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-   -   who else has a saggy stillen front lip? (http://www.the370z.com/exterior-interior/57990-who-else-has-saggy-stillen-front-lip.html)

edub370 07-20-2012 08:03 AM

who else has a saggy stillen front lip?
 
so i had my stillen lip on my car for about 10 months and in the time frame the middle has sagged enough to look bad so last night i removed it and got some pics

its hard to see in this picture but u can see the lip starting to seperate from the body in the middle of the car (yes, i had it screwed on there.. in 2 spots). it wasn't terrible at this point, but it had steadily gotten worse over the last couple months. kinda started becoming noticeable

http://www.the370z.com/members/edub3...tillen-lip.jpg


heres a pic that kinda shows how far it was seperating. that bug collection on the tape shouldnt be there. if the lip stays straight and doesnt pull away from the bumper exposing the tape

http://www.the370z.com/members/edub3...er-removal.jpg


i know a couple people with this lip have had this problem, but i wanna know how broad of a problem this is exactly

DR_ 07-20-2012 08:15 AM

Is the plastic deformed now or can you just put on new tape and reinstall it?

edub370 07-20-2012 08:33 AM

plastic deformed causing tape and screws to pull out. u can somewhat see the middle sagging in the first pic

kidkotic2001 07-20-2012 09:17 AM

If it is no longer in the same shape that it should be you can try to use a heat gun make it soft and then try to remold it? I do not know if it can be done but it would be worth a try. I would also try to redo the tape and maybe add two more screws in the middle.

elmz 07-20-2012 09:27 AM

That sucks...this is why I held off from purchasing one. I hope you find a fix of some kind.

robones 07-20-2012 09:27 AM

LOL hey! I had just commented about this. I have seen this before. It looks like to me the lip causes a good amount of downforce over the nose of the car and its warping the urethane lip over time or the 3M tape is not capable of holding up to the stress levels. I would say the lip cannot be installed with just simple 3M tape and a few screws. I have twelve screws and nuts installed in mine with about 4 inch seperation between all screws and bolts.
Stillen's installation instructions are simple on paper but in order to really install the lip correctly and provide the lip with additional structural regidity, you MUST remove the front bumper and intall the lips with actual screws and nuts inside the bumper.

However, I believe Stillen offers a lifetime warranty for this part. Have you spoken to Stillen yet about his issue?

edub370 07-20-2012 09:37 AM

i have not. may give them a call in a sec. thanks for the tips tho

robones 07-20-2012 09:44 AM

No problem OP. Let me know what they say... Keep me posted please.

edub370 07-20-2012 09:50 AM

will do. like i said, i know im not the only on with this issue. it seems to me the screws the provide in the mounting hardware is pretty inadequate

robones 07-20-2012 10:02 AM

Yes it is. When I took it to a shop for installation they laughed. The so called "self tapping screws" are worthless. Stillen says this to sell the product as a "simple and quick" installation.
I ended up buying different hardware (nuts and bolts) and used a drill to actually drill the holes. My splitter has held up but I do see a little distortion in the middle of the frame but nowhere near your case.

edub370 07-20-2012 10:09 AM

mine started ever so slightly about 3 months ago and it just gets worse and worse.

its a shame cuz i really liked it

calling them in about 5 min

kenchan 07-20-2012 10:15 AM

yah, that's a flimsy piece. can you use larger washers and maybe a metal bracket on the bottom to keep it straight?

edub370 07-20-2012 10:24 AM

possibly could try that. would be a little late on this piece as its already warped. maybe if i get another i can come up with some type of bracing or reinforcement

kenchan 07-20-2012 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edub370 (Post 1829663)
possibly could try that. would be a little late on this piece as its already warped. maybe if i get another i can come up with some type of bracing or reinforcement

is it heat that's causing it? if so, can you place it on a flat surface and bake it in the sun or use a heat gun to re-shape it?

robones 07-20-2012 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenchan (Post 1829687)
is it heat that's causing it? if so, can you place it on a flat surface and bake it in the sun or use a heat gun to re-shape it?


I personally dont think its the heat but I could be wrong. :tup: The piece is made out of urethane same material as our bumpers. I think it has to do with the wind downforce that's constantly pushing down on the front lip. Underneath middle portion of the splitter, it does not have much skeleton ridges to provide regidity. :tiphat:


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