Tips to eliminate gap on Carbon Fiber Hoods
Here's some simple adjustments that can be made to eliminate gap on Carbon Fiber or Fiberglass hoods.
- Adjust bump stopsTwist and lower stops or remove if necessary.
- Use hood pinsPreferably AeroCatch latches to hold the hood closer to the core support keeping the hood flush with the fender line.
- Adjust hood latchRemove the front bumper and reposition the hood latch so it catches at the proper height. This can help to avoid any problems you might encounter of the hood resting too high, leaving a gap. It can also fix issues where the latch may not have enough play to properly catch the hood when it strikes. In some cases the factory hood catch does not have any room for adjustment, it may be necessary to drill out the mounting holes and use washers to give the catch room to slide.
- Adjust fendersYou may need to enlarge the mounting holes of the fenders in order free up room for adjustment by repositioning the fenders towards the hood to eliminate any gap.
How to Install a Carbon Fiber Hood
NOTE (very important): Pre-fit all parts prior to installation. Carbonfiberhoods.com is not responsible for any damage/s due to negligent installation. We recommend that all parts be installed by a certified professional.
1 - Requires specific measurements for successful installation.
2 - Requires minimal tools, primarily involves a bolt-on install. No drilling should be required.
3 - May require removal of surrounding stock parts and stock hardware for installation and minor drilling into body of vehicle.
4 - Requires removal of many surrounding stock parts and stock hardware for installation and may require some sanding. Cutting, shaving, filling in gaps, etc. (Recommended that you bring to a skilled professional.)
5 - Requires cutting into the body of the vehicle and heavy fabrication. (Recommended that you bring to a skilled professional.)
General Info:
- Remove the Carbon Fiber Hood from the box and place face down on a soft smooth surface (you may wish to use the box the hood came in).
- Disconnect the hood light (if applicable) and disconnect window wiper hoses. - Using a proper size socket wrench, remove the four bolts holding the support legs from the hood (keep bolts and support legs for storage of your stock hood), make sure to have a friend hold the other side.
- Remove hood prop and with help from a friend, remove the stock hood from the vehicle. - Remove factory latch from your O.E.M. hood and mount on hood (if applicable).
- With a friend to help, hold hood in a vertical position while aligning with the factory mounts. Once aligned, secure hood to hinges using the factory bolts (if applicable). DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN
- Slowly and carefully close the hood and check alignment. Loosen bolts and adjust accordingly if any shifting for proper alignment is necessary. The latch should close easily without using excessive force (re-adjusting of latch may be necessary). Open and close hood a few times to ensure proper fitment. Tighten when proper fitment has been achieved.
- If the carbon fiber hood sits too high, you may need to adjust or remove the rubber bump stops. The oem catch may also need adjustment, especially since it's unlikely that it will still rest at the same height on a car that's over a decade old.
- If it's still off, you may need to use washers and drill larger holes on the hinges and catch to allow further adjustment.
- At this point you should not have modified the carbon fiber hood, if you are satisfied with the fitment you can start to transplant the oem hood liner / wiper hoses / light etc. You may need to make minor modifications and holes with a Dremel tool.
- Be sure to use hood pins or AeroCatch latches so to keep the hood level with the fenders and for safety purposes.
- Do not use aftermarket or OEM hood shocks, they will eventually warp the carbon fiber hood.
Note: aftermarket hoods such as Carbon Creations creations carbon fiber hoods are designed for off-road or show use only. Please take proper precaution when installing on a daily driven vehicle. Carbonfiberhoods.com strongly suggests the use of hood pins with any aftermarket hood.
How to Install Side Skirts
NOTE (very important): Pre-fit all parts prior to installation. Carbonfiberhoods.com is not responsible for any damage/s due to negligent installation. We recommend that all parts be installed by a certified professional.
1 - Requires specific measurements for successful installation.
2 - Requires minimal tools, primarily involves a bolt-on install. No drilling should be required.
