RANT: Why I hate body clips ...

Well, why do I hate body clips?

I have just spent nearly three hours removing the six body clips that hold those bloody silly mud flaps in front of the front wheels so that I could remove the flaps ... . .. ...

I can see why they would rip the front mudguards liners out if they happen to catch on anything ...

In the end, I resorted to drilling two of them out! They would turn, but not unlock; and even when unlocked, two of them would not pull through the hole due to a build up of mud in the internal keyways.
Who would have thought that mud would get onto the underneath of a car ...
Just incredibly bloody stupid design, IMFAO!

I have badly bruised hands and knuckles. I have cut one of my knuckles - fortunately not badly - but it doesn't take much for me to bleed all over the countryside.

The very worst corroded and damaged bolts would not have taken more than about 30 minutes, max.

Anyway, the front 'spats' have been taken off Roo2.
Good riddance to the damn things.

While I was at it, I removed the ABS sump guard preparatory to fitting the SubaXtreme one. This was secured by four bolts (12 mm) and two of the other design body clips that came out relatively easily. Not as easily as the bolts, mind you, but still nothing like as belligerently uncooperative as those silly flaming things with the Philips head locking socket in them.

I notice that my sump has taken a serious hit at some stage, unless that rather irregular crater just forward of the sump plug is a design feature ... Dodged a bullet there, by the look of things.

I view the SubaXtreme sump guard as a sacrificial item. I don't care if it falls to bits; just so long as it gives the sump some protection in the process.

The entire world hates those plastic clips! I had all the same problems as you, although I gave up and cut them off after 30 minutes. I felt like a bit of an idiot being defeated by something so simply but soon heard Interceptor and OffroadFalcon cursing at what they called "scrivets" and realized it's not just me who has a deep hatred for the extreme amount of difficulty packed into such a small piece of plastic.

I also have that rather irregular crater near the sump plug, I wasn't sure if it was the factory or my skill which gave it that feature to help drain the oil but it's good to know I'm not the only one with it.

Gidday Red

Red XS said:

The entire world hates those plastic clips! I had all the same problems as you, although I gave up and cut them off after 30 minutes. I felt like a bit of an idiot being defeated by something so simply but soon heard Interceptor and OffroadFalcon cursing at what they called "scrivets" and realized it's not just me who has a deep hatred for the extreme amount of difficulty packed into such a small piece of plastic.

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Incredibly cheap to make and assemble; all but impossible to remove, even with my new Kincrome panel removing tool kit.

They should not be used anywhere on the vehicle where they can accumulate crap, or be difficult to remove. Either that, or re-design them so that the bloody things work properly!

I also have that rather irregular crater near the sump plug, I wasn't sure if it was the factory or my skill which gave it that feature to help drain the oil but it's good to know I'm not the only one with it.

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I doubt very much that it was made in the factory ... .

Apart from providing sump capacity, it is difficult to understand why this part of the engine is so exposed. Another 3/4-1" higher, and one wouldn't need a sump guard ... :iconwink:.

There's still massive exhaust system that needs protecting. I have already flattened some of the exhaust shield a little.

The dent in my sump is actually rather neat, with out any marks on the paint, looking like it was made that way, but still seems unusual, which is why I thought 50/50 if it was made like that or not. Any way, it has no real disadvantage and will help drain any dirt that's sunk to the bottom so I'll just pretend it's an improvement.

I work with them on a daily basis. You get to learn the little tricks..

Try working on some newer BMW's, Jeeps (cough ***crap*** cough) and the likes. They are a whole nother ball game!

I have to agree with the sump gaurd ratbag. Mine has taken a ahmmering and ia fairly deformed. However its served (ing?) Its purpose of protecting the sump and underside of the engine.

Take care with yourself. The last thing you need is to get hurt and have to stop working...

Ha ! RB you should try and remove a front bumper skin and see how many hidden plastic clip there are. When I put the bullbar on it took longer to remove the bumper skin than fit the bullbar!
With those Philips head plugs I found sometimes you need to wedge small flat screw driver under the head to get them started.

Gidday Red, Taza and HC

Red XS said:

There's still massive exhaust system that needs protecting. I have already flattened some of the exhaust shield a little.

The dent in my sump is actually rather neat, with out any marks on the paint, looking like it was made that way, but still seems unusual, which is why I thought 50/50 if it was made like that or not. Any way, it has no real disadvantage and will help drain any dirt that's sunk to the bottom so I'll just pretend it's an improvement.

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Yup ... :iconwink: :lol: :biggrin:.

taza said:

I work with them on a daily basis. You get to learn the little tricks..

Try working on some newer BMW's, Jeeps (cough ***crap*** cough) and the likes. They are a whole nother ball game!

I have to agree with the sump gaurd ratbag. Mine has taken a ahmmering and ia fairly deformed. However its served (ing?) Its purpose of protecting the sump and underside of the engine.

Take care with yourself. The last thing you need is to get hurt and have to stop working...

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Thanks for your concern, mate.

