Fitting Maxton Design parts – how to do it

In most cases, yes. If you’ve ever changed a bulb or wiper blades yourself, or fitted a number plate holder, fitting a splitter is well within your reach. It’s a job that takes care and accuracy more than specialist knowledge.

Fitting a typical part usually takes 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the product and the car. Still, give yourself some extra time – the first part always takes longer, and rushing is the most common reason a splitter ends up badly stuck on. Take your time and, above all, test-fit the part carefully before you screw anything in.

The exact list depends on the part and the model, but in most cases you’ll need:

Masking tape to mark the part’s position, a tape measure, a cordless screwdriver or drill with drill bits, screwdrivers or spanners, and a degreaser. You’ll find a degreasing wipe in the kit. A second pair of hands also helps – holding a long splitter perfectly in place on your own can be a challenge.

Every part comes with its own mounting kit, matched to the specific car model. Depending on the product, it’s fixed with double-sided mounting tape, screws, bolts with nuts, or a combination of these methods. For example, front splitters usually combine tape with mechanical mounting points, while spoiler caps are fitted with tape only.

You’ll find exactly how to fit your part in the fitting instructions. Stick to them – we design our parts for specific models, but it’s correct fitting that determines how they’ll behave on your car day to day.

For some products – yes. Mechanically fixed parts, such as many front splitters and Side Splitters, require holes to be drilled in the bumper or sill. The number of holes depends on the specific part and is described in the fitting instructions; typically it’s 12–14 holes per part. Parts fitted with tape only, such as spoiler caps, don’t require any drilling.

Will you be able to return the car to factory condition without a trace after removal? To be honest: if fitting required drilling, the holes will remain. They’re usually on the lower edge of the bumper, so they’re not very noticeable, but they won’t disappear on their own. The tape can be removed after taking the part off, although it takes patience and the right products – more on that below, in the spoiler cap section.

This is the most important stage of the whole job. Tape only holds as well as the surface is prepared. First, wash and dry the mounting area thoroughly. Then degrease it with the wipe from the kit. No dust, wax or leftover car care products should remain on the degreased surface. You should also remove any PPF or other film from that area.

Once the surface is prepared, press the part down along the full length of the tape and gently warm it with a heat gun from 30–40 cm away, on the lowest effective setting. The heat helps the tape bond properly with the surface. Be careful not to overheat the part.

A ceramic coating is designed so that nothing sticks to it – and that’s exactly why tape holds much worse on it than on bare paint. If your car has a ceramic coating, it needs to be removed where the tape goes, ideally by the detailer who applied it. You can do it yourself, but it takes the right knowledge and equipment.

With PPF, the situation is similar. The tape will stick to the film, but the whole thing will only hold as firmly as the film holds to the paint. That’s why it’s best for the tape to sit directly on the paint. If you’re planning to have your car wrapped in PPF, it’s worth fitting the splitter before your appointment with the detailer, or arranging for them to cut the film away where the part will be fitted.

Mounting tapes bond best at around 20–38°C. At lower temperatures, the adhesive gets firmer and bonds less well with the surface. Tape manufacturers don’t recommend applying it when the temperature drops below roughly 15°C – or 10°C for some tapes. Remember, it’s about the temperature of the car’s and the part’s surface, not just the air.

Does it make sense to fit parts in autumn or winter in an unheated garage? Only if you make sure the temperature is right. Keep the part in a warm room for a few hours, heat the garage – or at least the work area – and let the car warm up. After fitting, the tape needs time to reach full strength, so avoid car washes and hard driving for the first few days. If your garage is cold, it’s better to wait or book a fitting at a heated workshop.

Instructions come with every product. You’ll also find them as a PDF on the product page and in our Fitting instructions section, and for many parts we’ve made videos on YouTube that show the fitting process step by step.

What if the instructions don’t quite match your car? The most common reason is a different version of the car from the one shown in the instructions. Our general fitting instructions are designed to show the fitting method – so they aren’t tailored to a specific car model, but to how you correctly fit your part in general. If fitting a particular part does require special steps, we create a dedicated set of instructions, which is always available below the product description on our website. You can read more about this in our article “How do you know a splitter will fit?”. If you still have doubts, get in touch and send us some photos.

Don’t want to fit it yourself? Take your car to a workshop. Choose one with experience fitting add-ons and body kits. The price depends on the workshop, the region and the scope of work, so it’s best to ask for a quote before your visit and show the mechanic the fitting instructions. You can also get in touch with us to ask about the nearest workshop that fits our parts.

No. The spoiler cap fits over the factory spoiler without removing the tailgate and without drilling. It’s fixed with double-sided tape. First, mark the cap’s position with masking tape and use a tape measure to check that the distances on both sides are equal. Then degrease the spoiler, peel back a few centimetres of the tape’s backing at one end, position the cap and gradually remove the rest of the backing while pressing the part down. Finally, gently warm the cap with a heat gun. A second person will come in handy to hold the part while measuring and fitting.

Can it be removed later without damaging the paint? Usually yes, but it takes patience. The tape needs to be softened with heat, and the cap should be separated slowly, without levering it off with hard tools. You can remove any adhesive residue with a dedicated adhesive remover or an eraser wheel. The risk of damage increases if the paint has been touched up before or is in poor condition – in that case, it’s better to leave the removal to a professional.