Another paint chip spoiler victim

[KnightRiderSS]

UPDATE:

My chip is back under the rear spoiler after the nuts being tightened "correctly" and the paint touched up at the dealer...

Trying to decide what I want to do....

[BICHN CAMARO]

Originally Posted by KnightRiderSS

UPDATE:

My chip is back under the rear spoiler after the nuts being tightened "correctly" and the paint touched up at the dealer...

Trying to decide what I want to do....

Remove spoiler. Repair paint chips to OEM standards. Apply thick 3m 2 sided tape to the underside of spoiler providing a cushion between the surfaces. Thin plastic washers could be used as well at the mounting hole areas to provide a buffer. Install spoiler and tighten to OEM specs. Done about 5 by now, no returns.

[Russell James]

Originally Posted by KnightRiderSS

UPDATE:

My chip is back under the rear spoiler after the nuts being tightened "correctly" and the paint touched up at the dealer...

Trying to decide what I want to do....

Take it back and make them fix it right this time.

It will need new rubber washers on the studs to correct the clearance issue. The problem they caused was tightening the nuts squished out the very soft OE washers and the gap was lost. This time they need to use loctite, not heavy torque on the nuts. And watch the gaps as tightening to make sure it is coming no where near contacting the deck lid. And repaint the decklid, new badge, new stripes... I got my rubber washers from ACE hardware, 20 cents each. Luckily caught mine before it chipped the paint.

You don't want to use plastic washers. Rubber is needed - for a water seal and to cushion against the paint. The rubber cushions around the edge are single sided.

[ssummit camaro]

got any pics of the rubber washers, also you think getting another set of oem washers and putting them on will help should i do this immediatly after taking delivery and what should i be looking for when i do take delivery sorry for so many questions thanks

Originally Posted by Russell James

Take it back and make them fix it right this time.

It will need new rubber washers on the studs to correct the clearance issue. The problem they caused was tightening the nuts squished out the very soft OE washers and the gap was lost. This time they need to use loctite, not heavy torque on the nuts. And watch the gaps as tightening to make sure it is coming no where near contacting the deck lid. And repaint the decklid, new badge, new stripes... I got my rubber washers from ACE hardware, 20 cents each. Luckily caught mine before it chipped the paint.

You don't want to use plastic washers. Rubber is needed - for a water seal and to cushion against the paint. The rubber cushions around the edge are single sided.

[Russell James]

Originally Posted by ssummit camaro

got any pics of the rubber washers, also you think getting another set of oem washers and putting them on will help should i do this immediatly after taking delivery and what should i be looking for when i do take delivery sorry for so many questions thanks

Look around the outside edges of the spoiler. It shouldn't be touching the trunk lid. My closest spot is the right rear corner of the spoiler. I can just barely squeeze a credit card in there. Before I changed the rubber washers, that right rear corner was right against the paint probably couldn't even get a piece of paper in there. It is when there is little to no gap, the road vibrations will chip the paint.

You can shine a flash light all around the spoiler edge and see in there the rubber strips and rubber washer/gasket it is sitting on. If the nuts that hold it on are tightened too tight, it will squish that rubber down and the outside edges will be touching paint to paint. It is pretty obvious when you look at the corners. You just need to be able to see a little gap. If paint is touching paint, it's going to chip.

[Russell James]

The washers I bought at the hardware store are the exact size of a nickel, but with a hole. Take a nickle in with you, and look for a washer tray labeled - rubber washers. You'll need 6.

Only needed if your spoiler is touching the decklid paint to paint. If you have a slight gap everywhere, no need to mess with it.

When you pop it off, you'll see the oe rubber washers are squished around the studs. Scrape those off and put in the new washers. Then when putting the nuts back on with loctite, watch the gaps and don't get the nuts so tight that it kills the gap. The loctite will hold the nuts, they don't need to be super tight. Magnetize your socket so you don't drop the nuts down in the trunk.

You'll need a trim tool to pop off the push in retainers on the trunk trim. I think 4 of the access holes just have rubber plugs over them. Then to get at the two inside holes, the trim need to be removed by popping out all the push pins with the trim tool. After all 6 nuts are off, carefully pull straight up. The spoiler will have one - push in - retainer still holding it to the decklid. Just pull carefully straight up and it will pop off. You have to be real carefull, you don't want the studs bouncing around the paint. Two hands - pull straight up.

When the 6 nuts are off, you'll wonder what is still holding it on. It's just needs to be firmly pulled straight up.

[KeepItGreasey]

i have a black ss/rs... same paint chipping bullshet... i'm going back to the dealer for the 3rd time, this coming Monday, to have this issue taken care of.

i have had about 17 different problems with my car. most were minor problems. but i have been down to the dealer multiple times to have my issues resolved, and i'm getting tired of it.

[ssummit camaro]

russell james- so there should be a gap just on the ends of the spoiler or a gap from the entire length of the spoiler from end to end thanks

[Russell James]

Originally Posted by ssummit camaro

russell james- so there should be a gap just on the ends of the spoiler or a gap from the entire length of the spoiler from end to end thanks

should be a gap every where along the outer edge. In some spots it's very narrow, less than a credit card, but there needs to be a hair of a gap. If paint on the spoiler is touching the paint on the decklid, it will chip. There is little rubber strips under there, and a cushion/water seal around the studs, it should be sitting on those and not paint on paint around the edges.

The back edge is hard to tell, but if you look real close with a flash light you should see the slight gap. Toward the ends there are rubber strips that it is sitting on just in from the outer edge. The best way to put it is if you can see paint touching paint, it's too close and needs to be worked on before it chips the paint. You can slide a piece of paper in there to be sure, toward the end it won't go in far because of the rubber strips. But if you can't get paper between the edge, it's touching.

On my back edge right above the SS emblem is my tightest spot. I can slide a piece of paper in there 1/4 inch and then it hits the rubber stip.
Draw a line 1/4" in from the edge of a piece of paper and slide it in there. You should be able to feel it stop 1/4 " in as it hits the rubber strip. If you can't get the paper past the edge at all, too tight. I'm going to work on mine a bit more to get a hair more gap there, probably just need to loosen the outer nut up a hair more and re-loctite it.

[ssummit camaro]

are these good gaps first two pics rs car next two ss

[ssummit camaro]

[ssummit camaro]

[ssummit camaro]

[JSkibisky]

... just noticed mine, this morning... 3k miles and 3 months... arrgghhhh !!