08+ WRX side skirt problems?

Iboc_C64

Iboc_C64

New member
Hey all. I just had my winter tires put on yesterday and I looked the car over while it was up on the lift. I noticed that the Side Skirt on the drivers side had a big crack in it about 2/3 of the way around starting at the bottom inside and leading to the side of the side skirt where it will be visible if it cracks any further.
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The back of my side skirt has been popping off and leaving a gap and I think the crack is the reason. I also noticed that the other side is developing a similar crack in the side skirts. I also took note of the poor design of these skirts, leaving approximately a 2.5" by 1.5" trapazoidal shaped hole where debris from the road had be deposited. I dont really know what happened, but based on how it looks and its location about 4" or so ahead of the back of the skirts, I figure that some mud or slush got in there, then froze and expanded causing the crack. Does anyone else have this problem? Does anyone know of a good product to glue or "weld" the plastic together before it cracks to a visible area? Lastly, are there any products like splash gaurds or something that would protect against this?

 
Never noticed my side skirts coming off at all. Only time it ever happened, was because I jacked the car (its low) with the jack not straight on to the car, and the jack arm grabbed the underside of the skirt. Popped out one clip, but I snapped it right back together no problems. I run Rally Armor UR flaps to keep crap from slinging back and dinging up my pain job with wider summer and winter tires. Should work well at keeping your skirts clear.

 
Sorry Nate, thanks for the advice but the problems are not behind the front wheels, the problem is in front of the rear wheels. I too have had side skirts pop off from jacking up the car and its never been a problem, you just pop em back on. I also have Rally Armor UR flaps. I was hoping maybe subaru or someone sold splash guards for in front of the rear wheels where there is currently no protection. I see subaru sells "splash gaurds", but I think that's just Subarus way of saying "almost mud flaps". Ugh, why oh why does the wierd sh*t always have to happen to me?

 
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I have seen no such thing for our cars. The factory "splash guards" are basically mud-flaps for the cars that don't come equipped with side skirts. Only protective items I've ever seen from Subaru are stick on rock guard type decals that are coming on the newer model WRX's. But those are to only protect the paint and nothing more. The new ones come with the decals added to the skirt near the rear wheel, and also on the flared section of the door/rear quarter.

Maybe try not beating the living poop out of it?????

 
Well, I suppose that could be the problem, but i ussually drive on pavement. Im also at 42,500 miles and still have about 50% of my brake life left, so I couldn't be driving it that hard. Maybe 3% of the time that I drive is on dirt. I really think it had something to do with ice because it looks like it broke from the inside out. If I can remember to take some pics next time I wash it then I will. Its not really that big a deal I suppose and I doubt that the 100,000 mile bumper to bumper I paid for covers it. I supposed somewhere along the way it may have seen some excessive debris kicked up because I drive it in every road condition the Maine weather can throw and Chesterville doesn't use road salt as much as they use gravel & sand mixture and some of it is greater than 1" in diameter. I slightly dinged my own windshield last winter from debris thrown off the driverside front wheel while rounding a sharp corner due to Chesterville gravel.

I also noticed at the same time as the crack, that my front passenger Rally Armor UR mudflaps were falling off because its mounting screws were losening. That may have been due to subwoofer vibrations though. Thanks for the advice Nate, its always appreciated.
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I realized another possible cause for both the sideskirt issue and the loosening mud flap. The loosened flap was likely due to the deer I hit in april. It probably affected that flap as it impacted the bumper and fender ahead of it and the body shop may not have properly tightened the screws after changing the fender. The Side Skirt issue is located near the bulge at the rear of the skirt near the rear jacking locations, so if a mechanic I used might have used a lift with a large contact surface, it could have crushed the bulge in the skirt, causing this crack.

 
Yeah, I think so too. It only pops off when I have it put up on a lift.

 
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