Belly pan succumbs to snow

[brucepick]

Has anyone else here had major snow damage to a DIY belly pan? I think mine now needs prompt removal and a thorough rebuild.

Here's my belly pan build thread, from early spring 2011:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...vic-16422.html

Construction: Coroplast, with aluminum flashing substituted below the exhaust. Panels joined by pop rivets. Attached around perimeter with sheet metal screws, primarily into the plastic of bumper lips and undersides of plastic side skirts (OEM). Some framing, using 1/16" and rarely 1/8" thick x 1" aluminum bar stock.

The Northeast US had a major snowstorm this past weekend, at least 18" in my local area. Yesterday and today I drove on roads and driveways with as much as 6"-8" of soft snow, crumbly ice/snow mixture, you name it.

I now see heavy damage to the three sections of the belly pan: front, which goes from nose to firewall, middle goes from firewall to front of rear wheel well, and the rear which continues to the bumper.

Front and middle sections each have a large panel hanging down, dragging on the road. Top face of those panels is filled with granular ice crud. Rear section has a major framing piece detached at forward end and hanging down. Rear also needed about 2-3 square feet of flashing panel removed as it was semi detached and interfering with air flow and also dragging on road.

Ugh.
I just HAD to share my tale of woe. A sturdier rebuild would be good but it will have to wait for better weather. I'm afraid I'll need to remove all three sections just to be able to drive to work tomorrow. Not my ode of what I'd be doing early on a winter morning.

[arcosine]

Nope, still good for 2 winters on this one and had it 5 winters on previous car. 100% coroplast.

[brucepick]

arcosine,

Thanks. Is it a full pan front to rear? No framing on yours?

If you posted a thread, please give me the link.

This might have been the root of my belly pan failure:
I didn't trust Coroplast close to the exhaust so I joined aluminum panels to the Coroplast. Two joins failed.

Maybe instead, use full Coroplast panels going across? Maybe put an aluminum shield on top side?? But that would reflect the heat back up towards the body instead of radiating it away.

What do you guys think? What method gives a durable pan? Obviously my first build wasn't very sturdy.

[3-Wheeler]

Brucepick,

My pan has been OK for three seasons too. Knock on wood!

Jim.

[brucepick]

3-Wheeler,

I had a look through your belly pan build thread - WOW. You sure did a fine job on that. Nothing like the methods I used...

[Sven7]

While towing the Probe backward through a snowbank the day I sold it, a sizable portion ripped off and started dragging on the ground. The overlaps were built to take flow only from the front. That's the only problem I can think of.

[COcyclist]

Bummer. I am in my third winter with mine with no damage. (photos in my profile). I do have an aluminum skidplate under the engine and the leading edge of the coroplast angles up sharply just behind that. The first winter with the belly pan I discovered that the gaps around the rear wheelwells allowed snow to blow into the gaps between the body and the belly pan. I extended the fenderwells the next summer and no problems since. I was pushing snow for many miles last weekend but it was fluffy Colorado snow not frozen chunks.

[arcosine]

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ods-15529.html

[mcrews]

what's 'snow'?????

(sorry, some sick perverted south texas attempt at humor!)

[Mustang Dave]

The local ski area has received 36" of snow over the last 3 days. Yes, this is in Arizona. Arizona Snow Bowl - the only ski area on the planet with a view of the Grand Canyon.