[Fred Edick]

SSR owners have mentioned that the rubber chip guards have been coming loose. My SSR has 3000 miles and about twenty washes and the driver side guard is loose. Looks like this is going to be a problem for all SSR owners. I siliconed it back since it was just a small area, but if it continues I'll take it back to dealer. I'm concerned that replacing them won't solve the problem and I doubt they can get them back in the exact position? Some owners have asked if they could remove the guards and polish the finder? For what little area I could see, I doubt the fender could ever be polished to match.

 

[SSRGUY]

3M Film works well....

I sometimes think these GM guys should be talking with the 3M film folks more. I have used the film (from Chipguard> www.chipguard.com<) on the front of my SSr and bought stock film which has been installed along the rocker panels such that I have NO damage after over 12k miles of daily use since last fall. Am trying to ascertain if I should cover the rear facia too as several SSr's I have seen have minor damage that the film would have stopped had this area been wrapped too.

There seems no reason why the factory could not apply the film rather than the crummy piece they are using now. Porsche uses this, or a similar, product on some of their cars with great success over the years. My old 1988 944 Turbo S has it and it has worked wonderfully and never needed replacement after over 15 years and 120k miles.... although I do have to admit is is getting a bit yellow now and could be replaced for cosemetic reasons!

:seeya

 

[WOW_FCTR]

Rock chips

I now have 1/2 dozen rock chips on my truck including one a couple of inches above the rear guard (even though I have the running boards). Instead of putting some protection on miles ago, which I never thought I would have to do (why should I have never had this many chips in any of my camaros, which I have driven more than 300k miles, total), I now have to decide whether to spend the $600-1200+ dollars to have this fixed an protected. I have had one person tell me that the paint is of inferior quality and another that the primer doesn't look like it's holding properly. Does anyone else feel that their paint is less than adequate?

 

[wildcat66]

I have noticed small pock marks in my fender guards too and only 5000 miles. I have several large nicks on the hood and front fender I think the shape really attracts the rocks and road debris because of the lines of the front end. I don't know if the paint is that bad or my other vehicles have just had a different shape so as not to be bothered by rocks and such.

 

[houtex]

fenders

When I had the front done in Xpel - I had them cover the fender guards as well. 7800 miles and still looking good

 

[BlastfromPast]

houtex, when I had the X-pel installed on my truck, I was told that the patterns for the rear fender chip gaurds was not in the database. Is that true? They did offer to hand cut the material for the chip gaurds but I opted out because invariably some cutting and trimming would occur after the X-pel material was installed, and I don't like the blade marks in the paint.

Blast

 

[Marc NY]

Heat Lamps not even

I had stated in an earlier thread reguarding this same problem. I had just visited the SSR plant (on May 12) and one of the issues that they had been working on was the issue of the chip guards that weren't completely attached or had been coming lose. They had a go fast workshop and figured out that the heat lamps had not been covering the whole surface area of the guard. The guard is pre-warmed before installation, and part of the guard had not been getting the heat and was not pre-warmed enough. Thus, they were experiencing some guards that were coming lose.

That problem is supposedly eliminated now with the heat lamps being realigned to give 100% area coverage.

 

[Fred Edick]

I had stated in an earlier thread reguarding this same problem. I had just visited the SSR plant (on May 12) and one of the issues that they had been working on was the issue of the chip guards that weren't completely attached or had been coming lose. They had a go fast workshop and figured out that the heat lamps had not been covering the whole surface area of the guard. The guard is pre-warmed before installation, and part of the guard had not been getting the heat and was not pre-warmed enough. Thus, they were experiencing some guards that were coming lose.

That problem is supposedly eliminated now with the heat lamps being realigned to give 100% area coverage.

Mark NY

I remember your post on this matter of poor heat bonding the guards. I wonder how replacements are installed at dealerships? I hope I don't have to find out....

 

[freezer]

The guards are applied with 3M tape that is used for body side moldings. If properly installed they should not come off. They are there so they can be replaced when they get chipped. Film was tried originally, but because the surface curves in two directions, we could not get wrinkle free film on all the surface we wanted. Film can be used instead of the guards, but it is very difficult to apply smooth.

 

[houtex]

houtex, when I had the X-pel installed on my truck, I was told that the patterns for the rear fender chip gaurds was not in the database. Is that true? They did offer to hand cut the material for the chip gaurds but I opted out because invariably some cutting and trimming would occur after the X-pel material was installed, and I don't like the blade marks in the paint.

Blast

My guy cut them by hand - did a pretty good job.

 

[SSRGUY]

3M Film works well....

As I mentioned above, I did mine with the 3M film ChipGuard has.

The installer cut pieces for the rear with an CADCAM sort of machine after using paper to get a rough pattern. It did take them (two guys) a bit of time to get these pieces on without any wrinkles et cetera but he said it was far from the most difficult one he'd ever done.... they used a bit of heat from a hair dryer to get the film to "work" onto the panel.... if you want to drive your SSr daily and keep it in 'primo' cosmetic condition, you need something like this or else you will get surface damage!

arty and :seeya