Fitting XV Genuine Splashguards

[olliesgrandad]

These come nicely packaged but without written instruction.

All can be fitted quickly without removing any wheels. A 5mm combination spanner will aid this , also a Philips screwdriver. A pai rof pliers and a flat bladed screwdriver may also help.

Front Pair.

These are the trickiest.

In the kit besides the splash shields you will find 4x 5mm headed bolts, 4 washers, 4 plastic coated threaded spring clips. 2 x grey plastic push in plugs.

Offer the 1^st splash guard up and you will see where the holes in it are there are 2 plastic plugs holding the plastic wheel arch liner in position. These must be removed. Try holding the outer edge still while !Removed! the centre Phillips cross anticlockwise. If this doesn’t work break them out as they aren’t required.

When both plugs are removed you need.to pull the wheel arch lining out of the way so you can insert the 2 clips over the edge of the wing panel (Flat side facing out ) engage  the into the holes in the wing panel.

Now carefully  put the wheel arch liner back into position without moving the clips.

Once in place use a very small screwdriver to ensure the holes line up so you can insert the small bolts.

Under the sill you will find another plastic plug which lines up with the hole underneath the splash guard. Remove /break this out and you’re now good to go for fitting the unit into place

Place a washer on each of the bolts and then offer up the splashguard locating it in position. Fit the 2 bolts into the clips on the inner wing tightening them up with either a Phillips screwdriver or the small spanner.

When nearly tight check the hole underneath the splashguard to ensure it is clear for you to insert the grey plug.

Then fully tighten the bolts and push the grey plug in by hand into the underneath of the unit.

Repeat on the other side and congratulate yourself as the worst is now over.

 

Rear pair

Similar components ( Black Plugs instead of Grey) but now much easier as nothing has to be forced off the car.

Prepare the bolts as previously, but this time the clips can be easily slipped into place without any problem as the holes are already there and good to go without pulling anything out of the way. Fit the splashguards as before, but in this case because you can’t turn the wheels out of the way either a small socket with a 5mm head or as I did use a small combination spanner.

Once secured in place you now have 2 black plastic plugs to use (one for each side). Underneath the sill the holes are already there for use. Push the plugs in and the job is complete.

Now stand back and admire!

[Justin Time]

Great set of instructions Olliesgrandad.  Thanks for posting.

I did mine too on the OutBack and the only extra bit of advice I would add, was that putting a full lock on the front wheels so they turn to allow more hand space, really helped. 

The other thing i found confusing is that there is a really great guide for the OB mudflaps on Youtube USA Mudflaps fitting on an OB BUT!!! the US flaps are obviously different from the UK/European ones and need to be drilled (on the front pair only) from below the sills - upwards.  It took me a while to work out what was wrong and that the UK set need to be 'drilled' from within the wheel arch.  Don't panic!!!  if you can't get a drill into this space between the tyre and the wheelarch or/and you're worried about drilling into the bodywork - you're not going to be touching the bodywork at all.  You're only drilling through the new plastic mudflaps to make a small hole for the fitting, and in fact you don't even need a drill,  just a sharp braddle or similar to make a hole in the plastic will do it and then bore it out a bit more so the screw fits through.

Can't believe why Subaru make the whole (hole - excuse pun) process so complicated! It was a 10 min job, front and rears, on the old Skoda.