front splitter material

[V8Dom]

looking at replacing my front splitter again!!

the marine plywood tends to age quickly and split.

has anyone useed one of the latest generation plastics instead.. i see you can get 9mm and 12mm thick sheets and they seen the same sort of weight.

comes in black already and nice and smooth... any

thoughts guys and which of the many you used and why?

thanks dom

[F.C.]

V8Dom said:

looking at replacing my front splitter again!!

the marine plywood tends to age quickly and split.

has anyone useed one of the latest generation plastics instead.. i see you can get 9mm and 12mm thick sheets and they seen the same sort of weight.

comes in black already and nice and smooth... any

thoughts guys and which of the many you used and why?

thanks dom

I have this problem, fitted a new ply splitter last season and wrapped it in 3M di-noc.
Started peeling already!!
Alloy side skirts also 3M wrapped looking tired as well.
So I have decided to make a carbon fibre splitter and side skirts using resin infusion and vacuum bagging.
Don't know how it will turn out but waiting for a couple of warm dry days so I can cure the finished items in a low humidity environ.
If successful I will post pics.
If not.....

[UltimaCH]

Keep us posted.

[Storer]

I used a phenol faced plywood sheet for my splitter and the underside of my sidepods.

It is used on the floor of some trailers and is water proof, smooth on one side and embossed on the other. Costs about 40 per 8' x 4' x 12mm sheet.

Most plastic sheet materials are made from recycled plastics of various types. In my experience a plastic sheet is affected by temperature and can warp. A hard plastic will 'smash' if you hit anything.

I think a material that can 'splinter' but take a grounding or knock is the way to go for a road car. Next winter I will remove my splitter and make a couple of new ones, fit one and keep a second in stock (just in case).


Paul

[ROWDYRENAULT]

I built a 3/8 inch thick baltic birch plywood splitter 3 or 4 years ago. I just replaced it a month ago. Although the bottom was greatly scared from being driven off drive ways ect the top which was painted with black epoxy paint looked acceptable. My second splitter is out of the same woodbut my carbon fiber guy has covered the top only with a layer of carbon. Fiber material . I defie anyone to tell its not a carbon fiber piece. The advantage is cost and not wincing quite so bad when I drag it over a curve. Lee

[F.C.]

ROWDYRENAULT said:

I built a 3/8 inch thick baltic birch plywood splitter 3 or 4 years ago. I just replaced it a month ago. Although the bottom was greatly scared from being driven off drive ways ect the top which was painted with black epoxy paint looked acceptable. My second splitter is out of the same woodbut my carbon fiber guy has covered the top only with a layer of carbon. Fiber material . I defie anyone to tell its not a carbon fiber piece. The advantage is cost and not wincing quite so bad when I drag it over a curve. Lee

This is my "escape" route, if my carbon sheets turn out crap, much easier to skin something already formed especially if stabilised carbon cloth is used.

[Ult-Jim]

Although I like the solid plywood option an alternative solution that I have is from Carbon Mods using carbon foam sandwich:

http://www.carbonmods.co.uk/Products/Extra-Wide-Ca...

Carbon, stiffness & lightness is everything

The plastic edge trip can be easily replaced if it looks tatty after a while.

I view it as a sacrificial item protecting the front clip and have a spare ready to fit when needed.

[srreck]

I built mine in marine plywood with a fiberglass layer. Not problem at all ......yet.

[macgtech]

Either the fibreglass layer over ply, or, the easier solution, is to paint the ply with black epoxy. A few layers should give a great finish and be hard as nails - will hold the front edge together nicely too.

[andygtt]

For my noble I made up the wooden one then used what would have been the waste and glued It to a mirror then dressed the inner edge and layer carbon into it.... I used resin infusion but you could wet lay!

I used the cheap mould to make 5 so far... All experiments with different carbon/ Kevlar layups which when I was bored/ dismissed I cut up and used as flat sheet on other parts of the car :-)

If you make it from the correct layup or carbon/ Kevlar/ core material then it won't fall apart the first kerb or rabbit you see... Unlike pure carbon that will!

