SL-C Nose Hinge Installation Guide (v 0.1)

Read and understand all of the instructions before you begin. In particular, decide if you’re going to extend or reinforce the body as described in Step 16. Note that the air springs are shipped compressed and that they are under 25 pounds of pressure.

TOOLS

  • Drill

  • 1/8”, 1/4” and 5/16” drill bits

  • 1/8”, 5/32” and 3/16” Allan wrenches

  • 3/32” Allan wrench (if using the streamlined option)

  • ??? Wrench or Socket (if using a nyloc for retention)

  • 2 Clamps

CONSUMABLES

  • Sharpie

  • Loctite (optional for nyloc option, required for streamlined option)

  • Anti-seize (optional)


INSTALLING THE HINGES

  1. Ensure that your diffuser and body are properly aligned and that the nose is securely fastened via the aero catches.

  2. Remove the bent aluminum pieces that Superlite installed to affix the nose to the diffuser. You’re now ready to install the hinges.

  3. Remove the Capture Plate from the hinge.

  4. Place both hinges on the diffuser so that the Arm Spacer is resting as flat as possible against the radiator supports.

  5. Using the provided shims ensure the following:

    • The hinge is resting flat against the radiator support.

    • The pivot arm is resting flat against the fiberglass body.

    • The hinge is parallel to the radiator support.

  6. Determine where you want to locate the hinges front to back. There should some level of adjustment based on how far you want the hinges to stick out. However, you need to ensure the following constraints are met:

    • The hinge point (i.e., the center of the shoulder bolt) must be at least a little forward of the foremost part of the body. Otherwise the body will bind on the diffuser.

    • The easiest way to remove the nose is to remove the two shoulder bolts. If you want this ease of removal, the edge of the shoulder bolt’s head must be able to clear the body.

    • The Arm Spacer must be able to be bolted securely to radiator supports.

    • The three bolts that attach the Capture Place must have enough fiberglass to securely hold the body. If this isn’t the case, you will need to extend the fiberglass (see Step 16).

    • The pivot points of the left and right hinges stick out the same distance from the body.

  7. Using clamps secure the hinges to the radiator supports.

  8. Check everything again, you’re about to start marking and drilling!

  9. Using a Sharpie, carefully trace the outline of the Arm Spacers onto the radiator supports so that you can subsequently align the drilling jigs.

  10. Remove the clamps and the hinges.

  11. Carefully align the drilling jig with the sharpie outline and clamp it. Drill three ¼” holes through the radiator support. Repeat for the other side.

  12. Attach the hinges using the provided screws (three per side).

  13. Check that everything lines up as you expected.

  14. Using the hinge as a guide, drill three ¼” holes into the fiberglass body.

  15. Using the provided screws, attach the Capture Plate.

  16. Optional: You may want to reinforce or extend the fiberglass where the Pivot Arm bolts to the fiberglass. This can be done with a variety of materials (e.g., aluminum, panel adhesive, epoxy, etc.). If you decide to do this you need to ensure that the Capture Plate will still fit into the space when you’re done. We suggest that you use the Capture Plate as a clamp when things are drying.

  17. If you did Step 16, return to the state in Step 15.

  18. Using the Foot as guide, drill a ???” hole through the splitter.

  19. Install and tighten a screw through the hinge’s Foot and diffuser. We don’t provide this as there are multiple splitters. If you have a track splitter create a temporary spacer (i.e., washers, wood, etc.) between the foot and the diffuser. We may provide an aluminum spacer based on feedback.

  20. Test opening the nose. We suggest have a person on both sides so as to not torque the nose. The nose should open smoothly.

  21. We suggest that you connect the splitter support rods that hang from the rod in front of the radiator to the bolt in the foot. This will likely require you get longer rods. Alternatively, you could weld new tabs to the bar that are aligned with the hole in the Foot.

INSTALLING THE AIR SPRINGS

  • Carefully cut the safety wires that are compressing the air springs. NOTE THAT THEY ARE COMPRESSED AND ARE UNDER 25 POUNDS OF PRESSURE.

  • The following is just a placeholder and needs to be updated

  • Locate the body mounting plate and decide how to mount it. There are three approaches:

    • Bond a nut plate to the underside of the body. You may or may not have room to accomplish this and this obviously isn’t a good option for finished car.

    • Drill a ???” clearance hole through the fiberglass body and the top of the foot box and attache a washer and nyloc on the underside of the foot box. This is the easiest and most durable approach if you have access to the underside of the foot box.

    • Drill and tap a ???” hole through the body and into the foot box. This approach doesn’t require access to the underside of he foot box, but you do want to be careful that you don’t drill into anything important.

  • Locate the nose mounting plate on the vertical. You want to ensure the following:

    • The spring is able to compress when closed. The compressed length is 17.8”.

    • The fender washer clears the underside of the nose.