My idea was to create a custom air-dam…so I went for fiberglass. There are plenty of websites that outline how to use the stuff, so I wont bore you with all of the details. So far, I have spent around:
First, I measured the distance between the front mounting screws of the roof rack. Then I removed the roof rack and made sure the front was the same distance apart. I put screws in the holes to keep the distance, and mounted it directly to my deck, (with a layer of plastic underneath because resin is very messy). I put a layer of painters tape on the front rails for protection from the resin. Then I made a “mold” of the air dam shape I wanted.
Next, I taped the “mold” to the front, making sure to smooth out any gaps.
I stapled the felt tight around the rack and applied about 22 ounces of resin/hardener with a paintbrush. (Follow directions on how much hardener to use).
After the felt dried, I then began to place the Fiberglass mat layers using about 32oz of resin. I used about 4 layers, and made sure to smooth out each layer with the putty knife.
When the fiberglass hardened, I pulled everything apart. The painters tape has a wax covering on the outside, so the resin doesn’t stick. I used a jig-saw to cut the shape I wanted.
I then mixed the small can of bondo, half a tube of hardener, the remaining resin/hardener (to thin it out), and painted the mixture on the inside and outside to fill any imperfections. The underside where there is only felt is the roughest, I used most of the mixture there. Smooth out the mixture with a putty knife, so you don’t have to sand so much of the excess.
The bondo mixture will be very hard when dried. Shape the air dam as desired. Once it was smooth, I used automotive primer, then finished up with a rubberized undercarriage paint.
I will install it and post the finished project after I get back from my vacation in a couple of weeks.
I got a little impatient so I mounted it for a "wind test." It looks a little rough, but I plan to drill holse for light mounts, so I will put a finish coat after that. To mount the dam to the roof rack, I pulled the plastic plugs out and replaced them with wall anchors and 1/8" rubber washers. It works great, very strong.
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