I do know some of the little tricks. The bloody things are just poorly designed.
Nothing should be designed in such a way that the key device is so weak it will not withstand normal use.
Nothing on a car should be designed so that a little fine mud or dirt will completely prevent it from working.

havachat said:

Ha ! RB you should try and remove a front bumper skin and see how many hidden plastic clip there are. When I put the bullbar on it took longer to remove the bumper skin than fit the bullbar!
With those Philips head plugs I found sometimes you need to wedge small flat screw driver under the head to get them started.

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Tried that with an ultra fine bladed screwdriver - nothing!
Tried it using various sizes of Olfa knife, Stanley knife and box cutter - nothing! Bloody near cut myself badly when the box cutter blade broke in a crescent shape!

It is plain bloody ridiculous that anything so simple should be all but impossible to remove. Specially so when there are all sorts of normal maintenance and service reasons for being able to remove/refit them quickly and easily. When their only purpose is to make the car cheaper and quicker to make, regardless of the ramifications in use, it is inexcusable.

Thanks for the commiserations, fellas. It helps a little to know that these things are so universally despised .

Red XS said:

The entire world hates those plastic clips!

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Oh come on guys, they're fun! Consider it a challenge :rotfl:

Red XS said:

There's still massive exhaust system that needs protecting. I have already flattened some of the exhaust shield a little.

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Try welding some flat bar to the underside of the exhaust, works a treat to stop it catching & ripping out
My exhaust slider

Gidday NL

NachaLuva said:

Oh come on guys, they're fun! Consider it a challenge :rotfl:

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Fun? FUN!
Challenge?
Tell that to my poor damaged hands, shoulders, bum and knees - all caused by these disgustingly badly designed and executed bits of garbage plastic.

They are an extremely poorly designed, cheap and nasty method of constructing many parts of the vehicle to minimise the cost.
Now that might be acceptable in a shopping pram costing $13,990 on the road, but in a car that costs in excess of $40,000 on the road? NOT acceptable.

I have no problem with the concept of the clips per se, just a huge problem with their crappy design and execution.

Damn, that was bad luck! The clips on my spats were all fine, came out with a flat screwdriver to lever and some encouragement from a pair of pliers! My L series bashplate took about an hour to install, including widening the bottom bolt holes as the Forester has them spaced about a cm further apart.

Also, laterally to the headers, what other models of Subaru are those black bits of metal that go under the front suspension arms on? I don't recall having seen them on many - they appear to be there to reinforce the subframe.

I just hook a pair of long noses under em. They either come out or they break. Gets em off either way so I don't really care.

^ That didn't work either.

Today I am wearing a back brace, and have had to lie down almost all day, cos the "exercise" seems to have stirred that up badly as well ... Grrrr .

.... Magnesium Ratbag. Take some & soak in some ... Epsom salts bath does wonders.

Best regards,

Thanks for the suggestion, S2.

My back's not just sore. What's wrong with it shows up on every scan/X ray I have. Seems that I have stirred it up a bit. SWMBO suggested that I get into the spa bath for a bit, and I told her that I couldn't get in, and if I could, I wouldn't be able to get out again ...

It is feeling a bit better this morning, so hopefully it will be a couple of days job; not a six week episode. I just need to be careful for a few days or a week. The (soft) back brace reminds me not to do anything stupid as much as it provides support. It's for the lumbar-sacral area where I have a slightly damaged disc (L5/S1). There is another one damaged at T12/L1, but it doesn't usually cause me any grief these days.

Gidday KF

kiwifoz said:

Damn, that was bad luck! The clips on my spats were all fine, came out with a flat screwdriver to lever and some encouragement from a pair of pliers! My L series bashplate took about an hour to install, including widening the bottom bolt holes as the Forester has them spaced about a cm further apart.

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Glad that they work for somebody ... :iconwink:.

Also, laterally to the headers, what other models of Subaru are those black bits of metal that go under the front suspension arms on? I don't recall having seen them on many - they appear to be there to reinforce the subframe.

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Not sure which bits you are referring to, but according to the Subaru Tech Specs pamphlet for the SG Series I (29 page PDF that makes for some interesting reading ... ), it has 29% greater torsional rigidity than the last model SF. That's one hell of a lot of strengthening! I know that they added all sorts of additional strengthening of the front and rear sub-frames, as well as greatly reinforcing the passenger cell. All this contributes to better handling, braking and crash worthiness, quite apart from making the structure of the car more durable in use.

More of this was added in the SG Series II; and our MY10 SH is stronger again, the obvious points in the SH being the dirty great bolts that lock into the door sills on the rear doors and the hooks at the rear lip of the bonnet that lock into receivers welded into the firewall structure in the event of a front end stack.

Think I should replace them all with a standard auto press Clip.
I too was thinking a 2 min job.... Not the case

Get yourself a trim removal kit - very useful for getting under those plugs:
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/4pcs-Ne...astic-Trim-Removal-Tool-Set-Kit-/190720097575

I made a tool out of stainless...but I still hate them. They vibrate and wear the clip and the panel. Designed to fail.