I had to take the undertay out due to a road debris incident. As you may know, front of the under tray is connected to front bumper and back of the under tray is connected to the center shield.
I am kind of lost as to how to connect the back of the under tray using these two bolts



1- Is the under tray and the center shield connected together with these two fasteners/screws.

OR

2- Is the center shield tightly connected with these two fastener/screws and under tray just sitting under the center shield

May be someone can just look under the car and let me know... Appreciate all your help. btw its for a 2012 xf 5.0

 

It goes together as you have it in the picture, but the metal clips are pressed into the bracing first, you need to remove the long center cover and then pull down the front cover to see where the metal clips are installed without the screws, then everything goes back together as you have it in your picture, and is held together by the 2 screws.

 

Thanks Big Will.

As part of the road debris incident ( some broken tire tread on the road) , I had to take out the under tray but don't remember how the under tray and center shield are attached. Both metal clips were kind of broken, so the center cover was loose. I know what you are referring to....the holes behind the center shield where these two metal clips fits in.

My understanding will be that

- Align the center shield and under tray in a way the metal clip from the bottom can go into that hole behind center cover
- Tighten both metal clips with the attached screws so that clips expands and keep everything fits together tight.

 

Actually the metal clips go into the metal brace first, this is why the center tray needs to come off, then the center tray tucks in next, the nose tray covers that and the screws go in to the metal clips to hold it all together.

 

Ok Got it. No wonder I was trying to push this metal clips from the very bottom after aligning center shield and undertray and was finding very difficult. Actually I dont have to take off the center tray to put the metal clips to the metal brace as the front end of center tray is loose and have wiggle room to put my hand in. Thanks a lot

 

I think one of your screws in the picture is the wrong type. Its holding basically a thin sheet of plastic and needs more of a shoulder than a tiny screw head. After all, there are only two of them at the back compared to the what 10 or 12 of them across the front. I wanted even a little more support than the factory screws so I added fender washers.

 

I tossed the screws and went with a 10mm headed sheet metal bolt, now I only need the one socket to remove the center tray. And as you said I have body washers on all the center cover hardware to give me extra holding surface. I'm on my second center cover as the first one cracked at the mounts from small hardware.

 

Good catch pdupler. When I was under the car looking at the holes, even I thought the same.

Thanks Bigwill....I put a bigger washer to give more shoulder to both screws. Good idea about you changing to stronger 10mm bolt.

No idea as to why there are close to 15 bolts on the front lip of the under tray attaching to the bumper (2 each at both corners, 6 outside, 5 little deep ) and just two at the back attaching back of the under tray and center shield together with a screw thru that metal clip


Thanks guys...Its all done. Did the test run and everything looking great

 

I guess that the reason for lots of biggish bolts across the front vs a few piddly bolts/screws at the back is that if you drive forward over something unforgiving (like a concrete parking bay stop) and the front of the undertray hits/catches on it, it needs to be held on pretty damn hard otherwise it will rip off and cause all sorts of hassles. Not so much with the back of the undertray.