[bmschreier]

Hi All,
I just installed my new 3/16" skid plate, and was admiring how cool it looked when I noticed that I was having trouble fitting under my car. I measured the ground clearance at the back of the skid plate (lowest point) and it was only 5.5"!! It looks like the skid plate should only take it down an inch or so...could there be other reasons my ground clearance isn't very good? Bad struts? I thought SFs were supposed to have 8"+??

Thanks,
B
2000 Forester S MT 115k

 

[Kevin]

saggy springs?

 

[Unclviny]

I had to add spacers to my Primtive 3/16" plate on the 2009 X, I added 10mm's up front and 20mm in back.

Unclviny

 

[bmschreier]

I had to add spacers to my Primtive 3/16" plate on the 2009 X, I added 10mm's up front and 20mm in back.

Unclviny

Is that to get the skid plate to lay horizontally? Mine angles down quite a bit from front to back, and that is why it sticks down so much in the back. To get less of an angle though I would need to add spacers to the front and not the back. Maybe I'll try that...

 

[bmschreier]

saggy springs?

what are the other signs of weak springs? How can you tell the difference between that and bad struts?

 

[Blue Fox]

What's your ground clearance before the skid plate went on?

The older SF & SG Foz's are supposed to be 7 - 7.5". The 09+ models have 8.9 inches.

 

[Unclviny]

Is that to get the skid plate to lay horizontally? Mine angles down quite a bit from front to back, and that is why it sticks down so much in the back. To get less of an angle though I would need to add spacers to the front and not the back. Maybe I'll try that...

That was to keep it level while getting it off the paint on the front edge (it sits "too high" and rubs a line in the paint on the bumper).

Unclviny

 

[bmschreier]

What's your ground clearance before the skid plate went on?

The older SF & SG Foz's are supposed to be 7 - 7.5". The 09+ models have 8.9 inches.

It's about 6.5" at the exhaust manifold...probably 7" at the jack plate.

 

[Kevin]

what are the other signs of weak springs? How can you tell the difference between that and bad struts?

Unless you have self leveling suspension (rear only), the struts won't make any difference to your static height; it's the springs that hold you up. Struts (read shock absorbers) control the springs. The sign of a bad strut is if the vehicle bounces on the springs too much i.e. the spring is not being controlled / dampened by the shockie - or - the vehicle doesn't bounce at all if the strut is seized.