similar to the pictures found on the link provided). I’m not asking for a brand new lip or anything, but I hate to see such a nice part having an issue like this.
If you need any information please feel free to contact me at XXXXXXXXX
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Jason,
Please send pictures if possible. Do you have photos with the lip on the car with the section that is sagging? The 3M tape provided holds securly as long as the surface of the bumper is cleaned and prepped correctly as followed in the instructions.
The reason we do not add extra screws for installation is that it creates more tension especially during driving. Adding rivets or screws gives create more tension around the area where those rivets or screws were applied. This is just me assuming, I cant see whats going on, so photos will be a big help. Details on where is was mounted, surface of the bumper where the lip was installed. More pictures the better. Or is the link to the forum photos of your car?
Kevin Romero
Internet Sales
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Those photos are not mine (But very close, dare I say mine was even more pronounced), but when I get home tonight I will take as many pictures as I can for you (keep in mind the lip is off of the car).
The part that is sagging is in the middle where it looks like it isn’t reinforced. If you look at the lip from the bottom, you see there is a fold under (sorry for the lack of proper definition). Its sagging in the part where it isn’t reinforced, which is directly in the middle.
The surface was properly prepped (was clay bared and then wiped with alcohol as per the instructions). The fitment was incredibly tight when initially installed and the reason the rivets were added was because the self-tapping screws wouldn’t hold the lip in place and after looking at how thin the bumper was and the screws themselves, I couldn’t imagine it holding perfectly. Also, when I purchased it, I had a few friends with them who had issues with the screws backing out and they needed to screw them in further every month or so (this was more than 1 person). Not wanting to deal with all that, I just added the rivets. It was the only way to get the fang portion to line up correctly.
I understand how some people could improperly install this lip, but I assure you, this is not the first lip I have installed. I just try to get everything done right the first time so it doesn’t fly off on the freeway at 80mph (I’ve read about that happening as well, but I am certain that is installer error).
Unfortunately, I do not have any pics of the lip on the car with the sag. When taking any pics of the car it was always at an angle so it wasn’t noticeable. It was sort of embarrassing to see it on the car.
When installing, I also noticed the 3M tape did not stick to all portions it was applied to. There were definitely some gaps. No matter how it was lined up this was the case when test fitting it.