Help me pick the best material for underbody panels. - Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community

Hanakuso · 01-20-2013, 03:41 PM

I want to replicate a similar underbody panel like the TRD Griffon but i'm stumped on which material to go with. Just looking on McMaster, Alloy 5052 or Titanium (grade 2) would be under $60 for a sheet that should be good enough. Only bad thing with titanium it seems is cutting and drilling it would be hard. I would have to drill holes for the screws/caps to fit and also I would have to cut a small area for the cat. Taking it to a professional with proper tools is possible but i'm not sure how many pros deal with titanium.

boredom.is.me · 01-20-2013, 08:08 PM

What about cooling?

Xdragonxb0i · 01-20-2013, 08:20 PM

I say go with a durable plastic. Rust proof and probably lighter then metal. A plastic like what you find in truck liner

Hanakuso · 01-21-2013, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boredom.is.me

What about cooling?

It will only cover the cat and res. Actually it will need to be cut around the cat since it drops low or I will have to hope a HFC will clear it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xdragonxb0i

I say go with a durable plastic. Rust proof and probably lighter then metal. A plastic like what you find in truck liner

I was thinking of some sort of plastic but I'm not sure which one would be able to handle very high temps since the exhaust tubbing and car could melt the plastic if its not up to the task

boredom.is.me · 01-21-2013, 02:39 AM

Delrin may qualify.

Ingen · 01-21-2013, 08:45 AM

If I were going to go with a sheet metal it would probably be aluminum. Honestly, titanium is going to be a huge hassle to work with. If you insist on it, by all means make the aluminum one first. Once you're done massaging the dimensions and such, take the aluminum pattern and a sheet of Ti to a fabricator who can work with it and have them do the final build.

Then get a vendor account! :P

I would love to have something like these if only to keep all the salt away from the undercarriage. I would say that a plastic could certainly work, but the heat would be a factor... Hell, figure out what the JDM ones are made of and copy off them. Probably a fiberglass or glass reinforced plastic?

CaptainSlow · 01-21-2013, 08:54 AM

Use plastic if you can. Cheap, easy to work with, effective, and lightweight. Just keep it away from heat sources and you'll be fine. If you want to go a more expensive route, I'd use basic sheet metal or aluminum. Titanium would be a waste of money, unless you're just trying to have something to impress people with (which it probably won't...people would be more impressed with the fact that you made it yourself than the material you chose to use)

cslntuee · 01-21-2013, 09:33 AM

What’s the material of the JDM under panel (black one)?
Thanks.

CaptainSlow · 01-21-2013, 09:55 AM

Probably injection molded plastic.

Beyer Subaru · 01-21-2013, 10:58 AM

I'd go with Ti, if it's available and as/close to affordable as aluminum. If it's significantly more, I'd go with aluminum.

This is a pretty straight forward affair. It shouldn't be as hard as everyone is making it.
1. Get under the car and make a card board template.
2. Take cardboard template to a sheet metal fabricator.
3. Crack a beer and profit?

You should be able to locate a sheet metal fabricator by contatcing any HVAC construction company. Either they will have one in-house or a vendor they can reccomend.

This looks to be a fairly straight piece(s) with only a few holes in it.

swift996 · 01-21-2013, 12:11 PM

Hmm..I know someone in plastics manufacturing who has mad some one off things for his home. I wonder if he could make a run if I got some specs. I'll see, because I could make a mock up with vent/cooling.

CaptainSlow · 01-21-2013, 12:34 PM

You want something stiff enough (or something that is mounted securely enough) to not start to resonate with airflow, otherwise you're really taking a step backwards. Just be aware of that when you're going through the process.

Turbowned · 01-21-2013, 01:03 PM

This needs to happen. Full flat underbelly - because race car!

industrial · 01-21-2013, 01:51 PM

I was thinking about using dibond or alumalite. I just don't know how much of an air gap I'll have between my exhaust components and the panel.

01-20-2013, 03:41 PM	#1
Hanakuso Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Drives: FR-S Location: California Posts: 1,956 Thanks: 294 Thanked 673 Times in 390 Posts Mentioned: 11 Post(s) Tagged: 2 Thread(s)	Help me pick the best material for underbody panels. I want to replicate a similar underbody panel like the TRD Griffon but i'm stumped on which material to go with. Just looking on McMaster, Alloy 5052 or Titanium (grade 2) would be under $60 for a sheet that should be good enough. Only bad thing with titanium it seems is cutting and drilling it would be hard. I would have to drill holes for the screws/caps to fit and also I would have to cut a small area for the cat. Taking it to a professional with proper tools is possible but i'm not sure how many pros deal with titanium.

