I have 3 main planes and 4 winglets that have minor damage. Carbon fiber is cracked on the ends and bent aluminum brackets. Has anyone sent out wings for repair? If so, who did the work? Thanks.
I have straightened the aluminum mounting tabs with a large adjustable wrench a couple of times on the same main wing. That thick aluminum can crack if bent too much or too many times.
The main wing can and will split down the leading edge which is unfortunately common. I did not attempt to repair mine because the carbon fiber was still bonded to the foam, but the surface of the foam core had separated from itself. I added a two inch strip of clear surface guard tape to the leading edge of the new wing. If you tap the wall, the tape won't help, but I think the tape will help prevent high air pressure and bug/debris damage that occurs on the leading edge, which has a seam and is a weak area of this component.
The sub wing or winglet holds up pretty well on an SR3, but on SR10 the end plates experience so much force that it eventually damages the foam core. One should check for any play in the sub wing during prep. I personally would not attempt repair once the foam core has been degraded.
In considering repair, I would exercise abundant caution because this is such an important component of your car's handling. If a wing is lost on the track, the back end could go from heavy to light in an instant, likely resulting in a crash that could cause personal injury and cost tens of thousands to repair. If the foam is broken or the carbon fiber cloth de-laminates, I just replace it with a new one. It is like replacing a set of worn tires or brake pads.
For very minor damage you could look at some thickened epoxy (could also color it black to help it blend). This is the kind of stuff they'd use for what is known as post secondary bonding where they'd join 2 parts together. It is very strong and can be used to fill minor gaps.
If you've got delamination or structural damage I wouldn't risk it though. I've seen a video of a wing that failed and came off on the straight and the driver didn't know it, the next turn did not go well at all.
Just FYI - yall may want to consider FlexTape or associated products. Once applied, super strong. I have used both FlexTape and FlexSeal to reinforce some areas of the gel coat and offer protection in some other areas. It really works well.
