Rear skid plate
 

The snow is gone and I’m ready for another great season of top-down driving! I tackled a couple of projects this past weekend: A spark plug tube replacement to address an oil leak and subsequent terrible smell, and install of a cat-back exhaust system. Tubes were drama free thanks to a ton of great tips and info from this board. I installed circuit werkes secondary cat-bypass pipes and the FVD Brombacher Sound Version muffler. It’s a sweet sounding setup! It’s quiet enough that I don’t bug the neighbors leaving before sunrise in the morning, but comes alive over 4K RPM. I love it!

The only headache I ran into was re-installing the rear aluminum skid plate. It was a challenge to get it off, and 90 mins of swearing, banging, pleading, praying, to get it back in. I’m pretty sure one of the mount bolts wound up cross-threaded, but I cranked it down anyway as I was just out of patience.

Did I do something wrong? Is the plate integral to the suspension in some way? Did something move after I removed it? I frankly never want to take that off again...but if I have to, is there something I should tie down or together before removal? It seems like the studs and bolt holes were not where they were when I started. (Perhaps even more insulting is that I’m pretty sure I could have threaded the bypass pipes in and done the exhaust install without removing the plate.)

If you're talking about that traingular alumin piece... and then the bar on each side... I had read that could be a pain. I removed mine a few months ago. I had the car up on all 4's. I reasoned that if I didn't move anything else around, suspension-wise, I should be OK. Did WP, thermo, MM. When I went to reinstall the plate it did TRY to discourage me, but all the stars aligned and I had it plugged in in 5 minutes.

All it takes is a fraction of a fraction of an inch and those plate holes aren't lining up. Luck of the draw.

Search on here and you'll get a better picture to it's integration with the suspension. You may need a rear alignment as the difficulty you faced has to due with the rear wheel supporting suspension spreading out. Many here will use ratchet straps to pull the wheels together to help re-mount that plate. I installed the same secondary cat delete pipes but I didn't remove that plate. For transmission fluid change I drilled a whole in the plate to access the drain plug. I did not want to disturb the rear suspension

So jealous! Did you find some good deal on the FVD?

Hello AK Joe,

I removed the aluminum triangle countless times on my CS and never had an issue reinstalling it..

But to minimize the risk of messing up the alignment, I first removed both wheels to get as much weight off the suspension as possible, and the triangle went back without any issues.

Just to be on the safe side, you may want to check the alignment.

Thanks for the replies all. Sounds like I’ll be taking her in for an alignment. (And being more careful about removing it unsupported next time)

I bought it direct from FVD. Rhonda answered the phone and was awesome to work with. She knows P-cars and had this exhaust on her 987. I got a 10% “forum discount” for mentioning that “I read online you guys give discounts to forum members.”

Shipping to Alaska was horrific, but I really really wanted it. Thanks to all the other members here who have posted great info about the FVD exhaust.

It’s all true! Quiet at idle, zero drone at any rpm range, beautiful howl when you get on it...no downside thus far.

I’m happy to report both the FVD muffler and Circuit Werkes bypass pipes dropped right in. Lined up beautifully and clamped in tight and solid.

(Two things that helped big time: I ordered a new set of exhaust clamps from FVD as mine were rusted pretty severely, and my exhaust had been removed last year for an IMS replacement so no seized fasteners.)

The plate is part of the suspension, it acts as a horizontal brace between the rear suspension. You should ensure the bolts are all on tight, and as mentioned above you may need an alignment. :cheers:

More than just tight. Those have some pretty significant torque on them.