Subaru Crosstrek - Rallitek Skidplate Saved My A**

2019 Subaru Crosstrek - Damaged my Rallitek transmission skid plate on a rock while on an easy trail in Colorado. It was bent up and rattling against the exhaust. In this video, I share my DIY process for beating the skid plate back into shape to make it trail worthy for the next adventure.
Really glad I had some armor underneath the car. To me it's one of those "better to have and not need than to need and not have" items. And I'm very glad I had it this time!

[@nikeroach]

Because of this video before even installing my skid plates I took my Dremel and cut away at that exhaust pipe hole area to make it larger so itll have more clearance. thanks

[@TomtheDilettante]

Nice work! Hope it turned out well!

[@nikeroach]

Yes so I ended up keeping my stock skid plate and simply cutting the middle out so that the side areas are still covered and it's in place along with the rallitek skid plate looks pretty good painted the front of it black so you don't really see it too much I had the transmission plate installed but honestly with the stock setup it kind of hung too low for me it took away quite a bit of ground clearance as where I don't think I'll be driving over anything that would require that to be there for now so I'll keep the plate around in case I plan on doing some off-roading but I think that the engine one should be good enough for now for me and with the plastic ones still along the sides it should keep the engine bay fairly clean too. thanks for your videos. def makes it easier seeing tht first

[@deanc.5984]

Ralitek or primitiveRacing skidplates, they both seem good.

[@TomtheDilettante]

I've heard more positive things from the PrimitiveRacing kit but only have personal experience with the Rallitek.

[@chrisnesbit6823]

I also have the RalliTek engine and transmission skid plates. Had a similar issue after doing some Christmas tree hunting in the snow here in NM this past December. Engine plate got pushed up driving in deeper snow. So happy with the RalliTek plates. Just wish they had the diff plate and rock sliders. I went with the Crawford diff guard, which has awesome coverage. Looking into others for rock sliders, I've learned that you really need to make sure they are compatible... Keep waiting for RalliTek to release the 2018+ Crosstrek rock sliders they showed on the Warn SEMA model. As Michael at Overland Bound says, "Sliders before lights." Got my lights and some underbody protection, but the pinch welds are still a weak point.

[@TomtheDilettante]

Yeah, sliders would be nice. I wish I had a tube bender LOL. Not too many options out there, and the ones that are out there are quite expensive. Haven't found myself in a spot where I was at risk of scraping my sides against anything, but it would be nice to have that peace of mind. If I find anything, I'll definitely post it on the channel :) If you beat me to it, I'd love to hear your experience. Have a good one!

[@Embarrassed4U]

Not really worth the weight or cost unless you're regularly sliding around boulders

[@mattk.5258]

The Primitive racing skids are 3/16, you might check them out.

[@TomtheDilettante]

Yeah I went with them for the rear gearbox cover and was very impressed with their quality. Looking forward to getting more from them in the future. Thanks for watching!

[@batteryacids]

@@TomtheDilettante Front to back PR FTW! B)

[@Embarrassed4U]

Primitive plates are impressive

[@rwilcox_71]

My thoughts exactly...when in doubt, bigger hammer! Nice work! Btw, I ordered Rallitek Coil Springs for my 2021 Crosstrek Sport. Overload ones for the rear and stiffer ones up front. Going to install this weekend. Thanks for posting and good luck out there!

[@TomtheDilettante]

Yup...BFH for the win! Thanks again for watching! I have Rallitek springs (parts below) in addition to the LP Aventure lift kit and I'm very happy with them. I'm jealous of your '21 Crosstrek and it's bigger engine / more horsepower! My '19 2.0 felt like a 3-legged dog running up an icy hill at high elevation and fully laden with camp gear. Good luck with the install! Would love to see some pics! :) These are the springs I'm running at the moment: RTEK-830-912-180 RalliTEK 1" Front Raised Springs - Crosstrek XV 2018-2020 RTEK-830-922-220 RalliTEK 1" Rear Raised Springs - Crosstrek XV 2018-2020

[@rwilcox_71]

@@TomtheDilettante I'm jealous of you! You are really getting out there and adventuring proper like! The most my little Trek will ever see is some tame campgrounds and weekend trips to big box parking lots! Still, after our last camping trip, I noticed heavy butt sag with a fully loaded car for my wife and two girls. I have a hitch carrier as well as a small roof basket. I looked into things and thought I'd start with the coil springs. I may lift it later down the road if I feel I need more but hopefully this should do it. I don't ever plan on off-roading the likes of which you're doing so this may be the furthest I go with this. Anyhow, good luck on your further adventures and will enjoy tuning in to see what you're cooking up! Take care!

