Bash Plate

[Fazed]

Any reason why a subaextreme bash plate made for an SG 2006 to 2009 Forester wouldnt fit a 2003 SG Forester?

 

[Rally]

It's made contact with a small rock and shattered?

 

[Fazed]

Lol, like is it too big, too small, bolt holes don't line up, something gets in the way, can it be modified to fit or is there no difference at all. Just dont want to spend money on this over priced bit of metal if I can't use it.

 

[Ratbag]

Gidday Fazed

How about asking SubaXtreme?

I'm sure they will know ... :iconwink: :lol:.

 

[Rally]

I think it should fit. But as inferred above, they don't take much to put get damaged.






So I went with this instead.

 

[Fazed]

Mmm non cast alloy. Much better

 

[Ratbag]

If you are in Victoria, there is a bloke at Vic Subarus who makes plate alloy sump guards. They are not air bag compliant though.

ATM, SubaXtreme are the only manufacturer that has an air bag compliance certificate, AFAIK.

Using a sump guard that is not air bag compliant makes your vehicle technically (i.e. legally) un-roadworthy. This could have the effect of voiding both your third party personal injury insurance and your comprehensive insurance (etc).

Your decision, but make it knowing the possible consequences.

 

[Fazed]

If you are in Victoria, there is a bloke at Vic Subarus who makes plate alloy sump guards. They are not air bag compliant though.

ATM, SubaXtreme are the only manufacturer that has an air bag compliance certificate, AFAIK.

Using a sump guard that is not air bag compliant makes your vehicle technically (i.e. legally) un-roadworthy. This could have the effect of voiding both your third party personal injury insurance and your comprehensive insurance (etc).

Your decision, but make it knowing the possible consequences.

But it really pains me to support a business that is a blatant rip off.

 

[Rally]

I don't think Subaxtreme are a rip off. Their bullbars appear well made, as do some of their other products. Perhaps the need to comply with airbag compatibility limits what they can offer, although they should advise their customers of their products limitations. Their sump guards are no good in rocky off road situations, but they would be ok for very light duty stuff where they would at least be better than nothing. One option for pressed aluminium sump guards could be to have some form of breakaway attachment, but that would be difficult when you consider how similar an accident would be to a grounding.

 

[Ratbag]

^ and ^^ I intend to have some aluminium bar reinforcing welded onto mine before Ross gets to see it.

Rally, I have the pics you posted of the damage to yours to guide me as to where they should be. That damage aligns with what I saw as the weak points in the design originally.

Fazed, I have been down the same path as you. I am not prepared to sacrifice the air bag compliance for a better product for protecting my sump. However, as Rally has said, I really need this for accidental contact, rather than as a matter of course. If it saves my sump once, then needs repair/replacement, it is worth every cent IMO.

 

[crazydave]

Ratbag,

if want an airbag complying sump guard how are you going to modify it and maintain the compliance- everything I have seen has stickers on it that says a you modify this bit of kit all bets are off therefore it is no longer air bag complying.



Also I would not weld anything to thin cast aluminium –The casting that thin will have porosity in it –“centre line shrinkage” if you weld to that if you don’t blow a hole in it you will end up with a weak point in the heat effected zone of the weld.

 

[Ratbag]

Thanks, Dave, but the SubaXtreme guards are weldable grade aluminium.

I'm not planning anything like 20x5 ... :iconwink:.
Just some light bar to contribute some tensile strength along the weaker nodes. Probably a square of bar that's pre-welded, then tack this at short intervals to spread the fracture loads a bit.

I won't be doing the welding. I can't weld aluminium, for starters ... :lol:.

As for the air bag compliance - I agree with NL that this is almost certainly just a diversion. They make an air bag compliant bumper that modifies the crumple rates and strength of the car very considerably, so I cannot see any kind of sump guard having this kind of effect, even if it were made of 5 mm steel plate!