JT-Designs Underpanel - Updated!

[jsp98m3]

I recently had the opportunity to sell out JT-Designs on their existing stock of underpanels for the E36. I also put a few of them on cars and assited a couple of other owners in putting themon their cars.

I gave Jim Mihal some feedback on this already great product and he updated the design a bit and changed the BOM.

Specifically over in the porkchop area there were 4 new holes added to allow people to add more attachement points without drilling the panel.

And the best part is that we all know when the junk BMW installs at the factory falls off, all of the fastners tend to go with it. So I talked to Jim Mihal and he has added 6 new factory speednuts and 6 new screws with captice washers to the Bill of Materials.

With the new mounting holes and the new hardware included this should allow people to be able to do an install without side trips to the dealer for hardware. Even if your stock wheel well liner mounting ponts were torn out when your stock pieces when flying down the highway :)

As soon as I get caught up on my own installs for customers this week, I'm going to revamp the installation documentation and add pictures or line art to make the install much easier to do for first timers also.

So if you haven't replaced your stck system that is broken, give the JT-Designs unit a look. It's a great product made even better now.

Oh yeah, he has lots of them in stock now, too!

[Def]

Awesome!

This has been next on my "goodies-to-buy-for-myself" list for a long time. Glad to hear that a great product has been made ever better! :buttrock


BTW - Jim, would you happen to know very roughly how much both brake ducts and OBC air temp sensor for the driver's side duct would cost new from the dealer? Seems these items blew away along with the underpanel and the previous owner never bothered to replace them. At least the porkchops are still hanging in there... sorta. :az:

[jsp98m3]

It varies by dealer markup. Your best bet is to contact dealers with internet sales arms like Circle or Pacfic BMW.

[Alpine95]

Any idea whether he'll be "updating" a recently purchased underpanel with the additional hardware?

[jsp98m3]

Not my call man. Send him an email.

[binh]

You know what..ive heard about this underbody peice so many times.....but.........does anyone have a good pic of it?

[jsp98m3]

Here you go

[Uber328]

Hey Jim...could you post a link to the JTD site? Is he still making the non-hinged strut bars for the E36?

Terry

[jsp98m3]

Yes he is.

www.jt-designs.com

[r6e36]

This is only for a 2 door M3, right?

[jsp98m3]

I own a 4 door and it fits mine fine.

[ImageDynamicsM3]

Is there a good write-up for installing the previous (non-updated) version floating around the net? I have brand new wheelwells and all the goodies under there and I have a JT Panel thats been sitting here forever and needs to get installed. Do I need to drill it, and what do I need from the dealer? TIA!

[themadhatter]

I'll take one for the X.

[jsp98m3]

If you have new wheel wells you should be all set. I do suggest that you go by the dealer and get 4 or 5 sets of speednuts and screws in case any of the hardware not attached to the wheelwells is missing. It's likely that a few of the screws are gone from under there. Luckily they haven't ended up in YOUR tires.

[Uber328]

Jim, what is the real advantage to installing this part for me since my factory underpanel is still intact and my car is only a street driver and will probably never hit the track?

I'm just trying to justify the mod.

Thanks!

[jsp98m3]

Buddy, this was the No-Spin Zone long before the O'Reilly Factor.

If your stock panel is in good shape and your wheel well liners aren't breaking up, you don't need this mod.

But sooner or later most of these panels go from the plastic aging or running up on a parking barrier and cracking it underneath. Once cracked or torn loose from the wheel well liner on either side, it's just a matter of time before it all comes flying out of the car someday, spewing plastic and screws everywhere.

So what does the JT Designs underpanel do? It is a three piece annodized aluminum and steel replacment for the plastic pieces that BMW installed at the factory. It really stiffens and supports the wheel well liners which hold in your brake cooling ducts too.

Additionally you can forget worrying that a rub over a parking barrier is going to rip out half the car. I had the prototype on my car for 5 years. Parking lots, off-track spins and even a nose-in into the tire barrier at turn 9 of Laguna Seca were unable to make this thing come apart.

It really stiffens up the entire front facia of the car which is pretty much one large plastic box in stock form.

Highly recommended.

[Uber328]

Kinda what I thought. Thanks Jim.

[97 MPWR]

Originally posted by ///Alpine95
Any idea whether he'll be "updating" a recently purchased underpanel with the additional hardware?

///Alpine95, did you happen to contact them yet? Since my fender liners were pretty bad, I'd like to get rid of the zip ties with the new "additional" hardware. Please update if you have any info.

Thanks.

[PECivil]

hey jim my underflap has had all of the above happen. plus the wheel liners are all cracked where the screws connect the. The whole front underpanel is for crap. Now I know. WHat I did was just move the screw locations laterally when their original locations cracked. I am gonna get one of these.

[jsp98m3]

You can order right off of jt-designs.com

I just put a new one on mine after 5 years and the original prototype one was still perfect. I updated to the latest one so I could use my old one for a template to make changes for some turbo upgrades.

[jsp98m3]

Hi guys. I rewrote the installation instructions just a bit and forwarded them to JT-Designs.

They aren't on the website yet but if you send them an email, I'm sure they can email you a copy of the Word doc I sent them.

I believe the email is info@jt-designs.com

Hope this helps.

[Alpine95]

Originally posted by 97 MPWR
///Alpine95, did you happen to contact them yet? Since my fender liners were pretty bad, I'd like to get rid of the zip ties with the new "additional" hardware. Please update if you have any info.

Thanks.

Yes, I did contact them about getting the additional hardware. I didn't make any mention about the additional holes made to the new underpanels since drilling is no big deal.

From his reply, he must have thought I wanted to send my underpanel back in exchange for a current one. He basically told me that the shipping costs would negate the exchange but did not say anything about offering to send out the extra hardware. Rather than quibble over a few bucks worth of screws and nuts I'm just going to head to the dealer and pick some up.

[nicholas]

Will the underpanel fit a car with an oil cooler? I had to remove my stock due to the oil cooler piping getting in the way.

[jsp98m3]

I can't say about the oil cooler. I can say that on mine I did some judicious trimming to make room for the turbo piping. Since it is made of aluminum and steel you can trim it to allow access for your cooler and tubing.

[satyen119]

Bigger pic of the underpanel as part of a brake cooling kit they offer:
http://store4.yimg.com/I/jtdesigns_1714_44213

[Mode]

Awesome news, Jim. My OEM underpanel fell off recently while cruising down the 110. The dragging panel neccesitated I take the next exit - which happened to be in IngleWOOOOOD. Having a bum force his help on me while I was tugging on the panel was a new experience.

The JT-D piece has been on my list. . .will get it soon for sure.