So I am finishing up my build and my car did not come with an undertray which I realize will be a problem. I figure if I am going to have to make something, I might as well make it nice and have it be a bumper to rear of front subframe flatbody type panel, maybe have it extend past the bumper to act as a splitter. We get shipped a lot of sheet aluminum at work and have some suppliers who laser cut things for us so I am toying with the idea of slipping a new work order in there somewhere....

Anyone have a dimensioned drawing of a splitter or front underbody tray that would be easy to forward to one of my suppliers?

I realize this may be a far fetched request since most trays/splitters are DIY but figured it was worth a shot.

 

i think i still have a dwg file that i made from the dimensions of the TDR splitter. I made it into an undertray that should extend to the axles, but i guestimated on all that.

id have to dig it up.

 

If you get a chance to do that, I would really appreciate it.

 

BTW, you don't "have to make something." New undertrays are readily available from Mazda for about $60.

Now, if you "want to make something," more power to you.

 

Ok poor wording I guess. I shoudl have said "If I have to spend money on some sort of undertray, I would rather just go one step further and make it a splitter/flat underbody panel" and work has been slow lately so I am trying to keep myself busy haha

Also I figure with the quantities we buy in, I can prob get a really good deal from our laser cutter. I still need to price it out though.

 

Maybe you should turn it into a side business?

 

here:

 

I don't have dimensions. but it takes no more than 5 minutes. Unless you want to make the front have different radius and longer extensions on the sides.

If you make them cheap enough it could be a good item to sell. I made 3 at once. Knowing they have an unknown life span.

 

There's no way that goes to the axles and also clears the tires.

 

i forgot to attach the .dwg file. whoops.

i traced a TDR and made that. I removed the weird wings things and make it one radius.

the rest i guestimated, but one could easily clearance for the wheels.

 

So the DWG image it does clear the wheels? or are you saying you still had to remove some material to provide clearance?

Could you upload the actual DWG file to open in solidworks?

 

looks like it would clear the wheels, just won't reach the subframe.

 

Yeah that was my though. It either goes to just about the back of the radiator and clears the wheels or it goes to the axles like brain says and it'll be intersecting the tires by a couple inches.

 

So this being my first splitter design, I have limited knowledge so ill spitball some stuff for yall to confirm/deny.

obviously the longer it comes back the better, but i assume the shortest I would want would be AT LEAST to the back of the rad. Then I could add a second square/rectangle piece that joins up with the splitter to continue back any farther?

These are supposed to be relatively strong right? Like I can stand on it without it deforming type strong? We have 2.5mm stuff or for double the price (roughly) we have 5mm. it is slightly more than double because the 5mil stuff comes cladded for brazing, the 2.5 does not. anyone have an idea how thick I would want for 3003 h14 AL to be acceptably strong? I don't think manufacturing would be excited about me standing on/bending one of their sheets out on the shop floor ha.

I talked to purchasing and without disclosing actual pricing, it is pretty inexpensive for a whole sheet of 4x8 AL and I can buy in any size I want smaller than that. So if I can get a decent dim drawing (brains was missing radius dimensions and length it extends back) I can get a quote from one of our cutters/check with a friend who might be able to work this in the CNC for me at his work so this is still sounding cost effective ATM.

Edit: the 5mm comes in 1600x1050mm sheets (german based company.... so 3.44x5.3ft) the 2.5 comes in 4x8 sheet so maybe it would be better to just cut two and sandwich them and add some of that rubber covered metal U channel along the leading edge? assuming that is strong enough even. We pick up coolers that weigh hundreds of pounds using hooks through holes in extended endplates and they only slightly deform. Since I wouldn't be applying a point load like that on any of it, and it would be evenly distributed downforce from vacuum, I don't imagine it deforming any as a splitter.

 

How are you mounting it is the question.

 

I was thinking a couple turnbuckles out the mouth of the bumper to the tow hook area, a couple from the frame where the bumper little stabilizer rod things bolt (just that rough area) straight down and a couple bolts to the subframe. I noticed two little holes/tabs just behind the steering rack. If I extend much past there I would have to look for more mounting points, this was just a quick glance around while I was routing my IC piping.

 

the drawing in blue should look like this when cut out:

 

Oh, I was assuming you would want to include the rectangle you drew in that extends from the edge of the splitter/wing shape down to where the corners hit the edges of the 4x4 sheet?

 

you've forced me to attach the crudest drawing i've ever done in my lifetime.



i didnt mean to attach that second pic, that was when i was figured out what size size I could cut it from. that was supossed to be the .dwg file itself

 

Prob still better than I could have managed. The red top left scribbling is what I was picturing. Looks like you were aiming to come wider than the pivot point of the lower control arm though? Would you not want to be within the width of the pivot location for when you droop on a dip/bump?

Brain: Looks like it is still a second sizing picture instead of a DWG

Just double checking, you never actually made a part from this file correct?