Tunnel Protectors

[bigreis]

I had to do a little surgery on the Apex this weekend. The 2 bolts holding the y-pipes to their bracket were so badly rusted that I couldn't get them off, so I ended up drilling out the rivets holding the bracket to the tunnel. I quickly realized that the only way to get the y-pipes out with them still attached to that bracket was to remove one of the tunnel protectors. After drilling out all of the rivets I could get at that hold the protector to the tunnel, I ended up having the cut the protector just in front of the y-pipes because I couldn't drill out the two very front rivets (under the flex pipes) to get the protector to come loose. Now that I am ready to put it back together, I am wondering if it is OK to leave the protector in two pieces, or if it will need to be welded back into one continous piece? It seems pretty beefy for just being a tunnel protector, so I am a little worried that it is designed to give additional tunnel support... if that is the case, then I would imagine I should weld it back up. Any advice is greatly appreciated![/u]

 

[APEX 06]

It should be fine, the only thing that would stop me from doing it would be the track hitting the cut and maybe pulling it off.

 

[Wilstoon]

Had to take my off to fit my 2.5"track. 750mi. No probs.

 

[ZapeX2]

I might be tempted to rivot a piece of something on either side of it to keep it from dropping down and the track catching it as mentioned..... or,, if ya have no studs, remove them...