[s-cars] I will NOT buy MORE UNDERTRAY Hardware!

Wed Nov 10 16:10:37 PST 2010

No, I'm not talking about the coiled spring that holds the fastener and also 
makes it self-ejecting.  I'm talking about the wire on the receiver that is 
engaged by the slots in the fastener.  You can't easily bend it from 
overtorquing the fastener, and there is no way to stick the fastener in slightly 
askew.

I have put the Audi fastener in slightly askew and bent the tabs before.

----- Original Message ----
From: John Cody Forbes <cody at 5000tq.com>
To: Theodore Chen <tedebearp at yahoo.com>
Cc: "s-car-list at audifans.com" <s-car-list at audifans.com>
Sent: Wed, November 10, 2010 3:04:45 PM
Subject: Re: [s-cars] I will NOT buy MORE UNDERTRAY Hardware!

DZUS fasteners come in captive and non captive form.

-Cody (mobile)

On Nov 10, 2010, at 5:46 PM, Theodore Chen <tedebearp at yahoo.com> wrote:

> The Dzus fasteners I've used have a solid spring wire on the receiving end to 
> engage the fastener.  The Audi fasteners use little stamped steel tabs 
> protruding in a hole to engage the fastener.  I've lost several of those, even 

> after carefully putting them in.  It's not always easy to tell if the fastener 

> is fully engaged and locked, because those tabs in the receiver don't click 
> positively when the fastener is locked.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: "qshipq at aol.com" <qshipq at aol.com>
> To: trgreen at comcast.net; s-car-list at audifans.com
> Sent: Wed, November 10, 2010 12:38:15 PM
> Subject: Re: [s-cars] I will NOT buy MORE UNDERTRAY Hardware!
> 
> 
> Aircraft panels don't flap in the wind, shift under load, nor are they attached 
>
> to flimsy metal brackets exposing them to deforming spring-nut failure...  We 
> can agree that Dzus fasteners can be the cats meow...  Even in an Audi, but I'm 
>
> thinking more along the design and application lines of this well engineered 
> design Audi underbelly 'tray':
> 
> http://www.dieselgeek.com/B5panzerplateinstallguide.html
> 
> Notice he uses a couple good 10x1.5 bolts in the subframe for primary load, the 
>
> Dzus are only goodlocation fasteners to a solid mount, with little chance of 
> being exposed to road/curb/bumper sheer/deformation forces.
> 
> I can see good use of Dzus fasteners in an Audi using the above example.  And 
> specific to the urS car, I've see bad design/application choice in using them 
> too.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Scott J
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tom Green <trgreen at comcast.net>
> To: s-car-list at audifans.com
> Sent: Tue, Nov 9, 2010 2:59 pm
> Subject: Re: [s-cars] I will NOT buy MORE UNDERTRAY Hardware!
> 
> 
> I don't need any old fashioned bolts that any monkey lad can put in  
> 
> without understanding how they work.  He would probably cross-thread  
> 
> them.  However, no monkey lad is going to get the chance.
> 
> 
> 
> Those 1/4 turn fasteners actually are genuine Dzus fasteners covered  
> 
> under the original patent and still used to fasten aircraft panels.  
> 
> Before the clamshell engine nacelle was designed, there would be about  
> 
> 100 on each engine nacelle, and the high-paid mechanics could never  
> 
> fasten them all, but I think 5 is not asking too much.
> 
> 
> 
> If the aircraft came in the shop with 5 or 10 bad fasteners and it  
> 
> wasn't on the work order for repair they went out the door the same  
> 
> way unless they were all on the leading edge or something else  
> 
> critical.  With only 5 metal fasteners doing the structural work,  
> 
> missing fasteners become critical very quickly.  Losing the pan on the  
> 
> highway can be as dangerous as an airplane losing a panel inflight.
> 
> 
> 
> Tom '95 S6
> 
>          '95.5 S6 avant
> 
> Knoxville, TN
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Tuesday November 9, 2010, at 12:52 PM, Scott J <QSHIPQ at aol.com>  
> 
> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
>> OK - I`m sure theres something I`m missing...  Oh yea the obvious -  
> 
>> the attachment design of the urs underbelly tray sucks!  BMW uses  
> 
>> screws. Volvo and mercedes use screws - Audi used to use screws.  
> 
>> And without fail in the last 15 years -the first response I get  
> 
>> informing a customer hardware is missing - ` I just replaced those  
> 
>> (again)!`  POS
> 
>> 
> 
>> I have two v8 quattros in my driveway - both with the original pans  
> 
>> and original hardware.  The only reason why in my book?  They use  
> 
>> good old fashioned shouldered bolts to attach the tray - just like  
> 
>> the `other` guys do.  Why?  Cuz it works.  They don`t release under  
> 
>> vibration shift and sheer forces, and any monkey lad can pu them in  
> 
>> without understanding how they work.
> 
>> 
> 
>> What holds the pan on are not `dzuz` fasteners (those actually might  
> 
>> work) they are turn-type fasteners that go into some easily deformed  
> 
>> receivers.  The plastic pos`s on the wheel wells crackwith heat age  
> 
>> and a half hearted bump to the front bumper.
> 
>> 
> 
>> I used to stock a half dozen sets of hardware - I stopped doing that  
> 
>> years ago - cuz charging for them became a pita.  Fixing the broken  
> 
>> or missing pieces became a free service....  So I stopped and just  
> 
>> install whats there and put good 3M zip ties where the missing parts  
> 
>> were.  Fully zip-tied pans tested btw - without mentioning names -  
> 
>> fully imbedded in steamboats magnetic snowbanks....
> 
>> 
> 
>> To aluminum - i work on a B5 S4 with a killer aluminum plate made  
> 
>> and sold by Armadillo Armor Systems...  Has all the cooling ducts  
> 
>> and it attaches securely with some beefy bolt type hardware.  Pricey  
> 
>> but really well made.
> 
>> 
> 
>> I`m all for reinstalling the correct hardware where I find it on the  
> 
>> tray/body.  I also have absolutley no problem cutting off and  
> 
>> reinstalling good zip ties.  To those hardcore purists fighting  
> 
>> diligently to retain the original crappy Audi design?  Here`s a  
> 
>> budweiser toast to you...  Mr. Useless Audi Hardware Ordinance  
> 
>> buying guy!
> 
>> 
> 
>> :)
> 
>> 
> 
>> Scott J
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 
> S-CAR-List mailing list
> 
> http://audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/s-car-list
> 
> http://www.audifans.com/kb/List_information
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> S-CAR-List mailing list
> http://audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/s-car-list
> http://www.audifans.com/kb/List_information
> 
> _______________________________________________
> S-CAR-List mailing list
> http://audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/s-car-list
> http://www.audifans.com/kb/List_information