Hey all,

 

Well, a few months back I noticed my front skid plate was hanging a bit, somehow a bolt had come out (probably from an oil change), I told myself not to forget, then I did. The memory came back while rolling down a dirt road that crosses a small stream in Chiricauhua NP in Arizona... the hanging bit of the skid plate caught on a rock, folded back, and snapped off.

 

So I had it replaced in early October... the whole skid plate... 90 bucks.

 

Today I'm in the line at Wendy's and this guy pulls up alongside me to tell me I've got crap hanging from the bottom of my car. You guessed it, a shattered front skid plate.

 

I had service done 2 weeks ago, and since then I've done some rough-roading. I traveled over a little bit of desert brush, but nothing too serious...

 

However, looking underneath today, I noticed something I hadn't before. It almost looks like the new skid plate doesn't fit properly, and it was jury-rigged to the frame using these L-brace things... creating a 1" hang in the front of the car... no wonder the brush just peeled it off like a lid!

 

I've attached a photo with annotations made. Besides the obvious damage, does this rig look a bit odd to any of you other (2000) Outback owners? If so, then I have a bone to pick with Crawford Import Center of El Paso. If this looks normal, then perhaps I need to take it easy off-road or think about getting an aftermarket, aluminum skid plate.

 

http://www.vtphoto.com/tmp/skidplate.JPG

 

Thanks!

-Mike

Don't mean to burst your bubble, but that is not a skid plate. Its a splash sheild, keeps water and crup from flying up into your engine bay, and it will do nothing for rocks and large, hard things like that because it is made of plastic. If you tend park over curbs and scrape it, then that could mess it up.

Aluminum skid plates are on sale now:

http://www.ipdusa.com/ProductsCat.aspx?CategoryID=1672&NodeID=5262&RootID=1414

Don't mean to burst your bubble, but that is not a skid plate. Its a splash sheild

Pop goes my bubble. Is a real skid plate an upgrade to a splash shield (ie, performs the same role, only further protects from rocks, etc)?

 

Forgive my ignorance!

 

Either way, does it appear to be mounted incorrectly?

The skid plate would do the same thing as a splash sheild, but not on purpose, mostly for keeping sharp/hard/pokey things out of your oil pan, etc. Yours does look to be mounted incorrectly, but I would suggest Primitive Racing skip plates because they go back farther than the IPD ones (The IPD plates are wider however).

 

http://www.writerguy.com/primitive/skid.htm

Look at the WRX plate

Aluminum skid plates are on sale now:

http://www.ipdusa.com/ProductsCat.aspx?CategoryID=1672&NodeID=5262&RootID=1414

I would be very interested. The stock plastic on my 2000 Legacy is mostly gone.

Do you have one installed? Any pictures hosted online?

What about oil changes, do you have to remove it for service?

Thanks!

The only plate I have is the factory one on my 84 wagon. I take that off for oil changes and I listed a link that shows the Primitive Racing plates installed on cars.

It looks to me like you have beat the #*!! out of your skid plate. It appears to be folded back and bent.

 

I'd get an alumimum skid plate and take it easier off-road. Any time anything but your tires touch the ground.....it's bad!

 

Have you thought about lifting this a bit higher to keep it out of harms way???

 

I go slow and walk around problem areas...

Glenn

82 SubaruHummer....mother of all skid plates installed.

01 Forester...."skid plate" removed.

The only plate I have is the factory one on my 84 wagon. I take that off for oil changes and I listed a link that shows the Primitive Racing plates installed on cars.

Yes, I saw that, look like a pain during oil changes, this is why I inquired about IDP plates.

I had an ipd skid plate on my previous Volvo 850. The way it was made protected all the vital components, but allowing access holes to get to oil filters, drain plugs, and etc. So for that car, I didn't have to remove the entire thing to do a 15 minute oil change. I bet if you call them up, they might be able to answer your question about accessibility. When you find out, let us know...I'd be interested if I didn't have to remove stuff to get at maintenance items.

This is the Aussie version from SubaXtreme, they will export to the USA too.

 

P.S. This version is Airbag approved too, so be sure to check out your suppliers Safety Approval Rating too.