Mudguard brackets....

[Miguel]

I recently took off my mudguard brackets after reading on here they are susceptible to rust. Bearing in mind my car is a 2014, I was surprised at how quickly this has happened.

Anyway, I happen to be in the sheetmetal fabrication game, so I've started modeling the bracket with a view to making some. At first I thought it would be great in titanium so I bought a piece but it's not something I've worked with before, and might have to be heated up before bending, so I am going to use good old stainless steel, albeit marine grade 316. Can't get the same grade nuts to weld on, but 304 should do, with some stainless fixings too. Yes, it will be slightly heavier but i could trim my toenails to even things up i guess.

Anyone know what replacement brackets cost and is there demand for these?.

[Bibs]

 

[CocoPops]

£10.46+VAT at deroure

[PaulCP]

Well spotted Sherlock 

I did have my usual look at the Deroure site but couldn't find them 

[Advantage]

Can they actually supply the stock? Last time this issue was discussed they were on back order forever. So a less fragile but deliverable replacement would be worth more than the sum of its parts to some.

[Miguel]

Assuming they come out okay, I can make anything from a couple to hundreds.

Hoping to laser cut a set over the next seven days and get them on the car, i'll knock up some spares for emergencies.

[Danelaw]

I would really like titanium, but if it's stainless steel then I'd have to drill a few more holes to make them lighter.

 

[Whitey]

I'd be interested in a pair. 

[Miguel]

No need to drill extra holes, I've added some:

[Danelaw]

Excellent!  I might need to add one more so mine is even lighter....

[Miguel]

No worries, I have a bag full of spare holes.

[blueg33]

I bought a pair of new Lotus ones and painted them with hammerite.  My car is a 2010 car and the nearside bracket was almost totally rusted away and the bolts were rusted in so I had to cut them off.

I think stainless ones are a great idea and I would be up for a pair.

Its a pain to fit them though, I did not enjoy drilling rivets out of a painted panel, and you need to be a gynaecologist to reft the spacers and the upper bolts for the panel 

[C8RKH]

I'd be up for some but would appreciate some pictures on what, how, where etc to fit them!  Yes, I really am that hopeless with a spanner. But give me a spatula and hey presto, you'd have an omelette!

[ramjet]

Is it the steel or just poor gal coating?

[blueg33]

1 hour ago, C8RKH said:

I'd be up for some but would appreciate some pictures on what, how, where etc to fit them!  Yes, I really am that hopeless with a spanner. But give me a spatula and hey presto, you'd have an omelette!

I didn't take any pics.  Its easy but fiddly and you need a drill, a pop riveter, rivets, small ring spanners (cant recall the size) and patience.

I have barge boards so had to loosen the front end of those too

[C8RKH]

9 hours ago, blueg33 said:

I didn't take any pics.  Its easy but fiddly and you need a drill, a pop riveter, rivets, small ring spanners (cant recall the size) and patience.

I have barge boards so had to loosen the front end of those too

Wooo, sounds like the kit Scottie would need to fix the hyperdrive on the Enterprise. In the words of the Dragons - "I'm out!".  Luckily I know of a very nice man called Craig, who has a garage with all the right tools to do this for me

 

[Colin P]

It's a pretty simple and quite enjoyable job, just a little fiddly with the spacers. A set of text instructions is available on the link Bibs posted above.

Whilst I did coat mine in underseal when I replaced them I'd definitely go for a set if anyone made them in any better material, as I can still envisage that they'll go again.

[Miguel]

Hoping to laser cut next week, just one set, get them folded and weld some nuts on them. I'll check them against the old one and if they need any tweaks I'll do it straight away. For those that are fastidious about weight saving, i'll get the scales out too.

Incidentally, looking at the originals, I'd say these are bright zinc plated, not galvanised which would have been better in my opinion. Either way, choosing to make these in mild steel was the first mistake -I was gobsmacked when I found out.

[Miguel]

I've laser cut two pairs today, the fixing holes appear to line up well but haven't folded the 'tabs' yet. I have '316 grade' stainless nuts coming as well. The bracket is currently marginally lighter than the original but the nuts may tip the scales the wrong way (only a few grams I reckon).

If I were to go ahead and make a quantity of these -should I be worried about any kind of come back from Lotus? This is just a bracket, and I only wanted to make this because I can't bear the thought of something rusting so easily on the car, but ultimately I am copying something someone else designed.

Any thoughts? Just trying to be open and honest.

[Danelaw]

I'm no lawyer, but I would make the following points from my understanding:

1. you're copying the placement of fixing holes not the product;

2. I believe they would have to prove loss of earnings i.e. you've profited and they've lost out as a result, in order for them to have a case under copyright law and I for one will not replace a corroded part with an identical item that will corrode the same way again;

3. I don't expect they'd want the bill for even a solicitors letter over an item like this, let alone any real legal action that might result in bad press;

4. you can always offer to supply to Lotus if the copyright issue concerns you - I'd buy the stainless part from them. The other part does not reflect well on a premium brand car.

That should be enough to prompt a lawyer on here to shoot me down in flames?

[JAWS]

Miguel, as Danlaw says I wouldn't worry about it. If Lotus come knocking on your door it would be for you to supply them rather than having issues with copyright. Now if you started adding other components to your build list and ultimately ended up building an identical looking but lighter, faster, cheaper car, they may have an issue!

[Miguel]

Thanks John & Jimbo for advice,

This is not a product or market I have experience of, but I have a factory that can spit some of these out so figured it might be something I could sell. I can get around 94 pairs out of a single sheet of stainless steel and then I can just fold and fit nuts on them to order. These will be more expensive than the standard ones, but then they should last the lifetime of the car.

[C8RKH]

To me a very worthwhile upgrade and I'll buy a set please.

I like the idea of a replacement built to a spec to last as apart from OEM built to do a job for a price.

I'm sure as time goes on more parts lije this will be identified and if it means more Evoras last the test of time then great stuff....

[JonneyB]

The irony.  Just noticed mine gone on the n/s when cleaning the car.  I'd be interested in a set if not too pricey!

[Miguel]

I am thinking £30-35 for a pair? Would include delivery in that (mainland UK).

Currently waiting on delivery of the weldnuts (in marine grade st/st of course).