v5/6 bumper upgrade

[runrabbit]

i\'m upgrading my v4 bumper to a v5/6.

have removed the old bumper but have noticed some differences when test fitting the v5/6.

the v4 bumper has a thin, vertical metal brace on the inside of each end that allows two points of contact with other parts of the car. However, these braces will not fit correctly on the v5/6 bumper without minor modification to the bumper (easily done).

But it raised the question of how an original v5/6 bumper is attached. If oem is without the brace, would there only be one point of contact on the top corner to secure the bumper?

Also, the splash guards, and plastic air channels which direct air to cool the brakes will not fit the v5/6 bumper. Not an issue as all unseen under the car.

I had assumed all the extra parts would have been retained from the v4 when upgrading the bumper. :

can anyone shed some light on this.

Cheers.

[ADIKT]

Subscribing as I will be doing mine soon

[hijacka]

you don\'t use the metal support bracket when installing v5/v6 bumper.

[Guest]

Pic of said brackety thingymabobs?

[loner]

It\'s only attached at the top corners... no bottom corner bolts... the bolts at the front (top and bottom and behind license plate) hold it rigid.

[hijacka]

 evowrx said:

Pic of said brackety thingymabobs?

[GC8E2DD]

Hrm, I thought he was talking about the two vertical brackets on a V4 bumper that sit just ahead of the wheel arch on each side.

[Guest]

 GC8E2DD said:

Hrm, I thought he was talking about the two vertical brackets on a V4 bumper that sit just ahead of the wheel arch on each side.

Yea pic of those. That bar looks way different to V5/6. V5 have the 5 holes across the top for the mushroom clips, 1 each end, 1 each side just under the spotlight holeish area iirc. Cant remember the one in the middle but been a while since I cut it up for fmic.

[hijacka]

Right got cha.. I don\'t have them on my one, will see what the other bumper has when it arrives hopefully this week,

The bolt under the license plate doesn\'t reach, im sure there is a small bolt on bracket ive been meaning to make one up as mine doesn\'t reach anyway.

atm mines only held in by the lung right around the top and each side of the gaurds by a 12mm bolt and large washers so it doesn\'t slip out

[runrabbit]

 GC8E2DD']

Hrm, I thought he was talking about the two vertical brackets on a V4 bumper that sit just ahead of the wheel arch on each side.

GC8E2DD is correct - those are the brackets I\'m referring to.

It\'s only attached at the top corners... no bottom corner bolts... the bolts at the front (top and bottom and behind license plate) hold it rigid.

Loner - Thanks for the input.

[quote name='GC8E2DD said:

Hrm, I thought he was talking about the two vertical brackets on a V4 bumper that sit just ahead of the wheel arch on each side.

/quote]

Yea pic of those. That bar looks way different to V5/6. V5 have the 5 holes across the top for the mushroom clips, 1 each end, 1 each side just under the spotlight holeish area iirc. Cant remember the one in the middle but been a while since I cut it up for fmic.

evowrx - Correct, the V5/6 does have only 5 drilled holes across the top as you describe. (The V4 had 9!). Plus, 2 for the licence plate, 2 underneath the car. 2 top corner bolts in the wheel arch, and another 2 points of contact on the vertical braces which attach to the frame. I\'ll try to post up a pic of the braces and bumper differences tonight.

I am surprised there are less contact points for the V5/6. Perhaps the V4 was over engineered, or a bit of cost saving by Subaru.

[GC8E2DD]

I figured the side brackets were to stop your brake ducting getting crushed in a bump. (If you were to attach brake ducting to the two plastic conduits)

Maybe they took them out to make it softer for pedestrians you crash into?

[runrabbit]

V4 bumper brace.

This will not fit the V5/6 bumper due to the moulded plastic fin (where the bottom of the brace attaches to the bumper) is cut differently. Previous posts on this thread suggest this brace is not standard/needed for the V5/6 upgrade.

[Trent]

Wow out of the 8 different gcs ive owned none of them ahave had that brace as shown above ???

[Timmah]

 Trent said:

Wow out of the 8 different gcs ive owned none of them ahave had that brace as shown above ???

When Hijacka and I swapped my bumper for a V6, we didn\'t encounter that issue.

[runrabbit]

 Trent said:

Wow out of the 8 different gcs ive owned none of them ahave had that brace as shown above ???

i went to pick a part on the weekend. Saw two impreza\'s there with the bumper corner brace. So it is a legit thing it seems. Phew .. thought my car was some sort of orphan-hybrid.

New v5/6 installed. And it looks purrty.