Front splitter/diffuser wear pads - any alternatives?

@raider89, the easiest way to replace them is to buy them from Radical. However if you are creative you can buy some Jabroc and make your own.  Jabroc is the material they are made from and you can remove the pads that you have and copy them onto the Jabroc and cut them out.

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productselection.asp?Product=6180

Considering they are Jabrock and not regular wood and therefor last a long time they are pretty good value. Corner wear pads are $58 and center ones are $46, we have plenty in stock. 

@grouparacing, that sounds like a great value.  

@grouparacing

Can  you send me an email quote to 617dmm@gmail.com with pricing and freight for shipment today?  Please quote 2 ea of right side, 2 ea of left side, and 1 center pad for 5 total?  These are the wear pads underneath on leading edge of splitter on SR3 XX.  Shipping to 78133.

FYI to all:  GroupA was super helpful and best pricing/availability from several different dealers, easy transaction.

Ok, more dumb questions.  How does one replace these wear pads.  Do the tapered hex screws underneath have a hex nut on back side up in splitter itself?  If so, how does anyone get to that location since so narrow and deep to corners, or even the center?  I was hoping the attachment screws would simply loosen up for removal, but they just spin.

@raider89 

On my diffuser (SR3 XX), the corner skid plates are riveted in (with 5/32 rivets I believe).  There were no flat-head Allen cap screws holding these side plates. The center plate does have two long M6 flat head screws with nylock nuts on the top, easily accessible on each side of the tow hook.

The plates in the side skirts have four M6 flat head screws and I think you can reach the nylock nuts in the side pod.

Edit:  I think I am mistaken on the side skirts.  Three large dome head rivets, and one flat head screw.  

When I removed the old skid pads, I drilled out the rivets and parts of these rivets remained in the splitter where they cannot be accessed.

I hope this helps, but my guess is that your car may be different than mine?  

Wow, mine is 2021 SR3 XX also.  But, no rivets, all flat head allen screws that just spin without backing out or releasing - for both center and front corner.

@raider89

That is strange.  Scratching my head, and I don't have an answer but a possible idea for you:  Sometimes I have to grind off the head of a button head cap screw if the Allen key gets damaged (happens a lot on the bottom of the front diffuser stay fastener from wear).  You might grind/cut off the head of each of those flat head screws so you can remove the plate and see better what is going on.  If you cannot then gently remove the screws, maybe you can push them up and out of the way leaving holes for rivets.  I don't see any good reason to use cap screws to fasten the plates because as you say you cannot access the nuts inside the splitter.

Dremel tool with a cutoff wheel?  

Thanks for responses.  I am headed to track using existing wear pads this weekend.  I will report back later when I dig into this fix more. 

My SR8 RS wear pads need replacing, but all are fastened in place with rivets. I'm no help, other than to observe that this is where a good Radical dealer would be very handy. This sort of technical information is hard to come by!

Posted by: @raider89

all flat head allen screws

Any updates on this?  I asked a few techs at Sebring last week, particularly one who has built and worked on many Radicals for years, and none of these guys have ever heard of of such a thing.  He also felt that removing the head of the screws and pushing the remainder into the splitter, and then using (exploding peel) rivets for the new rub plates may be your best option.  

See photos on my 2021 SR3 XX.  What should be a simple exchange of wear pads has turned into a royal PIA.

The center front diffuser pad has two 4mm hex head cap screws, but they dont want to back out when unscrewing and zero access to back side within the diffuser.  The other four attachments are not screws, but some kind of rivet (without center pull head for some reason).  No idea how to get these removed and reinstalled.

The two corner front diffuser pads do not have screws, but those same goofy rivets.  No idea how to get thee removed and reinstalled either.

Surely, I am not the first person among all these Radicals that seemed to think they should be changed occasionally to protect the splitter.

@grouparacing         Or any other dealer advertising on this site, can someone offer DIY guidance for replacement of these front diffuser wear pads?

We actually rivet them on to make the changes quicker, naturally an allen head gets worn and a pain to get out when changing them. Rivets are quicker to drill out and put new ones in for this given scenario.