In case any of your are considering installing an OEM skidplate this is how I did it. I have seen two other methods (actually with very little info or pics). One suggests welding bolts to subframe and core support while the other mentions using "crush nuts" which I am guessing are some kind of insert/captive nut thing. Anyway I did neither.
I picked up this OEM skidplate at the Consignment Shed in Norcross (atl) GA (hit them up for lots of good e30 parts http://www.theconsignmentshed.com/ ) last week while up there seeing girlfriend. I live in new orleans and the front of my car is lowered approx 2 inches. The streets here in Uptown are probably the worst in the country. I will take the pepsi challenge if you dont believe me. We replace a lot of busted oil pans at the shop over the year (especially vw/audi which are even stupider than e30). Anyway I picked this plate up for a good price but had no clue how to install. So I just went at it and figured something out.
Time: 2 hours
Tools: I used the following although some other things can be used.
3/8" impact
Drill
Radiator Hose tool/seal puller
Lift
Screw Jack
Magnet
Here are the bolts I used. I grabbed em out of the bin so I dont know size but they are metric.
First thing I did was go to subframe side. I found the two holes that corresponded to the mounting holes in the skidplate. The idea here is to push the bolt through the bigger open hole in front and then get the bottom of the bolt such that you can pull it through using a magnet. For this task I used a dental pick to maneuver the bolt into place and when you see bottom of a bolt use a strong magnet and it will pull right through. In this photo you can see the head of the bolt through the big hole. Just push it so the other end is over the small hole. Also I put a lock washer under head of the bolt.
Bolt over the hole. Now use magnet to grab it and it will right itself and fall through.
Do the same for other side of subframe. Next this is important. To make it easy to get the plate on and off double nut the bolt into place. Put a nut on the bolt before you put the skid plate on. I used a seal puller/rad hose tool to put pressure on the top of the bolt from the big hole, then I banged the nut tight with 3/8" impact. Its seems to me that the original hardware probably had some sort of spacer or rubber in between the plate and the subframe. Without something to space it it will ride on the bottom of the rack. You pretty much have to do this for spacing if nothing else.
Ok so the back is pretty much done and ready for plate. Now the front. I took my gravel shield down first. Then I used a screw jack to position the skid plate and bolted on in the back.
Now that it is in place where it needs to be take a drill and drill each front hole through the core support using the skidplate as a guide.
Drill both sides. Make sure they are big enough for your bolts. I used same bolts in the front as I did in the rear. Just put the bolts in through the little holes in the core support like this one, then again use dental pick (or your finger since these holes are larger) and magnet to pull em through. I also took this oppurtunity to douse my radiator mounts and lower core support with rust converter. Damn yankee cars.
I didnt take a picture but I used lock washer on head of bolt before I put it in and I also double nutted these bolts to keep them from moving. This presents a very unique issue. These were meant to be held on with a bolt going through a captive nut. The design of the plate like many others has catch tabs on it so its easier to take off. To be able to work with the bolts you have to bend the tabs up. This is not a big deal to me as the plate only weighs about ten pounds so taking off isnt going to be that hard. I just took a large pair of channel locks and bent the tabs out of the way. They also wont be in the way of anything else so you can just leave them like this.
Thats pretty much it for getting the mounting set up. Next I took the used plate out and washed it good with dawn. Then shot it with a coat of rubberized undercoating. It had a few previous shots on it but still in great shape. I more or less did this to prevent rust and see any new hits.
Next I just lifted it up and mounted it on the car. Came out great and gives me a little piece of mind on these terrible streets. Oh I used a flat washer and lock washer under that when I mounted it.
Here is how it looks on the ground on my car. My car is pretty low in the front. Clearance is still pretty good but I did take the shittiest streets on the way home and managed to hit it twice. I am talking about some massive 8-10 inch drop dips though.
Gratuitous picture of the whip....Also gives idea of ride height.
I picked up this OEM skidplate at the Consignment Shed in Norcross (atl) GA (hit them up for lots of good e30 parts http://www.theconsignmentshed.com/ ) last week while up there seeing girlfriend. I live in new orleans and the front of my car is lowered approx 2 inches. The streets here in Uptown are probably the worst in the country. I will take the pepsi challenge if you dont believe me. We replace a lot of busted oil pans at the shop over the year (especially vw/audi which are even stupider than e30). Anyway I picked this plate up for a good price but had no clue how to install. So I just went at it and figured something out.
Time: 2 hours
Tools: I used the following although some other things can be used.
3/8" impact
Drill
Radiator Hose tool/seal puller
Lift
Screw Jack
Magnet
Here are the bolts I used. I grabbed em out of the bin so I dont know size but they are metric.
First thing I did was go to subframe side. I found the two holes that corresponded to the mounting holes in the skidplate. The idea here is to push the bolt through the bigger open hole in front and then get the bottom of the bolt such that you can pull it through using a magnet. For this task I used a dental pick to maneuver the bolt into place and when you see bottom of a bolt use a strong magnet and it will pull right through. In this photo you can see the head of the bolt through the big hole. Just push it so the other end is over the small hole. Also I put a lock washer under head of the bolt.
Bolt over the hole. Now use magnet to grab it and it will right itself and fall through.
Do the same for other side of subframe. Next this is important. To make it easy to get the plate on and off double nut the bolt into place. Put a nut on the bolt before you put the skid plate on. I used a seal puller/rad hose tool to put pressure on the top of the bolt from the big hole, then I banged the nut tight with 3/8" impact. Its seems to me that the original hardware probably had some sort of spacer or rubber in between the plate and the subframe. Without something to space it it will ride on the bottom of the rack. You pretty much have to do this for spacing if nothing else.
Ok so the back is pretty much done and ready for plate. Now the front. I took my gravel shield down first. Then I used a screw jack to position the skid plate and bolted on in the back.
Now that it is in place where it needs to be take a drill and drill each front hole through the core support using the skidplate as a guide.
Drill both sides. Make sure they are big enough for your bolts. I used same bolts in the front as I did in the rear. Just put the bolts in through the little holes in the core support like this one, then again use dental pick (or your finger since these holes are larger) and magnet to pull em through. I also took this oppurtunity to douse my radiator mounts and lower core support with rust converter. Damn yankee cars.
I didnt take a picture but I used lock washer on head of bolt before I put it in and I also double nutted these bolts to keep them from moving. This presents a very unique issue. These were meant to be held on with a bolt going through a captive nut. The design of the plate like many others has catch tabs on it so its easier to take off. To be able to work with the bolts you have to bend the tabs up. This is not a big deal to me as the plate only weighs about ten pounds so taking off isnt going to be that hard. I just took a large pair of channel locks and bent the tabs out of the way. They also wont be in the way of anything else so you can just leave them like this.
Thats pretty much it for getting the mounting set up. Next I took the used plate out and washed it good with dawn. Then shot it with a coat of rubberized undercoating. It had a few previous shots on it but still in great shape. I more or less did this to prevent rust and see any new hits.
Next I just lifted it up and mounted it on the car. Came out great and gives me a little piece of mind on these terrible streets. Oh I used a flat washer and lock washer under that when I mounted it.
Here is how it looks on the ground on my car. My car is pretty low in the front. Clearance is still pretty good but I did take the shittiest streets on the way home and managed to hit it twice. I am talking about some massive 8-10 inch drop dips though.
Gratuitous picture of the whip....Also gives idea of ride height.
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