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View Full Version : OEM Carbon Aero Spoiler Installation



VENOM V
03-02-2014, 06:57 PM
I purchased the factory Carbon Aero Package from Mark Jorgensen of Woodhouse and installed the rear spoiler. I'll install the front splitters later, as that looks to be quite a challenge. Making templates, drilling, riveting, yikes. More on that another day.

First of all, the fit and finish of these carbon pieces is immaculate! No orange peel, flawless carbon, perfect fit, no warpage. The finish is on par with the gorgeous paint that Prefix bathes our snakes in. Mopar sent me the adhesive and installation instructions.

I was fairly nervous about the install initially, because there are no alignment features, nothing that locates the spoiler on the decklid, no fasteners. This also means no drilling. You simply bond it on with urethane adhesive, the same stuff used to bond windshields to cars. Makes sense, since urethane bonds well to perfectly smooth glass, it ought to stick well to our polished paint. I prefer this over double sided tape, which the aftermarket spoilers are mounted with. If you're not lined up correctly with urethane, you can make a small position adjustment. With tape, if you put it on crooked, it's there to stay. I also trust urethane adhesive to hold up to 150+ track speeds year after year. After rehearsing a few times, I was ready to begin. I knew I had to move quickly because the urethane sets right away. Here are the steps:

1. Clean decklid and bottom of spoiler with isopropyl alcohol. Use a nice soft microfiber cloth so you don't damage your paint.

2. Dry-fit the spoiler in place. Once properly positioned, tape it down with two pieces of blue painter's tape. It is VERY important to have a helper, as your helper can hold one end in place while you align the other. Otherwise, you'll end up sliding the spoiler around on your decklid, with the risk of scratching your paint or dropping the spoiler. Ask me how I know, I almost did both before I asked my lady for help! Carbon fiber is brittle, it'll crack or chip if dropped hard enough.

3. Place a piece of tape on the middle of the spoiler, and adjacent to it on the trunk. Draw a line across them. This will later be used to align the spoiler.

4. You need to be able to quickly apply painter's tape to secure the spoiler when the time comes to install the spoiler, so I stuck a bunch of pieces to my decklid, within easy reach.

5. The spoiler comes with a small piece of double-sided tape at the center of the underside of the spoiler. Remove the backer paper. This will secure the middle of the spoiler to the decklid so you can focus on the ends.

6. Apply a continuous 8mm wide bead of urethane to the groove in the bottom of the spoiler. It is highly recommended to have your helper hold it so that it doesn't move or flip over while you're applying. The trick is to apply enough to securely bond the spoiler to the car, but not so much that it will squirt out of the gap and be visible.

VENOM V
03-02-2014, 07:06 PM
7. Carefully place the spoiler on the decklid, lining up the pencil marks. I used my finger to line up one end of the spoiler to the decklid, while my helper used her finger to line up the other end. My finger was vertically against both the back of the decklid and back of the spoiler, if that makes any sense.

8. While your helper holds one end, apply painter's tape in a few places at the other end. Then apply the painter's tape at your helper's end. I found that it was best to put most pieces on the vertical surfaces, not on the horizontal surface. See picture to see what I mean.

9. Check for any exposed urethane. Remove it with a microfiber towel and isopropyl alcohol. I was fortunate that my urethane bead size was just right- none needed to be cleaned, a perfect install.

10. I let mine cure for 48 hours before removing the painter's tape. It wasn't clear to me how long one needs to wait, but I wasn't taking any chances.

And there you have it! The entire installation took about 10 minutes, very easy. That's after rehearsing and staring at it for about an hour before I began, LOL. And it's gorgeous. It lines up perfectly, it's straight, centered, and evenly seated across it's width.

VENOM V
03-02-2014, 07:13 PM
I just love how elegantly the carbon spoiler integrates with the Viper's lines. It looks like it belongs on the Gen V. And the lip is surprisingly tall, this will give it some serious downforce. Combined with the splitters, it increases downforce 7x. For those of us that track, this will be a significant benefit on high speed sweeping corners. Laguna Seca, Thunderhill, Willow Springs, Buttonwillow- these are the tracks I frequent, and having the car more planted and stable will yield quicker, safer laps at all venues. Can't wait for the next tracking event!

VENOM V
03-02-2014, 08:31 PM
Nice! Can you get a nice closeup of the weave?

What was the approximate weight?

Thanks guys. It's so light it almost feels weightless, literally. Here are a couple of close-ups of the weave.

I don't mean to bash the new C7 Z06 because I could see owning it one day, but can't help it. When I look at how clean the Viper's aero design is compared to the Vette's, it's night and day. I like the Vette's because it's adjustable, but it's just tacky looking. Bolted on, exposed fasteners, poop-scoop splitter, plastic front fender flares, and the lines don't integrate. This Viper's aero is elegant, yet highly functional at the track. A brilliant execution. The center section of the Viper's spoiler dips down with lines that flow with the rear taillight surround and the double-bubble roof. I could not be happier with the design.

VENOM V
03-04-2014, 12:12 AM
Great write up Todd, never doubted your abilities ;-) and I'm sure your splitters will be just as perfect.

Mark, thanks again for being the squeaky wheel with MOPAR to persuade them to send me the instructions and adhesive. I'm going to hit up Paul Normandin to see if Normandin's body shop can help me with the splitter install.

VENOM V
03-04-2014, 12:18 AM
Mopar does NOT include any instructions in their spoiler package, so MUCH THANKS to Todd for providing this DIY for the collective Snake Pit G5 Nation.....


Why would a $3000 list price part need instructions to install? Ugh MOPAR.

LOL, MOPAR took their time but in the end sent me well written installation instructions. Kind of like ordering a Viper. Once you receive it and see the quality, all is forgiven :very_drunk:

VENOM V
03-04-2014, 12:24 AM
Does the spoiler weight and tape apply enough downward pressure to mate to the trunk lid for a solid bond?

My intuition says yes. The bead of urethane is thick, much like caulking. So when you set it down, it 100% fills the gap. The spoiler is nearly warp-free and flexible enough that light pressure from the tape seats it perfectly against the decklid, end to end. SRT designed a groove that the urethane bonds to, so that the urethane has a thick layer between the spoiler and decklid which I think will allow it to hold up over time.

My biggest concern was whether the urethane adhesive would bond strongly to polished paint. Would you believe that I actually thought about scuffing the paint to improve the bond strength? :trike:

But when I read that it's primary use is to attach windshields, I was more comfortable since glass has a similar surface finish and should be plenty strong enough to survive a typical collision. Plus, I trust that SRT did testing prior to release.

mjorgensen
02-24-2015, 11:32 AM
Adhesive options;

Option 1. Purchase from Lawson Products
- The product is 70-08A under a Private label name "KentĀ® Windshield Adhesive"
- Part #: KT12594
- Available in Cartridges
- website: http://www.lawsonproducts.com/Kent/Windshield-Adhesive/KT12594.lp
- Recommend Calling for Pricing (website pricing is always priced high.
- MSDS Attached


Option 2. Purchase Bostik ISR70-08A from one of our Industrial Distributors
- Krayden Inc,, Ellsworth Adhesives,
- Available in Cartridges and Sausage packs

VENOM V
02-24-2015, 02:50 PM
looks great, i love the look our cars with the areo package.

And the carbon aero package makes a BIG difference at the road course, it really stabilizes the rear end on high speed sweepers and off-camber corners like turn 1 at Laguna Seca.

City
02-24-2015, 04:50 PM
Serious THANK YOU to Venom V for this thread!