[@rwilcox_71]

@@TomtheDilettante Quick question for you. I am about to replace the coil springs. When reinstalling the top strut nut, did you try to match the amount of thread you saw on the original coil? Does that matter as long as it grabs enough?

[@TomtheDilettante]

@@rwilcox_71 Hey there! If I'm understanding what you're doing correctly, changing the springs shouldn't affect the amount of strut engagement you have at your disposal. The strut should extend / travel enough so that it engages the top hat like it did with the OEM springs. When I changed out my springs, I honestly didn't give it a 2nd thought. The strut extended in the spring / strut assembly without any gaps, and I just let the torque specs do the rest. I'd have to look up the torque again, but my general rule of thumb is that if everything engages as expected and you can torque to spec, you should be good to go. It cant hurt to count exposed threads before and after to see if anything changed dramatically and to use as a red flag. Please keep in mind, I use to work as a mechanic apprentice, but I was under supervision and never ASE certified. Even then it was not doing aftermarket modifications. What I do now is mostly self-taught and I assume the risk for anything I might not do right. Sorry, I just feel compelled to add that disclaimer :) That being said, please feel free to share some pics of before and after, and I'll be happy to chime in and help where I can. I'll take some pics of my current strut setup as well with Rallitek lift springs to share as a reference.

[@TomtheDilettante]

@@rwilcox_71 Followup: I just asked my mechanical engineer friend and he offered the following: "Generally speaking, the minimum length of engagement should be 1.5 - 2 times the thread diameter. Generally shoot for 2 times". Hope that helps a bit too.

[@fabslyrics]

lovely subaru

[@TomtheDilettante]

Thanks! It's a constant work in progress but that's what makes it fun right? :P

[@dlim1984]

BFH indeed! Curious, how heavy/light is the skid plate? By the looks of how you're able to work with it, looks light?

[@TomtheDilettante]

Hey there! The skid plate is pretty light. It's about 3/16" or 1/4" aluminum so easy to lift and move around. The downside, as you saw, compared to steel is that its pliable. But, it did the job and I think it was a good choice over steel which would probably weigh quite a bit. I'd say the thing weighs no more than 15 pounds (guessing). Thanks for watching!

[@dlim1984]

@@TomtheDilettante cool, appreciate the response! Happy New Year

[@noir1]

Tom, did you rust proof your crosstrek?

[@rodh2168]

Thanks for this vid Tom. My long time motto: never use force...just get a bigger hammer. Did I see your puppy only has 3 legs? He seems to get around OK.

[@TomtheDilettante]

Good eye. Yes, that's Haley. She had cancer and her best chance meant amputating her leg. Broke our hearts to do it but dogs are such stoic creatures. She gets around and plays like normal. Doc gave her 18 months to live after the procedure. That was 6 years ago ;-)

[@rodh2168]

@@TomtheDilettante My very best wishes to Haley.

[@troywargo9882]

Nice job.... get that spare tire off the roof get a RIGd ULTRASWING!

[@TomtheDilettante]

Ha. Would love to. Need more cash $$$ :-)

[@troywargo9882]

@@TomtheDilettante if it's any consolation I don't have one of mine either because yes they are very expensive.

[@ottomatic7823]

I replayed at 3:20 several times. It's like one of those strangely satisfying videos. Seeing the plate bounce back! I'm just considering buying a 2023 Outback so I'm taking in all information that I can find. Thanks for the channel. As a former Colorado resident for over 60 years I finally left the state. It's turned into a Socialist Craphole.

[@fabslyrics]

lift kit? , skid plate ? or both :)

[@TomtheDilettante]

have both, and I suppose both saved my butt. The skid plate has taken its fair share of blows so I'm definitely glad I got it :)