Xman
Well-known member
- Thread starter
- #1
I’ve had four turbocharged vehicles before getting my new PowerBoost with its twin turbo engine. Having to locate the TX required front license plate so it is blocking the intercooler of half the available airflow is not something I am willing to do. I’m sure the intercooler’s effectiveness is ok most of the time but, on a hot TX summer day with a load, more airflow over the intercooler has got to be better. So, I thought through different options and came up with an alternative license plate location for under $4 using 1/4-20 rubber well nuts to secure the license plate on the plastic portion of the front bumper using the following steps.
As pointed out by Mtntris and HammaMan, this can only be done on the passenger side so as not to block the front radar sensor. Steps are edited accordingly. It takes less than 20 minutes to install.
1. Marked license plate holes on masking tape.
2. Drilled a ¼” hole, then enlarged with a ½” drill bit to finish off the hole. You will see that the steel bumper is less than an inch behind the plastic.
3. Inserted the 1/4-20 rubber and installed the license plate using ¾” long ¼-20 bolts with washers. The well nuts will be about an 1/8” proud because of the steel bumper but the nut will pull itself in as it is tightened. Do not use a bolt longer than ¾”.
4. I used zip ties to secure the lower outside corner as insurance that the bottom of the license plate would not be pulled up and also bent the edges back a bit to hopefully not catch at a car wash.
Notes:
•The well nuts were perfect for this application and should be available at your local hardware store. They are easy to remove if needed and the ½ holes in the plastic can be easily covered with hole plugs if this didn’t work to your satisfaction (will provide a plug part number in the future).
•Felt was added to the back of the license plate to reduce the chance of scratching the bumper. The license plate did not touch the bumper in a static condition but airflow at speed should push the plate against the bumper. A thicker felt pad (like used on the bottom of furniture) was added in the lower corner where the zip ties were used. Also, split and shortened a spent .22 rimfire case to take the sharp end of the hole.
•The OEM license plate holder is only held on with plastic locking tabs which can be flexed open and removed.
As pointed out by Mtntris and HammaMan, this can only be done on the passenger side so as not to block the front radar sensor. Steps are edited accordingly. It takes less than 20 minutes to install.
1. Marked license plate holes on masking tape.
2. Drilled a ¼” hole, then enlarged with a ½” drill bit to finish off the hole. You will see that the steel bumper is less than an inch behind the plastic.
3. Inserted the 1/4-20 rubber and installed the license plate using ¾” long ¼-20 bolts with washers. The well nuts will be about an 1/8” proud because of the steel bumper but the nut will pull itself in as it is tightened. Do not use a bolt longer than ¾”.
4. I used zip ties to secure the lower outside corner as insurance that the bottom of the license plate would not be pulled up and also bent the edges back a bit to hopefully not catch at a car wash.
Notes:
•The well nuts were perfect for this application and should be available at your local hardware store. They are easy to remove if needed and the ½ holes in the plastic can be easily covered with hole plugs if this didn’t work to your satisfaction (will provide a plug part number in the future).
•Felt was added to the back of the license plate to reduce the chance of scratching the bumper. The license plate did not touch the bumper in a static condition but airflow at speed should push the plate against the bumper. A thicker felt pad (like used on the bottom of furniture) was added in the lower corner where the zip ties were used. Also, split and shortened a spent .22 rimfire case to take the sharp end of the hole.
•The OEM license plate holder is only held on with plastic locking tabs which can be flexed open and removed.
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