| jrtiger |
Here are some pictures of my tailgate spoiler installation that I did myself. Boy it is real scary drilling holes in a new vehicle!
This picture shows the spoiler, tools, and materials required.
The two rectangular slots in the spoiler are covered by matching white plugs. |
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| jrtiger |
| This is with the tailgate up and you can see two bumps/projections circled in red. You center punch the projections and then drill holes for the spoiler mounting. |
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| jrtiger |
| Here is a shot after center-punched, pilot hole, and finally a 8mm hole. I removed the burrs and painted the inside of the holes with white enamel paint. |
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| jrtiger |
| This picture shows the top of the tailgate. Isopropyl alcohol was used to clean the area and then foam adhesive washers were attached around the mounting holes. |
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| jrtiger |
| Here is another shot showing the six mounting holes that need to be drilled in the tailgate. I also applied car wax to the area the spoiler will be covering. |
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| jrtiger |
| This picture shows the final install of the spoiler and I have noted that now the back wheels don't come off the pavement when I exceed 250 miles per hour just kidding. I do like the looks and it seems there are a lot of SUV out there from other manufactures that have spoilers. Overall time to do the job was under 1.5 hours and I really...really took my time. |
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| hammermdx |
| Great pics with excellent instructions, and it looks great! |
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| EXCALIBUR |
jrtiger,
Great installation. Doesn't it feel great when a DIY project comes together?:4: |
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| jrtiger |
| Thanks for the comments. It was a good feeling to do the install myself but I sure was worried about the drill slipping and me adding an unwanted racing stripe to the SUV. Overall though it was an easy install, I just took my time. |
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| jldekoning |
| I can attest to the Pucker Factor encountered when drilling holes in a $40k vehicle. I just installed the rear deflector. My only concern is for moisture getting into the tailgate area and causing rust. Has anyone given thought to applying a little silicon caulk to the holes before installing the nuts? I'm thinking of removing 1 nut at a time and doing this. |
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| jrtiger |
| Might be a good idea. We have had a few rainy days plus washing the SUV. I have checked the installation and have not seen any sign of water or moisture around the nuts. Still would be easy to adds some sealant for that extra protection. |
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| hondacuraworld |
quote:
Originally posted by jldekoning
I can attest to the Pucker Factor encounter when drilling holes in a $40k vehicle. I just installed the rear deflector. My only concern is for moisture getting into the tailgate area and causing rust. Has anyone given thought to applying a little silicon caulk to the holes before installing the nuts? I'm thinking of removing 1 nut at a time and doing this.
We haven't seen any rust related issues with an Acura in many years, even here in Buffalo......
But, caulking the gasket itself is a good idea to provide a moisure barrier :) |
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| huylanmdx |
jrtiger
your X looks so cool with the tail.
Can anybody help me how to install this tail for my X 01?
I want the tail for 03-05 but i afraid that is not fix.
Please see the picture attachment. I'm sure not the thing that i had circle in the picture is problem to install the tail.
thanks |
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| dj-mdx2 |
| isn't that just the attachment for the third brake light? shouldn't be a prob. people have done it on their 01 Xs before. |
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| jrtiger |
Huylanmdx,
The fixture you have circled is the rear window washer spray nozzle. The spoiler has a recessed area that does not interfere with the sprayer’s operation. It’s been awhile living with the spoiler and I am still very happy with it and have had no problems. |
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| huylanmdx |
THANKS BUDDY,
I'LL BUY THE TAILGATE SPOILER SOON AND FOLLOW YOUR INSTRUCTION.
ONCE AGAIN, YOUR BABY X IS AWESOME. I LIKE THE WHITE COLOR BUT I DID NOT HAVE CHANCE TO GET THAT. |
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| 042005 |
jrtiger -- thanks for post and clear pictures. It looks good enough that I'd consider adding it to my new MDX.
Just wondering -- was there any increase in wind noise at highway speeds? I really like the relative quietness of the MDX and would hate to affect that.
Also, have you noticed whether the spoiler helps keep the rear glass any cleaner? I'm surprised by how much more dirt seems to stick to the rear glass on the MDX than on prior SUVs I've had (Honda CRX, Jeep Grand Cherokee). I've only had it for one month (but 3600 miles), and maybe it's a temporary thing related to conditions where I've been driving (east-coast interstates & cities, not country lanes or off-road).
Thanks.... |
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| desertracer |
jrtiger,
Very nice pic and I just ordered the spoiler last week. Looking forward to install it this weekend. Do you think it'll be even better using RTV silicone to prevent any moisture going into the holes? |
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| jrtiger |
Sorry so late answering some of the questions. Some how I didn’t get an update about new postings.
