New owner of XB - 2 months.

I have a phobia the lower front part of my XB would get torn off easily on some minor event. Like parking and bumping a curb or hitting a snow drift etc.
Has anyone had the lower front (what do you call that thing) torn off or damaged more easily than a reasonable person would expect? Please no _____ sessions about justifiable damage. Not concerned with the stuff that would damage any car. "I hit Big Foot and now I need a new grill". Damage is to be expected in accident etc.
But some things damage easily and I am trying to determine if the design of the xb more susceptible to lower front damage? If you have had the lower front damaged, how did it happen and how much did it cost to fix?

Love my XB - but would like to have a reply for friends who comment about how "that's sure to get torn off on the first pile of leaves because of bla bla bla bla bla".

I have not had a single problem (other than the minor radio glitch) so far.

Thanks

 

Retreads on the freeway.... They are the number 1 killer of xB's front ends...

They are pretty resilient little buggers, but I've heard of at least 4 hitting retreads and doing some decent damage!

 

The front lip sits low and out, which makes it prone to scraping driveways ect.

Also, the front lip gets chips very easily ( especially if they gravel the roads in the winter where you live)

All said, it is all paint damage, not body, so that why I say the OEM front lip is fairly sturdy.

I have nailed a few snow chunks lately, with no apparent damage.....

With that said, last year after winter I had my front lip re-painted. When this winter is over, I will do the same......

 

if you don't know how to drive yes.

 

^haha darren

yea, paint more than body damage. ive scraped up my front end (w/air ride) and havent had a terrible incident (knocks on wood)

 

A nice snowstorm and then another one can crack the lip real fast. where the snow melts then it turns to ice, and if you decide to high center yourself or if you decide to plow the snow, you'll damage it.

 

...

^^^and it doesnt help if you have TRD lowering springs right TJ

 

trds arent a drop.

 

Make sure you dont under estimate where parking curbs are, the front lip can unsnap easily if pulled on.

That was even before I was on Goldlines! lol

Ive had to snap mine back on twice once for the curb once after someone tried to steal it and it got pushed up on the curb.

Just be careful and keep in mind its near the ground. :D

 

i scrape everywhere i'm "too" low lol. like there is suc a thing and mine has never popped off. just a few scrapes and suc. driving a lowered car takes skill that's for damned sure.

 

Hahaha you got me there.[/quote]

 

mine cracked when i hit on the freeway.....
but it was a straight cut down the middle ....
if you tape it really well.. you wouldn't be able to tell...
even though .. i got another lip ....
but it took a really good hit for it to crack...

 

I scraped my front lip when parking. My Colgon Bra took the hit and it got scuffed up pretty bad. But it did it's job and the body was o.k.

It's just the risk you take with a lowered car. You learn where not to go. Years of driving MG's was my "schooling!!"

 

I hit a pothole on the freeway going about 60. Mine didn't break but the underside sure got scrapped up. And this is a stock height.

 

If you've never driven a lowered car, don't drop it lower than 1.5'' because you'll just end up ruining your front end.

Learn how to be careful driving with speed bumps, steep entrance driveways, potholes, everything before you want to lower it more.

Also, the front lip is prone to lots of chips. Just keep touch up paint, wax your car regularly and hope.

Cya

 

i unfortuntly found that out the hardway with roadkill that i couldn't pass

 

It is a hard lesson to learn! Keep lots of touch up paint handy. After a few times you will learn to approach steep drives at a 45 degree angle and stay way back away from curb stops, the xb is a very short vehicle and you never have a problem with sticking out in the drive isle anyway.

Anybody with a lowered ride will tell you that it is a fair trade off: Looks much better lowered, but comes with a price.

I think it would be great if someone would sell a carbon fiber front lip protector type splitter that would attach to the underside of the front lip so that it would take the beating and not the bodywork. It would be much easier to replace than the whole front lip.

 

Lost mine too on the freeway. A huge cardboard box (it was the length of the car) ran in front of me and the front lip and grills got taken out.

Reatread has taken out it's fair share of front lips on xBs too...

 

tell me about... sheeesh!!!

 

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/___________________/ <------------- Bumper block

xB front end KILLER !!!!!!!!!