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Help me fix my aftermarket carbon spoiler

Joined
Apr 13, 2024
Messages
17
Location
Ohio
V-Series Cadillac(s)?
2022 4V Blackwing 6M
I own a '22 4V Blackwing without the carbon package. Ended up purchasing the front carbon splitter and carbon spoiler from Tapout, and have had nothing but problems with the spoiler.

I need advice on what to do, it's driving me insane. To the point I actively do not want to drive my car.

Want to say early that I don't think it's Tapout's fault. I've been to their shop three times now to fix this. Jorge and Michael have been responsive, but I don't know. It feels like it gets worse everytime.

Issue arose after I picked the car up a month ago and drove it home in a thunderstorm. Quick eye test picking it up, everything looked great. Next day I went to Costco, opened the trunk to put groceries in, and my trunk latch started leaking a consistent stream of water. I looked at the front of the wing, and the gasket was "wavy". It would seal at some parts of the deck, and was raised in others. Removed the deck lining, and the wing was leaking through every bolt when hit with a stream of water.

Brought it back to Tapout, and Jorge replaced it with a second wing. He showed me in the shop that the front of the wing was "touching", but it was poorly lit and I'm not the person to overly scrutinize someone's work in front of them, so I took him at his word. He also laid RTV around each bolt, and a quick inspection from the inside showed RTV pushing out from each washer. So I drove it home.

Next day in the sun, I went to look over the wing again and it was worse than the first. 75% of the front wing was raised off the deck. A water test showed it was still leaking into the trunk (Jorge would later solve that trapped water under the wing was walking forward and leaking from the backside of where he RTV'd). Tapout told me to bring it back again. Photo of that is below.
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I go back to Tapout and the first thing they tell me is "by this point, we think it's your decklid." Which, I suppose is a possibility but I find it weird that the wings only got worse, and the entire right side of my deck where this wing lays is a mm off plumb. My stock spoiler fit fine. Now, the stock one sits further back and is glued into place, so maybe it was lifting the deck up, but call me skeptical.

Anyway, Jorge and Michael tell me they tried a third wing from their first order batch with a thicker gasket and it was the worst fitting wing of them all. So they put my second one back on and just filled the gaps with RTV. And in the moment I succumbed, accepted their fix and their answer it was my decklid, but... it looks awful.

The RTV is a completely different color shade to the gasket, along with being glossy to the matte gasket. And Jorge isn't a body guy, it's not like he has the skillset to lay this RTV in an appealing manner - I'm not blaming him or saying this end result was purposeful. It just genuinely looks like RTV was smashed under it, it smeared out, and was wiped away, which is what happened. Photo below.
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The finish is terrible. It's not Jorge, Michael, or Tapout's fault, but I can't live with this on this car. I know it's there, and anyone who looks at it will find that it looks bad. I paid too much for this car and spoiler to let it go like this.

At this point, I'm at a loss. With Tapout claiming it's my deck lid, and saying they tried three wings, they aren't going to continue to work on this for me. And for me, I've thought of maybe putting a bead of something in front of the wing to give the gasket a uniform look, but the excess will never come off the paint or carbon wing, and it is just going to look like I beaded my wing like my bathtub. It won't look like a stock carbon wing.

I have no idea what to do, and am looking for advice.

Thanks.
 
Return it for a full refund and put out the additional $ to get an OEM spoiler? 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
Return it for a full refund and put out the additional $ to get an OEM spoiler? 🤷🏻‍♂️
As far as I know, Cadillac won't sell the carbon OEM wings if your build sheet doesn't have it listed.

And I'm weary of putting my original wing back on now that the adhesive gasket has been disturbed. Also, I want a carbon wing for my car, going back to my original wing doesn't solve anything for me.
 
Well then that's certainly an avenue! Am I able to just get them from any GM third-party parts website?
Get them anywhere you like. I got mine on my 5BW from the Cadillac accessories website when they had a 20% or 25% off deal. I would be cautious with these other websites, definitely called them to make sure they have them in stock and check the shipping cost, sometimes it’s quite high.
 
