Topic

Rimmer brothers front bumper page TF
Is it just me or is part 51, the air duct, fitted upside down on the cars, so instead of directing airflow to the radiator it instead allows air to escape downwards behind the bumper?

The parts diagram shows it stepping upwards, whereas on mine and looking at several bumpers on eBay it appears to be stepping downwards!?

Having recently replaced my 04TF front bumper I can confirm it steps downwards. The fitting arrangements would not meet up if it was the other way.

Looking at it, it does seem to provide some support to the bumper too, but it just seems odd that it fits that way around and the parts diagram appears to show it in the more logical position.

I'm hoping to get the bumper off and have a look sometime, as I could do with fitting stainless fittings if possible. I've seen there is a kit from Mike Satur that directs air up to the radiator, but might try making something up with CAD (cardboard aided design) just to try out.

Hopefully it'll help stability, and probably reduce drag if I can sort it out a bit, I don't want to make any obvious cosmetic changes, splitters look great on cars with colour, but not convinced it'll suit my Silver TF. I'd love a vented bonnet, which is probably the ultimate set up, but I think that's a step too far for now!

I've had the bumper off, managing to mangle almost all the plastic screw rivet things in the wheel arch in the process.

The "air duct" doesn't quite fit if inverted and placed stepping down from the radiator but it is tantalisingly close, but I'm going to make something up from scratch as butchering one would be just as much, if not more work anyway.

I'm also wondering if it would be easier to blank off behind the top grille and have the bottom grille supplying all the air, but i don't want to risk overheating, and it's probably more effort than worth the gain, the main benefit (hopefully) of what I'm doing is stopping the air that comes in through the bumper going down under the radiator which is probably the main source for the lift, rather than the air that passes through the radiator.

It'd be easier just to stick on a splitter or something, but I like the TFs looks as it is. It's a fun project anyway.

Interesting stuff!
Keep us updated.

Another useful action would be to block the gaps around the radiator to force all the air through the radiator.

I've been messing up in trying to figure out how to effectively block the unwanted airflow out the bottom of the bumper but whilst I know what I want to do I'm not quite sure how to go about doing it. The lower grille is slightly narrower than the radiator behind it, and there's plenty of gaps for the air to 'spill' sideways.

I think I'm just going to opt for the Mike Satur air duct kit. When I've looked at it before I was thinking it was just a simple deflector plate, but it looks to be much more than that, as its name suggests an air duct.

I have placed something in the bumper, bolted to the bumper support that may in the short term have some small effect. Acting a bit like a simple deflector plate, but air will just go around it.

talkingcars wrote: wrote:

Another useful action would be to block the gaps around the radiator to force all the air through the radiator.

On my TF it has foam around the radiator, blocking any gaps between the radiator and it's surround.