2013 Chevy Cruze Mod Thread
 

Just getting the thread started for now. Pictures and more to follow. This will be a WIP thread for a little bit. I'll keep this first post updated as things progress. This is my first real mod that's required any creation on my part. I've had the tires aired up and have been working on the driver for a while now.

I don't have the Cruze Eco, which has automatic adjustable grill blocks in front of the radiator, so I'm making my own. I'm doing it a bit different from other Cruze owners and putting my blocks in front of the grill. Others I've seen have placed theirs on the backside of the grill. I'm interested in aero mods as well, so that's why I'm putting them in front.

Grill Covers

Here's what I've started with:

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9657cb99.png

Actual openings to the radiator are outlined in yellow.

Materials:

• Poster board
• Painter's tape
• Pencil
• Box cutter
• Coroplast
• Black Plastidip
• Adhesive backed velcro strips

I started by taping some poster board to the front of the car and quickly trimming it down to a rough outline for each grill. Then I took a pencil and pushed in to trace the line that I wanted for the coroplast. Next was cut, test fit, trim, etc.

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/...psfc462ecf.jpg

With that done, I taped the template onto the coroplast and went to work with the box cutter. More test fitting and slight trimming followed.

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/...psvl8fppb6.jpg

Rinse and repeat for the upper and lower grills.

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/...psin5nigcs.jpg

Here's some of the velro going on to the grill (more velcro at left and right edges added after this picture):

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/...psd3njbbnc.jpg

And here are the plastidiped grill covers on the car:

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/...psnmqwabyw.jpg

Excellent suggestion. I'm using the same width as the Eco model's opening, basically stretching from the farthest tip on the left and right of the Chevy bowtie, but mine is only about half as tall.

Here are a few pictures from the process.

Tracing and trimming.

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/...psfc462ecf.jpg

Transfer template shape to coroplast.

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/...psvl8fppb6.jpg

All done minus black plastidip and velcro backings.

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/...psin5nigcs.jpg

Getting ready to do the rear wheel air deflectors.

Here's a picture of the rear wheel air deflectors on a Cruze Eco, courtesy of user 99LeCouch:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_2243.jpg

Is it just me, or could that go further towards the outside of the car? It's missing almost a 1/3 of the tire. Surely that's not the best that can be done?

Here's what it looks like from the other side on my non-Eco Cruze:

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/...psp3b39hnt.jpg

Notice the gap between the side skirt and the wheel well.

Nice. Subscribed.

Hi Eastwood. I have a 2013 Cruze 1LT. Mine is non-eco and it came from factory with the tire spats. I wonder why yours did not.

Hey Brandon. Mine has the RS trim so it's a little different than a 1LT. I've seen other 1LTs with them, but no 1LT RS's with spats on all four tires. The side skirt is different, so that may be the contributing factor to lacking the spats.

In the next few mods I had planned to do was concerning the tire spats. How do you plan on a-fixing them your to your cruze? Im not so sure if I feel comfortable drilling into mine. However i'm open to suggestion on that one. Also are you going to use coroplast or another material for the tire spats? How are the tires treating you at 50 psi? I assume you have the 215/60/16s' like I do.

Given the odd shape, I'll probably have to make something to take up the space in order to provide a flat surface to attach the air deflector. Otherwise it will only cover up 2/3 of the tire like in that picture from above.

Others have had success with double-sided tape. I do have some double-sided duct tape. I might also try some industrial strength velcro left over from doing the grill blocks. I'll use coroplast or cardboard. Either one I'll coat with black Plastidip to match the rest of the car and to waterproof/protect from the elements in the case of using cardboard.

The 50 psi has been great. I've found it makes a huge difference in coasting and thus mpg. Yep, same tires and probably the same wheels.

I have been running my tires at 40 psi just to be cautious but if you say they roll good it looks like im firing up my air compressor tomorrow morning before I head into work. Do you have your grill blocks installed yet? If you do how is the preliminary data looking for engine coolant temp? I have long waned to block off the lower grill area but am unsure how the intercooler will handle it.

Also one more though for modding, I have been thinking of using self tapping screws and a-fixing air dams along the pinch rails. Before I do this however I am planning on doing some tests to see how much suspension travel I have before I do this so they do not drag on the ground. What do you think?

Subscribed :)

Here's some of the velro going on to the grill:

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/...psd3njbbnc.jpg

I did add some more velcro at the tips and left and right edges. Might come back later with a more complete picture of that.

And here's the finished product (for now)!