Get them anywhere you like. I got mine on my 5BW from the Cadillac accessories website when they had a 20% or 25% off deal. I would be cautious with these other websites, definitely called them to make sure they have them in stock and check the shipping cost, sometimes it’s quite high.
Unfortunately, Cadillac Accessories doesn't list the carbon wing. The 3rd party sites have it, but I'm always concerned to buy high-priced items from them
 
There are tons of sites that are GM dealers and sell the OEM parts. You just need to pick one with the best price incl shipping and availability. Call them if you have to .
 
I can't see the expense of paying for real carbon fiber that you are constantly worried about damaging and then spending additional money to replace. I went with the very cost effective carbon fiber wrap at appropriate locations and people think its the real deal.
 

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Isn’t the CF spoiler on the 4BW much larger than the non-CF? It’s that way on the 5BW.
 
Isn’t the CF spoiler on the 4BW much larger than the non-CF? It’s that way on the 5BW.
Yes, it's an entirely different shaped wing. It tracks further onto the decklid, has additional height, has the higher dovetails, and hangs off both sides
 
For what its worth, there's a body shop near them. I don't know what they could do, but an inquiry wouldn't hurt anything. Collision Repair Shop in Plain City, OH | True Performance
Taking this to a body shop to either have them work on the wing or the deck has certainly been an idea I had, but...

I think I'm going to buy an OEM wing. At least then I'll have manufacturer warranty, and if the OEM wing doesn't fit on the deck, I'll have a stronger case to go back to the dealer to claim the decklid is a warranty defect. As of now, I can't say that when comparing it with a Tapout wing
 
I installed the Tapout rear spoiler on my car over a year ago and I haven't seen any evidence of leakage. But, it did concern me because the standard OEM spoiler had that adhesive bond along the front edge, and the rear gasket completely encircled the screws and holes through the deck lid. I added adhesive gasket pieces on the studs on the top, and rubber washers on the bottom with a steel washer and nylon locknuts on the outers. I didn't want a gap on the top and didn't want to have to tighten the nut too much because it would likely dimple the deck lid at the holes. I think the gasket at the studs/holes filled a gap there because I don't think the spoiler sits flush there. Here's a post I made from back then and you can see what I used for mine. Carbon fiber PN database.

It could be a bad batch of spoilers, but if the seals on the front edge are compressed you may have damage at the holes from tightening the nuts too much without a large enough washer to spread it and a gasket on the spoiler to fill the gap at the stud.
 
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I installed the Tapout rear spoiler on my car over a year ago and I haven't seen any evidence of leakage. But, it did concern me because the standard OEM spoiler had that adhesive bond along the front edge, and the rear gasket completely encircled the screws and holes through the deck lid. I added adhesive gasket pieces on the studs on the top, and rubber washers on the bottom with a steel washer and nylon locknuts on the outers. I didn't want a gap on the top and didn't want to have to tighten the nut too much because it would likely dimple the deck lid at the holes. I think the gasket at the studs/holes filled a gap there because I don't think the spoiler sits flush there. Here's a post I made from back then and you can see what I used for mine. Carbon fiber PN database.

It could be a bad batch of spoilers, but if the seals on the front edge are compressed you may have damage at the holes from tightening the nuts too much without a large enough washer to spread it and a gasket on the spoiler to fill the gap at the stud.
I'm more interested in your diveplane retrofit! Would love to find the brackets without buying a bumper to return though
 
At one time Tapout listed reproductions of the support brackets but I don't see them listed anymore. But really the price was pretty close to the factory bumper cover so that should still be a viable option if you have the means to get that huge box home. Then you either keep the cover as a spare or return it for the core charge after you strip the brackets.
 
Welp, one parts website after another have cancelled my wing order saying it's "discontinued". So maybe you can't get the 4VBW carbon wing.

I'm just gonna pull this Tapout wing off and make it work if it kills me
 
Welp, one parts website after another have cancelled my wing order saying it's "discontinued". So maybe you can't get the 4VBW carbon wing.

I'm just gonna pull this Tapout wing off and make it work if it kills me
Perhaps, you're using an obsolete part number?
 
I checked that number 85561509 on a couple sites and it successfully added to the cart. Do they take the order but then respond it isn't available? gmpartswarehouse warns there is a 7-day factory lead time.

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