Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Belly pan how-to

basjoos · 10-31-2010, 08:37 PM

1) Any vehicle likely needs a frame to support the belly pan from above. Has anyone built one that attached directly to the car's underbody?

The belly pan is attached directly to the car's frame.

2) How to attach framing and sheet material? Rivets? (aluminum or something else??) Sheet metal screws? Rubber well nuts, aka expansion plugs?? Something else?

Used machine screws drilled and tapped into the metal frame and the underside of the plastic bumpers. A few attachments points in the wheel wells are screws, washers, and nuts attached through the rubbery fibrous materials used for parts of the wheel well interior wall.

3) What framing and sheet materials did you use? What worked and what didn't work?

Coroplast for most of the underside, aluminum flashing for the parts near the exhaust system (from front bumper down the length of the central exhaust tunnel with a bend following the exhaust pipe over to the rear right wheel).

4) How did you deal with the engine bay, between radiator bottom support bracket and the firewall?? Were you able to put a panel over the area, or at least over part of it?

Engine bay totally covered, used aluminum bar or angle to provide support across large gaps (engine bay, gas tank) where the car's metal frame wasn't available).

5) How did you deal with the exhaust area? I'm considering leaving mine uncovered (it goes down the center till it gets near the gas tank) but what did you do? If car has a rear muffler, did you cover it over?

Aluminum flashing covers the extire exhaust except for the underside of the muffler where I bring coroplast to within a inch of the muffler's surface.

10-31-2010, 08:37 PM	#8 (permalink)
basjoos Master EcoModder Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate SC Posts: 1,088 Aerocivic - '92 Honda Civic CX Last 3: 70.54 mpg (US) AerocivicLB - '92 Honda Civic CX Team Honda 90 day: 55.14 mpg (US) Camryglide - '20 Toyota Camry hybrid LE 90 day: 65.83 mpg (US) Thanks: 16 Thanked 677 Times in 302 Posts	1) Any vehicle likely needs a frame to support the belly pan from above. Has anyone built one that attached directly to the car's underbody? The belly pan is attached directly to the car's frame. 2) How to attach framing and sheet material? Rivets? (aluminum or something else??) Sheet metal screws? Rubber well nuts, aka expansion plugs?? Something else? Used machine screws drilled and tapped into the metal frame and the underside of the plastic bumpers. A few attachments points in the wheel wells are screws, washers, and nuts attached through the rubbery fibrous materials used for parts of the wheel well interior wall. 3) What framing and sheet materials did you use? What worked and what didn't work? Coroplast for most of the underside, aluminum flashing for the parts near the exhaust system (from front bumper down the length of the central exhaust tunnel with a bend following the exhaust pipe over to the rear right wheel). 4) How did you deal with the engine bay, between radiator bottom support bracket and the firewall?? Were you able to put a panel over the area, or at least over part of it? Engine bay totally covered, used aluminum bar or angle to provide support across large gaps (engine bay, gas tank) where the car's metal frame wasn't available). 5) How did you deal with the exhaust area? I'm considering leaving mine uncovered (it goes down the center till it gets near the gas tank) but what did you do? If car has a rear muffler, did you cover it over? Aluminum flashing covers the extire exhaust except for the underside of the muffler where I bring coroplast to within a inch of the muffler's surface.