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/...psnmqwabyw.jpg

I might end up redoing the middle and top one just so they follow the shape more accurately, but they doesn't look terrible from several feet away.

It's a pretty warm day here, ~88 degrees F, and the engine temperature seems quite fine so far.

The blocks didn't fly off up to 50 mph. We have some pretty strong winds from all directions here on the NWA plateau, so we'll see if they hold up in cross winds. I'm only a little concerned due to the grill's honeycomb structure not giving a lot of sticking surface. I did have to reposition one strip and it was not easy to pull it off of the grill so hopefully the adhesive is strong long term. There was also zero residue so that's hopeful for if/when the cover is not needed/wanted.

From what I read about the tire spats, they left the spat off of that 1/3rd of the tire is because the air hits the spat and deflects around the tire, but if you extend the spat across the whole tire then air will deflect farther than necessary and you'll just add more drag to the car.

Ah, good point. Thanks! I'll look into this. It will make things a bit easier if that's the case.

maybe just zip-tie the velcro onto the honeycomb?

That's a great idea! Most of the honeycomb doesn't have an actual opening behind it, unfortunately. If you look at the very first picture in the thread where the openings are outlined in yellow, I think you can see the problem.

I might end up doing that for the lower grill cover since it's open all the way across. Thanks for the good idea :thumbup:

Very nicely done! I definitely do like them. Do you have a way of monitoring whether or not your fan is kicking on? Also how did you figure your the size for the opening on the middle grill block?

If that's the case, then you dont really need to cover the front! :)

Tests on EM shows there is very little difference with blocking the "front" of the grill vs. blocking the "back" of the grill.

Unless you are going for the absolutely best laminar flow......

Nice job! I'm hoping my block will look as good as yours.

Clear grill block
 

That looks nice, Eastwood. Here's my own version, the invisible grill block. If it doesn't work out, I'll probably copy your idea on the lower grill.

http://postimg.org/image/rk54vzf3b

http://s27.postimg.org/xixk3ab6b/grill_block_zoom.jpg

This was made from a $4 plexiglass sheet from Hobby Lobby, epoxied in at the corners. I would recommend not using Plexiglass to everybody else, it's too brittle. But it's held up so far...

Back from the frozen North and reunited with my car.

Switched out the 1LT (my car's model) 16" 19.8lbs wheels for wheels that come standard on the Chevy Cruze Eco: 17" 17.8lbs wheels.

Old Wheel:

1LT 5 Spoke:
- Cast Aluminum
- 16 x 6.5”
- Fully machined finish
- 42mm offset
- 5x105 lug pattern
- 19.8 lbs

http://www.gm.ca/images/vehicles/201...PW2_big_02.jpg


New Wheel (getting a bit of a hatchback feel from this angle, but the focus is on the wheel):

Eco 15 Spoke:
- Forged Aluminum
- 17 x 7”
- Fully polished
- 42mm offset
- 5x105 lug pattern
- 17.8 lbs

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/...psd3e9e527.jpg

Lost 8 pounds of unsprung weight as a result. Also took out the spare tire (since it's a different size) and all the equipment that went with that and lost 32.4 pounds of weight from the trunk.

Put on new 215/55/17 Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tires. These are the LRR tires that come standard on the Chevy Cruze Eco.

Also installed a rear upper sway bar in the trunk that helps cut down massively on body roll in the curves.

http://throwdownperformance.com/images/UR-RE2-1204.jpg
(Manufacturer's picture)

Flatter is better, right?

I believe the OEM spat design is correct. Without increasing the front area and being set inward it moves some air from under to the outside. The air moves out at maybe a 60 degree angle, so it doesn't have to go to the outside edge of the tire. I wouldn't change it by more than a 1/2 in any direction.

Eastwood- nice! I've been wanting to get some Eco rims, but they're pricey. Maybe after I pay off the car. Have you felt any difference? Were you the one who snagged some off eBay for $250?

I did the splash shield recently. You'll prob have to cut it:
I want to reinstall my engine splash shield, need part number - Page 4

I'm trying to decide between LED headlights, a trunk spoiler, or more Eco underbody panels next.

Car sits up a little bit higher, not very noticeable, and could just be placebo effect since I know I'm on 17" wheels instead of 16".

Coast time is noticeably longer thanks to the LRR tires.

I'm going after all that rear cavity space under the trunk next. Using this as a guide:

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2a5533f9.jpg

The guy that posted that on CruzeTalk said that it started falling down so he took it off of his car. I'll add another brace or two to my version so hopefully it will maintain its rigidity.