3 - May require removal of surrounding stock parts and stock hardware for installation and minor drilling into body of vehicle.
4 - Requires removal of many surrounding stock parts and stock hardware for installation and may require some sanding. Cutting, shaving, filling in gaps, etc. (Recommended that you bring to a skilled professional.)
5 - Requires cutting into the body of the vehicle and heavy fabrication. (Recommended that you bring to a skilled professional.)
General Info:
- Remove factory side skirts.
- Pre-fit side skirts. (Minor sanding or filing may be required to achieve the desired fit)
- You may need to drill mounting holes, industry standard brands such as Duraflex side skirts and Carbon Creations side skirts.
- Install side skirts using self tapping screws provided. Place a minimum of 2 screws staggered throughout the front wheel well and rear wheel well. Screws can be placed in the door jam or under the side skirt. Do not over tighten screws.
How to Install a Spoiler Wing
NOTE (very important): Pre-fit all parts prior to installation. Carbonfiberhoods.com is not responsible for any damage/s due to negligent installation. We recommend that all parts be installed by a certified professional.
1 - Requires specific measurements for successful installation.
2 - Requires minimal tools, primarily involves a bolt-on install. No drilling should be required.
3 - May require removal of surrounding stock parts and stock hardware for installation and minor drilling into body of vehicle.
4 - Requires removal of many surrounding stock parts and stock hardware for installation and may require some sanding. Cutting, shaving, filling in gaps, etc. (Recommended that you bring to a skilled professional.)
5 - Requires cutting into the body of the vehicle and heavy fabrication. (Recommended that you bring to a skilled professional.)
General Info:
- Find desired mounting area of wing. Take into consideration the double wall inside trunk.
- Using a tape measure, find the center point of the trunk and mark a solid line through the middle.
- Find the center point on the spoiler and mark a line as well.
- Clean the area of the trunk where the spoiler will be mounted.
- Tape the non-adhesive part of the rubber gasket to the mounting area of the spoiler. Remove adhesive backing from rubber gasket.
- Using the center points on both the vehicle and the wing, carefully align the wing and lay it flat in the desired position.
- Remove spoiler from trunk, leaving the rubber gaskets adhered to the trunk. Check the measurements from the center point and outer perimeters to ensure proper placement
- Drill straight down through the holes in the rubber gasket into the trunk.
- Open trunk, place spoiler on rubber gaskets.
- Using a screwdriver, fasten the bolts and washers from the underside of the trunk.
How to Install a Body Kit Bumper
NOTE (very important): Pre-fit all parts prior to installation. Carbonfiberhoods.com is not responsible for any damage/s due to negligent installation. We recommend that all parts be installed by a certified professional.
1 - Requires specific measurements for successful installation.
2 - Requires minimal tools, primarily involves a bolt-on install. No drilling should be required.
3 - May require removal of surrounding stock parts and stock hardware for installation and minor drilling into body of vehicle.
4 - Requires removal of many surrounding stock parts and stock hardware for installation and may require some sanding. Cutting, shaving, filling in gaps, etc. (Recommended that you bring to a skilled professional.)
5 - Requires cutting into the body of the vehicle and heavy fabrication. (Recommended that you bring to a skilled professional.)
General Info:
- Remove all factory appendages (license plate, grill, mud flaps, fog lights, corner lenses, wheel well liners, side markers, brackets, etc.)
- Remove stock bumper (front/rear).
- Pre-fit bumper using the stock bumper as a guide. (Some products may require cutting, sanding or filling gaps, etc. to achieve proper fitment).
- Noting where the mounting points are on the bumper, drill holes into the bumper using a bit that matches the bolts off your stock bumper.
- Install bumper/s using either the stock hardware or the hardware provided with the part/s.
How to Install a Body Kit, a General Guide
General Guide
*NOTE: Due to the strict regulations set by The Department of Transportation, all of the products sold by Carbonfiberhoods.com are intended for off-road use only.