042005,
I have pretty good hearing… at least I think I do and I hear no wind noise from the back area of the SUV. The back window gets dirty very easy both before and after the spoiler was installed. It is sealed to the top of the roof and therefore no real air flow is directed over the back window. I have read on this site that several people who have the deflector version had hoped that it would reduce dust but no luck. I still really like the looks of the spoiler.
Desertracer,
The silicone might help but I actually took off a couple of the mounting bolts and I see absolutely no moisture/rust problems. It looks like I had just put it on. I should mention I live in California and garage my SUV at night.
jrtiger |
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| jrtiger |
| I have added chrome side steps. They have a blue tint from the sky reflection. |
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| jrtiger |
| Here is another shot of the spoiler. |
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| jrtiger |
| ...and another one. |
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| EXCALIBUR |
jrtiger,
I didn't notice them in your earlier pics, but nice chrome OEM rims. Q: Did you get them from the dealer or aftermarket?:29: |
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| EXCALIBUR |
jrtiger,
Thanks for the link. I even posted on your thread when you first got your MDX. Where does the time go, and where have you been all this time? Don't be a stranger. Keep posting more pics of your MDX.:29: |
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| Mauro Dionio |
Good pics and great instructions!
Could you tell me if the trailing edge of the spoiler goes above the antenna when the rear hatch is opened?
I am thinking about adding the spoiler but worried about the interference with my Thule 650 Adventurer Cargo Box. |
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| jrtiger |
Mauro,
Yes the spoiler goes above the roof mounted antenna. From the tip of the antenna to the spoiler is approximately 4.75 inches. From the tip of the antenna to the end of the spoiler when it is in the open position it is approximately 3.5 inches. Here is a picture and hope this helps.
If you want more accurate measurements let me know. |
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| ibril |
Nice instructions, you have inspired me to install it on my MDX.
I�m wondering, what if I drill just 4 holes, 2 on each side instead of 6 and use just those to attach the spoiler? Do you think it will be enough to hold the spoiler, without using 2 holes in the middle?
I know that the old spoiler 01-03 was using just 4 holes on the sides.
Any comments welcome.
Thank you. |
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| jrtiger |
Not sure ibril but it only takes a couple of minutes to drill the two center holes.
jrtiger |
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| ibril |
| I’m not worried about time. I just kind of fearful of drilling holes in the wrong spot or too dip or something like this. |
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| EXCALIBUR |
ibril,
Measure twice, three times if necessary...drill once. Go for it. It's only sheet metal. Good luck.:29: |
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| jrtiger |
Ibril,
Sorry my statement was a bit brief I was also trying to say have faith and go for it. It has been awhile and I am getting old but I think the way I did it was to mount the spoiler via the four outside holes and then that gives you a great template for the two inner/middle holes. I marked them and then removed the spoiler. Next I took a small impact center punch and dimpled the marked spots followed by a small drill bit to create a pilot hole. Finally used the correct sized drill bit and de-burred the hole. I used a new drill bit and I wrapped tape around the drill bit shaft to prevent the drill bit from going in too deep. I also have a variable speed drill and just took my time. I am sure you will have good luck also and like EXCALIBUR says go for it!
jrtiger |
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| ibril |
| Thank you guys. I'll let you know how it goes. |
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| EXCALIBUR |
Ibril,
Here's a quick tip: Center punch the holes. Then make a pilot hole with a 1/16" drill bit. Then, work your way up in drill bit sizes until you reach the desired finished size. It's less scary that way and you won't have a wandering power drill to worry about. Knock yourself out.:29: |
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| jrtiger |
Ibril,
Yes please let us know how it goes and if possible please post a picture after the install. You can probably tell from my posts on this site I am a visual kind of guy.
jrtiger |
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| ibril |
Guys, one more question please.
I have a hard time to find metric drill bits.
I called Home Depot, Sears, and few other stores. Nobody has them in metrics.
According to the manuals I understand i need to have them in 3,6,8,10 mm.
Any idea where can i buy them?
Thank you. |
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| jp1450 |
I did the same installation on my new 2005 MDX about a month ago and had the same problem locating drill bits. I wound up going to Home Depot and getting the closest SAE sizes I could find. I used the conversion table at the following web address to get the sizes:
http://www.csgnetwork.com/drillsizeconvert.html
I wound up using the following bit sizes:
1/8 (for the 3mm), 1/4 (for the 6mm), 5/16 ( for the 8mm), and 3/8 (for the 10mm). Everything worked out fine in my install with these bits. The hole made with the 3/8 bit was a little tight for the fasteners provided, but it all worked out well.