[eliot]

Storer said:

I used a phenol faced plywood sheet for my splitter and the underside of my sidepods.

It is used on the floor of some trailers and is water proof, smooth on one side and embossed on the other. Costs about 40 per 8' x 4' x 12mm sheet.

Most plastic sheet materials are made from recycled plastics of various types. In my experience a plastic sheet is affected by temperature and can warp. A hard plastic will 'smash' if you hit anything.

I think a material that can 'splinter' but take a grounding or knock is the way to go for a road car. Next winter I will remove my splitter and make a couple of new ones, fit one and keep a second in stock (just in case).


Paul

Also known as buffalo board - tough stuff.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=buffalo+board&amp...

[2001ultima]

I'm about to make a splitter and will use high density polyethylene (HDPE). My previous Ultima had a splitter made of this material in black color. It is the same material used for those tough cutting boards that you may have seen.

[macgtech]

2001ultima said:

I'm about to make a splitter and will use high density polyethylene (HDPE). My previous Ultima had a splitter made of this material in black color. It is the same material used for those tough cutting boards that you may have seen.

Hi Jim,

Is this really going to be stiff enough without adding a huge amount of weight? What thickness will it be?

[harry b]

I use Shuttering plywood for splitters. (I hope it is the right name for it.)
It is used by concrete builders to make their casings for concrete constructions.
It has a epoxy layer on both sides and doesn't split.
You can get it from 6mm up to 40mm thickness.
It has a smooth surface with a dark reddish color to it.

[Lee Mack]

I'm suprised nobody has mentioned DiBond.

We have been using DiBond for Race Car splitters for a while now and it's incredibly strong. It's a composite material made up of a polymer filling, bonded between 2 sheets of 1mm Aluminium.

Cheap, paintable and comes in 6mm thicknesses. Available from any good Sign Makers.

[crossram]

LOL This sounds like the Morgan club with all this plywood talk.

[Justaredbadge]

crossram said:

LOL This sounds like the Morgan club with all this plywood talk.

It's a cheap option for a sacrificial, consumable item.

[V8Dom]

Lee Mack said:

I'm suprised nobody has mentioned DiBond.

We have been using DiBond for Race Car splitters for a while now and it's incredibly strong. It's a composite material made up of a polymer filling, bonded between 2 sheets of 1mm Aluminium.

Cheap, paintable and comes in 6mm thicknesses. Available from any good Sign Makers.

I have dibond I use at home, unfortunately, if I touch a curb with the splitter its very rigid and will rip front off, ply and board has some give and breakes.

if 6mm what do you do to dress the white poly infill.. I have 2mm stuff and use black marker?

[Ult-Jim]

V8Dom said:

Lee Mack said:

I'm suprised nobody has mentioned DiBond.

We have been using DiBond for Race Car splitters for a while now and it's incredibly strong. It's a composite material made up of a polymer filling, bonded between 2 sheets of 1mm Aluminium.

Cheap, paintable and comes in 6mm thicknesses. Available from any good Sign Makers.

I have dibond I use at home, unfortunately, if I touch a curb with the splitter its very rigid and will rip front off, ply and board has some give and breakes.

if 6mm what do you do to dress the white poly infill.. I have 2mm stuff and use black marker?

I slightly touched the curb with my carbon foam sandwiched splitter (lol, second outing out - lol newbie with new toy, lol) anyway the damage is not visually noticeable. It is the internal structure of the foam sandwich which has lost its stiffness/ has been crushed, and in my case only alongs a couple of inches on one side of the edge. The external carbonfibre weave kept its integrity. So I guess in structural engineering terms the foam sandwich construction did a good job absorbing the energy of the contact, saving the front of the car.

[V8Dom]

external carbon weeve?? mine is ally top and bottom?