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SVT Side Skirt removal considerations

David Frank

New CEG'er
Joined
Mar 18, 2009
Messages
9
I have a shop who will put on my LCAs, and want me to remove the side skirts on my 98 CSVT because his lift will catch the skirts.

I am willing to comply, seems like a small thing.

1. How easy is it to break the side skirts, or the hangars when removing them? How careful do I have to be? I will want to put them back on.

2. I found a thread about removing the skirt hangars from a wrecked CSVT. Nothing about how to get off the skirts themselves, except that it requires a phillips head screwdriver.

3. Any other advice that would be helpful is welcome,

David Frank
 
Don't Do It!

Don't Do It!

I wouldn't do it, if your's are on and well fitted you will regret the day you messed with them, they are, shall we say...Finicky, yeah I'll use that F word...If your '98 is anything like mine the plastic is getting very brittle and it just doesn't seem like a good idea to me, especially since it is those side skirts that really make the look of the CSVT, IMHO. :nonono:
 
The hangers you are referring to wont need to come off. It is really easy to remove and replace them.

In my experience, you cant break the sideskirt just by removing and reinstalling. I doubt you could even hurt it. There are some screws on the underside of the skirt that you need to remove along with the fasteners in the wheel well. Once all of the fasteners are out from there, lift the skirt:laugh: at a upward/out direction.

More will chime in. Shouldnt take more than 30 min. A lot of people do this often because they have salt on the roads from winter time. While they are off the car. Clean them out with a hose!

My sideskirts were actually better fitted when I replaced them. They had a lot of sand in them so they were sagging from the extra weight.
 
Old salt makes me think twice about lifting skirt.

I do want to get the LCAs on (not having proper alignment makes the car less fun to drive).

It sounds as if re-installation of the side skirts is tricky. Anyone know about that?

What is the verdict?
 
I hope this helps some...

I went out and took some pics for you. This one shows you where each fastener is (not all them, just to show you where some are. I think there is 13). There is one underneath each jack point cover as well.

DSCF2640.jpg




The hooks that go down into the hangers. See why I said pull them up/outward? Let me know if you want a different pic.

DSCF2642.jpg
 
OK, I'll do it.

The pictures convinced me, now I know what I'm dealing with. Although... did you paint your SVT white?

Thanks a lot, Fauxhawk fox!

DF
 
No problem at all. I have a SF. The skirts are primered. If you get stuck on anything while you are removing the skirts just post here.
 
Removing them is cake and you'll realize all the weight savings you can accomplish by cleaning out all the sand and mud! My only piece of advice is to turn your screwdriver slowly and don't push hard when removing the fasteners. Otherwise, the little plastic screw in the fastener will skip and not back out like you want it to.
 
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