What kind of body shop should I have this kit installed by and is it hard to install these products?
We highly and strongly recommend professional installation by an experienced custom shop. Not all body shops have experience in installing aftermarket body kits. We do not recommend any our customers to install the products themselves. Please be advised that we highly recommend that you take our products to a professional. When looking for a body shop to install your kit, look for one with experience in doing such installations. A body shop with 10 years of experience in doing collision work, but no experience in aftermarket body kits is not recommended. It would be better to take the kit to a body shop with just 5 years of experience but specializes in installing aftermarket body kits. We do not recommend our customers doing the installs by themselves.
How would I install these products?
All aerodynamic/aftermarket products are manufactured with fiberglass unless otherwise noted, including Duraflex Body Kits and V-Fiber Body Kits. Due to the materials used in production, the parts will NOT be a direct bolt-on. These parts may require prepping, sanding, shaving, filling gaps, cutting, or other types or body work. These modifications may include removal or cutting of the reinforcement bars. By complying with our policies, customer understands the procedure in installing the body kit. We HIGHLY recommend that a professional custom shop with fiberglass body kit experience perform the installation.
Do I have to test fit the parts before I paint them?
Yes, we recommend that you test fit all parts before you paint them. This will insure that you have the correct parts and also allow you to check the fit prior to prepping and painting.
What is necessary to prepare parts for paint?
All Carbonfiberhoods.com fiberglass and urethane products require that you test fit before doing anything else. Once the parts are test fitted, it may require some shaving, trimming, sanding, molding, and/or filling for proper fitment. You will sand and/or wet sand the parts before primering and painting. Most body shops will begin by fitting, sanding and then primering the part(s) before painting.
What kind of hardware would I need for installation?
Your OEM hardware should be sufficient to install our products. In some cases, you may need additional hardware such self tapping screws, double-sided tape, custom supports, etc. for proper installation.
Do I need to remove the reinforcement bar?
The removal of the reinforcement bar may be necessary for the fitment of our aftermarket products. In some cases, the reinforcement bar may need to be trimmed down for fitment of our products.
Do your products fit as well as my OEM parts?
All products are made closest to OEM standards as possible, since they are all hand laid we cannot guarantee a perfect fit. Also, with the vast number of possibilities of why products do not fit perfectly, such as installation on vehicles wich had been involved in an accident, heat, poor installation, etc. it is very difficult to guarantee perfect fitment.
Are these products street legal?
Due to the strict regulations set by The Department of Transportation, all of the products sold by Carbonfiberhoods.com are intended for off-road use only. please check with your local police department for laws governing your area.
Is Carbonfiberhoods.com liable for any damages or injury as a result of these products?
Carbonfiberhoods.com is NOT liable for any damages or injury as a result of these products. Due to strict regulations set by The Department of Transportation, all of these products may not be approved for street/highway use. Removal of reinforcements, bumpers, turn signals, and other safety equipment on the vehicle, is the responsibility of the buyer. Carbonfiberhoods.com will not be responsible for the customer’s actions.
Are there any warranties offered with your products?
All products sold by Carbonfiberhoods.com are sold “AS IS” to the customer. Carbonfiberhoods.com does NOT offer warranty on any of the products sold. If warranty is offered by the manufacturer, warranty documentation will be sent with the product. All products sold by Carbonfiberhoods.com are aftermarket products and are intended for off-road or show use only.
**Denotes: Only applicable for products purchased directly from Carbonfiberhoods.com. All products purchased from a distributor other than Carbonfiberhoods.com, will be subject to different policies. Please contact your seller for their policies.
Universal Duraflex Vader Spoiler Wing
Here's the universal 2-piece wing from Duraflex. This is the Vader style which is actually 2 pieces.
AeroCatch Hood Pins – Install on FD3S
Upgraded to AeroCatch hood pins, out with the traditional style with the new flush mount. Installed on a FRP Hood.
