To replace or not to replace...tis the question ?

MOI

A2OC Donor
Aye up. Driving along minding my own business when a scrapping sound started coming from underneath my A2. Had a look and the plastic ‘under carriage’ had come loose. It was hanging off so I removed it.

I’ve been told there’s not much point replacing it as it doesn’t really offer much protection anyway.

What do you think? Replace or leave as is?
 

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Plus having the undertray supports the front bodywork and the front wheel arch interior parts, so I would definitely replace.
 
The under tray ties the bumper, the wings and the wheel arches all together. It massively aids the integrity of the plastic parts and ties them into the chassis subframe to make them all effectively one piece, making aerodynamics good too, as has been mentioned. If you've a Webasto heater, it also provides a mounting point for the exhaust too.

There's a reason why there's so many screws to secure it - replace without question.
 
Replace. I had to drive mine home the other day with the tray removed after it got caught on some snow while reversing. The noise in the cabin was way louder than with the tray fitted (and that was only up to 50mph). If you have a Webasto heater the exhaust for it will be left dangling without the tray fitted.
 
Thanks for the input chaps. I’m convinced it needs replacing.

Anyone know how to move this thread to the wanted section?
 
Seen your Wanted thread ?

Cheap is relative in this country. For new ones, they're all imported from Europe, which these days is a deviant form of entertainment in its own right :rolleyes: They'll be expensive enough to now attract UK VAT in the first place, then the size and shape of them makes for high transport costs too. From memory they weren't landing for under £50 per unit before Brexit, you had to buy several to combine transport costs to even get that. And I don't think those were even the diesel ones with the sound deadening layer (covered with oil on your photos).

But now I look closely, the holes for all the front and rear mounting points on your undertray look fine! Was it hanging down at one side when you removed it? If so, I'd guess the last garage to refit it only replaced the fastenings for the side mountings on the tops of the legs - due to sheer laziness, sadly. I see one of those has snapped.

It would be worth checking under the car to see if there are speed-nuts (the metal clips that provide the thread for bolts to be screwed into) in positions corresponding to all the other mounting points - or at least enough of them, at both front and back edges. I do wonder if all you actually need is a few of these and/or the bolts to go in them, then you could re-attach your existing undertray to your car.
 
Seen your Wanted thread ?

Cheap is relative in this country. For new ones, they're all imported from Europe, which these days is a deviant form of entertainment in its own right :rolleyes: They'll be expensive enough to now attract UK VAT in the first place, then the size and shape of them makes for high transport costs too. From memory they weren't landing for under £50 per unit before Brexit, you had to buy several to combine transport costs to even get that. And I don't think those were even the diesel ones with the sound deadening layer (covered with oil on your photos).

But now I look closely, the holes for all the front and rear mounting points on your undertray look fine! Was it hanging down at one side when you removed it? If so, I'd guess the last garage to refit it only replaced the fastenings for the side mountings on the tops of the legs - due to sheer laziness, sadly. I see one of those has snapped.

It would be worth checking under the car to see if there are speed-nuts (the metal clips that provide the thread for bolts to be screwed into) in positions corresponding to all the other mounting points - or at least enough of them, at both front and back edges. I do wonder if all you actually need is a few of these and/or the bolts to go in them, then you could re-attach your existing undertray to your car.
Thanks for the considered msg. Well the full story is I was away from home when this happened and as it looked worse for ware I dumped it in a recycling bin at the place I was working.
But after your msg I called them and got them to retrieve it as I agree it can probably be clean up and reattached.
Thanks again.
 
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