After cleaning the holes, I painted the newly exposed sheet metal with some factory touch-up paint to seal them. Then, after installing the foam washers, I used a toothpick to lay a very small bead of clear silicone around the outside of them to ensure the seal would be water tight once the spoiler was laid in place.
Hope this helps. Good luck! |
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| EXCALIBUR |
quote:
Originally posted by ibril
Guys, one more question please.
I have a hard time to find metric drill bits.
I called Home Depot, Sears, and few other stores. Nobody has them in metrics.
According to the manuals I understand i need to have them in 3,6,8,10 mm.
Any idea where can i buy them?
Thank you.
Just like jp1450 posted, just use american size drill bits in the closest approximate sizes to the metric drill bits and you will be fine.:29: |
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| screbr |
quote:
The hole made with the 3/8 bit was a little tight for the fasteners provided, but it all worked out well.
For those of you using this thread as a guideline for your spoiler install, just note that the above might be slightly understated. The 3/8 is quite a bit smaller than a 10mm, and since these holes get the turn nuts "punched" into them, you might need to create a bit more room or risk damaging/losing the turn nuts. On my first attempt, the 3/8" holes were too small. Using the 3/8" drill bit with duct tape as a stopper, I oscillated the drill ever so slightly up and down in the hole to work a slightly larger circle into the sheet metal. I slowly worked my way around the circumference, being very careful not to go too far down in the hole, or apply too much pressure toward the metal.
After the second go around, the holes were perfect, and from that point the finishing work was simple. So in summary, if you want to invest in any metric bits, the 10mm might be a good choice, otherwise you should doublecheck your 2 center holes after drilling the 3/8" bit and make sure you can work the turn nuts into the holes.
Matt |
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| freq |
| Marking my spot. :2: |
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| dj-mdx2 |
quote:
Originally posted by jp1450
I did the same installation on my new 2005 MDX about a month ago and had the same problem locating drill bits. I wound up going to Home Depot and getting the closest SAE sizes I could find. I used the conversion table at the following web address to get the sizes:
http://www.csgnetwork.com/drillsizeconvert.html
I wound up using the following bit sizes:
1/8 (for the 3mm), 1/4 (for the 6mm), 5/16 ( for the 8mm), and 3/8 (for the 10mm). Everything worked out fine in my install with these bits. The hole made with the 3/8 bit was a little tight for the fasteners provided, but it all worked out well.
After cleaning the holes, I painted the newly exposed sheet metal with some factory touch-up paint to seal them. Then, after installing the foam washers, I used a toothpick to lay a very small bead of clear silicone around the outside of them to ensure the seal would be water tight once the spoiler was laid in place.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
Just curious if a dremel tool would help? I haven't attempted installing the spoier yet but it's on my to-do list. |
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| Steameng8 |
I bought a Wind Deflector from Tim in 2001 and installed it and it worked fine at keeping the rear window clean by diverting air down on it. It was black and looked OK on my 01 Silver MDX.
I then bought the new Air Spoiler from Tim in 2004 for my 04 MDX and installed it. It looks much better than the old Wind Deflector, but does cause more dust and dirt to collect on the back window. It also causes more dirty water to collect on the window when driving in the rain. I need ot use the back wiper just to see out the window.
If I had it to do over again, I would go ahead and do it for the looks. I have never seen another 04-->06 MDX with the Air Spoiler. |
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| mdxx3 |
| If I remember correctly, that 10 mm hole is the tricky one. It should be slightly larger than that because of the touch-up paint thickness. After using a 3/8" in the pilot hole, we should use a tapered reamer (the conical one that fits in a drill) to make it larger. I think this 10 mm really should be around 10.3 or 10.5 mm (whatever..., but it has to be slightly larger than 10, unless we want to wipe out the paint while squeezing the fancy nut/hardware thru it). The other holes for this spoiler got plenty of tolerance/gaps and some can actually be smaller than whatever Acura put in their work instructions. |
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| cleanbrain |
quote:
For those of you using this thread as a guideline for your spoiler install, just note that the above might be slightly understated. The 3/8 is quite a bit smaller than a 10mm, and since these holes get the turn nuts "punched" into them, you might need to create a bit more room or risk damaging/losing the turn nuts. On my first attempt, the 3/8" holes were too small. Using the 3/8" drill bit with duct tape as a stopper, I oscillated the drill ever so slightly up and down in the hole to work a slightly larger circle into the sheet metal. I slowly worked my way around the circumference, being very careful not to go too far down in the hole, or apply too much pressure toward the metal.
that's excatly what I had to do when I installed my spoiler. |
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