Board logo

Attaching front wings
taylormade100 - 26/6/24 at 01:35 PM

Hi all. I am getting close to attaching my front wings and have been searching on the best way to do it. I now realise I can bond them to the wing stays or fasten them mechanically. So I am torn as fastening them wouldn't look as good but bonding worries me as they might come off at speed. I guess my question is what did you guys do as it would be interesting to see how others have done it and why. Thank you to all who reply

ReMan - 26/6/24 at 01:56 PM

Mine have been bonded with (real) Sikaflex for 17 years now now and regularly get knocked walking by them in the driveway.
Good keying on the underside of the wing and the same plus drilled holes in the wing stay to ensure plenty of contact area.

Wings fall off more often because the stay breaks than the bonding/fixing fails IMHO

bi22le - 26/6/24 at 02:14 PM

quote:
Originally posted by ReMan
Mine have been bonded with (real) Sikaflex for 17 years now now and regularly get knocked walking by them in the driveway.
Good keying on the underside of the wing and the same plus drilled holes in the wing stay to ensure plenty of contact area.

Wings fall off more often because the stay breaks than the bonding/fixing fails IMHO


I agree with this. Both of my cars had bolt on arches but bonding should work. Something to consider is that IF the stays break, getting the arches off to weld repair may be a pig!

nick205 - 26/6/24 at 03:19 PM

Faced with the same choice when building my MK Indy I opted to use mechanical fastenings.
I drilled and tapped M5 holes in the wing stays and very carefully drilled Ø5.5mm holes in the cycle wings.
Secured with M5 stainless button heads (4 per cycle wing).
Stayed put for the 3 years / 3k miles before I sold the car. The next owner never had an issue in the 3 years he had the car either.

JoelP - 26/6/24 at 08:24 PM

My front wings are glued. I only put them on for the mot, leave them off for the rest of the year. One still broke on the way home! They're a total faff.

taylormade100 - 26/6/24 at 08:36 PM

Thanks all. I think I will bond them on and if not happy can then use a mechanical fixing at a later date.

nick205 - 27/6/24 at 07:59 AM

I went for mechanical fixings with the thinking the cycle wings would be more secure. I didn't want to lose either of them or worse still for another road user/pedestrian to get hit by one that had come off.

MikeR - 27/6/24 at 10:39 AM

Mine are bonded on. The car is from 2002 and I believe they're original. If its stuck properly, its stuck for good.

Slater - 27/6/24 at 11:33 AM

Mine were bonded on with Sikaflex, very strong! But my wing stays tend to snap every 2,000 ish miles, due to vibration. To reweld them I had to remove the cycle wings which took ages using a wire garotte made from MIG wire and two dowels. thereafter I drilled the wings/stays and fixed with 4 stainless dome hex bolts and penny washers so they are easy to remove when the stays break.

gremlin1234 - 27/6/24 at 01:55 PM

one way to hide a mounting that goes through the wing, is having it as the mounting for an indicator or sidelight.
(note for iva lights like this are only tested in the straight ahead position)

iva secn 20 Installation of Lights

4. All lamps and reflectors fitted to the vehicle must be fixed and
not move by swivelling, deflecting or otherwise while the vehicle
is in motion, except for:
• any lamp or reflector which by design can be deflected
to the side with the movement of the front wheel or
wheels of the vehicle when turned for the purpose of
steering the vehicle (see Note 3)
• a headlamp for adjustment or dipping of the beam
• a headlamp which can be retracted or concealed
• a work lamp, used to illuminate a working area or the
scene of an accident, breakdown, or road works in the
vicinity of the vehicle to which it is fitted.

Note 3: These lamps should be checked with the wheels in the
straight ahead position.

nick205 - 27/6/24 at 02:05 PM

If you've got black (or dark coloured) cycle wings you could use black fixings.

https://www.westfieldfasteners.co.uk/BO_ScrewBolt_Unbrako_SHBtn_M5.html

[Edited on 27-6-24 by nick205]

gremlin1234 - 27/6/24 at 02:43 PM

quote:
Originally posted by nick205
If you've got black (or dark coloured) cycle wings you could use black fixings.

https://www.westfieldfasteners.co.uk/BO_ScrewBolt_Unbrako_SHBtn_M5.html

[Edited on 27-6-24 by nick205]

any simple fasteners can look good
https://www.vintagecarparts.co.uk/products/481-container-bumper-bolt

nick205 - 27/6/24 at 02:55 PM

@ gremlin1234

Very true - and those look pretty good for avoiding "fiddling" hands!

taylormade100 - 27/6/24 at 07:26 PM

quote:
Originally posted by nick205
If you've got black (or dark coloured) cycle wings you could use black fixings.

https://www.westfieldfasteners.co.uk/BO_ScrewBolt_Unbrako_SHBtn_M5.html

[Edited on 27-6-24 by nick205]


They are black so now you have me thinking this is the best idea for making life easier in the future. Thanks.

MikeR - 28/6/24 at 02:06 PM

I think they're blackened - they will rust

Northy - 5/7/24 at 03:49 PM

I made a steel bar that I welded studs into, then I glassed the bar onto the back of the wings.
Then nuts hold the wings on but no visible fasteners

G

ReMan - 5/7/24 at 04:54 PM

Another consideration that was important to me for looks, I wanted it to be a bit DAX'ish, was getting the wing really snug against the tyre, so there was little room of fixings on the underside of the wind that did not contact the tyre.........
About donex1
About donex1