Do we need our belly pan?????

[6.1forfun]

I read that alot of Charger guys are not running a front belly pan, I have an 06 CSRT8 and mine is cracked, should I just remove it or should I replace it, I know that the brake cooling ducts are integrated in the pan but what are the negatives to not running one? Thanks in advance.

[topfuel67]

Exactly what you said. The brake ducts are part of it and that's how they're cooled. These brakes already ware out quick enough. Plus they help keep road debree out of your engine compartment.

[Keir]

I have seen the underside of a bunch of our cars without the belly pans and you would not believe how clean those pans keep the engine area, all the way up to the hood.

[Ultimatecarman45]

Think of it this way, chrysler has gotten cheap enough not to include the strut tower caps on the new cars, has taken hood lift struts off of chargers, yet still keeps the belly pans on.

[BobF's 6POINT1]

Mine has been off for over a year (maily due to laziness). I will probably replace it for the brake duct stuff and I think it increases front end rigidity.

[HEMIDON]

I don't think it's a good idea to run without the front pan. The pan holds the lower part of the cover in place. I'm sure it helps with aerodynamics not to mention keeping the air through the grille directed to the radiator. The rear pan might not be needed as much, but I'm sure it does help keep water and debris from the engine compartment.

My cover cracked when I ran up on a parking stop. I repaired it with a piece of sheet metal using pop rivets to hold the metal on the inside. After I painted the metal black, you can't see the repair. I also made a metal retainer across the front edge so the screws would not be in those stupid slotted holes.

My cover has lots of scrapes on it but has never pulled off or cracked since I did the mod.

[ekaz]

I have the front part of the belly pan installed. The other cover further back that covers the oil pan and such has been off for a while now.

[sugar-tj]

I have the front part of the belly pan installed. The other cover further back that covers the oil pan and such has been off for a while now.

X's 2..
engine bay gets dirty, but, i don't lift the hood anyway...

[6.1forfun]

Thanks for the replies, Time for a trip to the stealer!

[topfuel67]

Look online, there are plenty of posts of online sites that sell it for less than half and its supposedly oem too.

[CVP33]

I've been running without the belly pan now for 3 months. The only downside is that at anything over 180mph the hood vibrates and the front end gets light and becomes very hard to steer. Once I get over 220mph it goes away.............the hood that is, not the steering problem.

[markus]

I've been running without the belly pan now for 3 months. The only downside is that at anything over 180mph the hood vibrates and the front end gets light and becomes very hard to steer. Once I get over 220mph it goes away.............the hood that is, not the steering problem.

x2. what he said. except for me the hood hangs on till 255. right about as im pulling away from a bugatti veyron. seriously though. i did a lil' trip in my car without one. once i hit 150/155, my hood was literally bouncing up and down in the center up by the windshield.

[stitchmonkey]

I think it might create a kind of Bernoulli effect.