01-21-2013, 08:45 AM	#6
Ingen Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Drives: Ultramarine FR-S 6MT Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 525 Thanks: 349 Thanked 204 Times in 121 Posts Mentioned: 2 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	If I were going to go with a sheet metal it would probably be aluminum. Honestly, titanium is going to be a huge hassle to work with. If you insist on it, by all means make the aluminum one first. Once you're done massaging the dimensions and such, take the aluminum pattern and a sheet of Ti to a fabricator who can work with it and have them do the final build. Then get a vendor account! :P I would love to have something like these if only to keep all the salt away from the undercarriage. I would say that a plastic could certainly work, but the heat would be a factor... Hell, figure out what the JDM ones are made of and copy off them. Probably a fiberglass or glass reinforced plastic? __________________ Car Received: 10/18. Break in ended: 10/28 Goal: Openflash UEL headers, Stage II 93 oct, TRD intake, arm rest :P

01-21-2013, 08:54 AM	#7
CaptainSlow Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Drives: 2013 Scion FR-S Location: Mid-Michigan Posts: 799 Thanks: 392 Thanked 388 Times in 180 Posts Mentioned: 2 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Use plastic if you can. Cheap, easy to work with, effective, and lightweight. Just keep it away from heat sources and you'll be fine. If you want to go a more expensive route, I'd use basic sheet metal or aluminum. Titanium would be a waste of money, unless you're just trying to have something to impress people with (which it probably won't...people would be more impressed with the fact that you made it yourself than the material you chose to use) __________________ Ultramarine 2013 Scion FR-S 6MT

01-21-2013, 09:55 AM	#9
CaptainSlow Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Drives: 2013 Scion FR-S Location: Mid-Michigan Posts: 799 Thanks: 392 Thanked 388 Times in 180 Posts Mentioned: 2 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Probably injection molded plastic. __________________ Ultramarine 2013 Scion FR-S 6MT

01-21-2013, 12:11 PM	#11
swift996 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Drives: Subaru BRZ Limited 6MT Location: Winston-Salem, NC Posts: 2,432 Thanks: 712 Thanked 955 Times in 545 Posts Mentioned: 47 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Hmm..I know someone in plastics manufacturing who has mad some one off things for his home. I wonder if he could make a run if I got some specs. I'll see, because I could make a mock up with vent/cooling. __________________ Innovate Supercharged Black Limited BRZ 6-Speed MT(Build Thread) 2010 Cadillac CTS-V Sedan M6 w/550whp (Build Thread)

01-20-2013, 08:20 PM	#3
Xdragonxb0i Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Drives: ex500r Location: AR Posts: 859 Thanks: 13 Thanked 105 Times in 77 Posts Mentioned: 2 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I say go with a durable plastic. Rust proof and probably lighter then metal. A plastic like what you find in truck liner

01-21-2013, 09:33 AM	#8
cslntuee Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Drives: Subaru BRZ Limited Location: Lexington MA Posts: 962 Thanks: 604 Thanked 103 Times in 79 Posts Mentioned: 11 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	What’s the material of the JDM under panel (black one)? Thanks.

01-21-2013, 10:58 AM	#10
Beyer Subaru Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Drives: 2013 BRZ SWP 6AT Ltd Location: Alexandria, VA. Posts: 1,607 Thanks: 859 Thanked 776 Times in 485 Posts Mentioned: 37 Post(s) Tagged: 1 Thread(s)	I'd go with Ti, if it's available and as/close to affordable as aluminum. If it's significantly more, I'd go with aluminum. This is a pretty straight forward affair. It shouldn't be as hard as everyone is making it. 1. Get under the car and make a card board template. 2. Take cardboard template to a sheet metal fabricator. 3. Crack a beer and profit? You should be able to locate a sheet metal fabricator by contatcing any HVAC construction company. Either they will have one in-house or a vendor they can reccomend. This looks to be a fairly straight piece(s) with only a few holes in it.

01-21-2013, 12:34 PM	#12
CaptainSlow Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Drives: 2013 Scion FR-S Location: Mid-Michigan Posts: 799 Thanks: 392 Thanked 388 Times in 180 Posts Mentioned: 2 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	You want something stiff enough (or something that is mounted securely enough) to not start to resonate with airflow, otherwise you're really taking a step backwards. Just be aware of that when you're going through the process. __________________ Ultramarine 2013 Scion FR-S 6MT

01-21-2013, 01:51 PM	#14
industrial Add lightness! Join Date: Apr 2012 Drives: 17' WRX Location: Boston Posts: 1,253 Thanks: 380 Thanked 888 Times in 411 Posts Mentioned: 20 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I was thinking about using dibond or alumalite. I just don't know how much of an air gap I'll have between my exhaust components and the panel.

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