FYI- info on different body kit materials

[EP3_DC5]

After seeing a bunch of posts calling fiberglass "fibercrap" etc etc, I just wanted to share some information with everyone regarding body kit materials. What their pros and cons are and some misconceptions. Please read through this and post your thoughts.

http://forums.clubrsx.com/showthread...s&pagenumber=1

A basic summary is:
Hand Laid Fiberglass Pros:
-lighter than urethane
-stronger than urethane
-will not sag
-less likely to deform due to heat
-can be repaired if cracked
-better for race/track applications
-less expensive to produce

Hand Laid Fiberglass Cons:
-more likely to crack upon impact
-fitment issue if the kit is a replica

High Pressure Urethane Pros:
-Less likely to crack than fiberglass
-Sronger, lighter, less likely to sag than low pressure urethane
-Better for winter climates due to extreme conditions/etc
-usually better in terms of fit......than a replica fiberglass kit


High Pressure Urethane Cons:
-Heavier than hand laid fiberglass
-not as strong as hand laid fiberglass
-more likely to sag
-more likely to deform due to heat
-cannot be repaired if cracked

All racing teams use some kind of fiber material for their bumpers and wings, be it fiberglass, kevlar, carbon fiber. All OEM lipkits etc are made out of High pressure urethane.

Urethane can crack as well, but much less likely. Overall Hand Laid Fiberglass has it's advantages as does High Pressure Urethane........Low Pressure Urethane is crap as is chopper gun fiberglass, which is what most replica kits are made of is garbage as well. Chopper gun fiberglass is weak and brittle......low pressure urethane is heavy, weak and sags more than high pressure urethane.

Hope that clears some things up a little.

[chubbychu]

wow! thanks! that info was so useful! although...for wings/ skirts/ and other ACCESSORIES! i highly doubt you need urethane...right?

[EP3_DC5]

Originally posted by plainol2k2si
wow! thanks! that info was so useful! although...for wings/ skirts/ and other ACCESSORIES! i highly doubt you need urethane...right?

Well for lip kits urethane is fine. For full bumpers however, it's better to get hand laid fiberglass, because it will hold it's shape better and is more resilient. Just have to be careful not to drive into a curb.

[EP3_DC5]

someone should sticky this.

[02TafWhtSi]

good info to know :)