On the engine splash shield, I have to repair a crack in mine (going to try fiberglass for the first time!) thanks to a little critter. When I have it off, I'll try to find an easy way to put in some easily removeable coroplast to take up the area that was cut out by GM. My hunch is that I can just lay it on top of the splash shield, over the cutout area, and simply use some tape to secure it, but we'll see. Then when I want to remove it for service, I can just push it up from the tape and pull it out by pulling it towards the rear of the car and then removing the tape.

Being on the bottom of the engine bay and not touching anything, I'm confident that it won't melt.

I'm also thinking about those vertical bumper spoilers. :cool:

Car is looking great!

As for the rear cavity space cover, are you going to use coroplast or something else? I wanted to do one as well but am worried about the muffler melting it.

Pulling the fuse
 

I redid my grill block recently. Went a bit more aggressive and used some peelable caulk so I can take it off at any time.
http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/attac...k-photo-3-.jpg

I also pulled the OnStar fuse. It's a 10A fuse in the box by the driver's left knee. That's pretty big! 10A*12V means that OnStar is potentially pulling 120Watts, which is maybe even more than the headlights.

Can't say I noticed any difference after pulling the fuse, plus now there's no possibility of being tracked via GPS.

Leaving a 1-2" gap between the muffler and coroplast should be fine.

I have coroplast lying right against on the exhaust of my Subaru STi, the coroplast is slightly melted away.

Coroplast has a higher melting temperature than typical car exhausts.

I like it! From this distance it looks almost oem.

That lower block looks really nice! Also, that sounds like a pretty cool idea on the fuse. Easy to do too. I wonder what other fuses we could do without.

Yep, jedi_sol has it right. If it's okay next to his exhaust on the 2.5L Turbo Aero STI, it will certainly be fine on our little 1.4L Turbos with a small gap. :) :snail:

I'm wondering the same. Let me know if you find any.

What happened to your Cruzen?

Thanks all on the information for the rear diffuser, I'm sure jedi will find this but I just posted a similar question in the rear diffuser thread. I like the idea of the lower partial grill block as well, yours looks great.

Here is a picture of the topside of the rear diffuser that sits up against my exhaust pipes. As you can see, the coroplast does melt, but it does not catch fire.

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m...125_231733.jpg

Here is the bottom side, as you can see, the exhaust has not even melted all of the way through.

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m...125_231657.jpg

Here is my lower grill block. I just put this on yesterday.

Nice. That little lip is good for holding the grill, right?

It is. The block sits pretty flush with the front of the bumper. We will have to see what the net gain for this mod is. I have already noticed around 2 mpg gain in my 37 mi one way commute to work. Coming home I do much better though. I'm excited to see how far I can stretch it. This also helps wonders especially with how cold it is in the mitten right now with respect to helping the engine warm up quicker in the morning when it has been around 0 for the past few days. I'm almost tempted to do a partial block of the upper grill but not until I get the radiator activation led in place.

I'll be interested to hear how often your rad fan comes on. I was tempted to do a full block but I didn't want to go so far on a brand-new engine.

Hit 46.3 mpg on the highway with my LS this past weekend. :) There was some drafting of semis involved.

With Eco rims, 1" lower, spoiler, and full synthetic, I bet 50mpg is possible.

So far the fan has not come on, it is so cold outside (today was -4 all morning, tomorrow will be colder) that it stays pretty cool. That being said im sure when it warms up ill have to modify the lower grill block in order to prevent the fan from activating all the time. Thus far my best trip tank was, 11.0 miles; 54.5 mpg, with an avg mph of 37.1. I'm thinking with the addition of my wheel covers, tire pressures going up to 50 with LRR tires, and the full underbody paneling I can make 50mpg tank this summer :D

Also right now would be the best time to do it. This is a brand new car with a 5 year 100,000 mile warranty to cover a blown engine should it happen. Its like the service manager at the dealership told me, "Drive it like you want to while its under warranty its better to have something go wrong while it is still covered."

I propose a race to 50 mpg! Eastwood can get in on this too.

Rules are:
1. It has to be a legit 450+ mile tank.
2. Elevation change limited to 2,000 ft.
3. No Cruze Ecos or CTD's. That's just too easy.

You guys have the nice 1.4L engine but I have the manual tranny and nice weather. Should be interesting...

Challenge accepted! Except can we make a change and require a 600+ mile tank since we have the 15.6 gal tanks. With a 50mpg tank we should theoretically be able to pull off 780 miles on one tank so I think 600 miles as a requirement would be fair.