I was getting ready to mount my rear spoiler on my SX/4 when I noticed these bumps on the underside:
(http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk14/priyalynn/DSCF1375.jpg)
I was thinking that when the hatch slams shut these bumps will possibly damage the paint on the hatch and start it rusting underneath the spoiler. I was thinking of putting something on the bumps before mounting the spoiler, rubber strips or some such thing. Those of you who've mounted a spoiler did you use anything to cushion the hatch paint from the spoiler? Does anyone know if the factory used some sort of cushion?
Try putting some grease or somthing to sort of blueprint it to verify if it touches. just my ยข.02.
They WILL touch, those are there to stand off the spoiler slightly & keep the whole perimeter from rubbing, they also give clearance for the rear window seal at the base of the window to slip under the lip of the spoiler. I was just cleaning my SX4 up in that area today and noticed this issue...
Hmmmmm, what about a dab of that liquid rubber stuff you can dip tool handles in ?? Mine has bumps too, thought it was to let water run under it and out ??Never thought about the clearance for the hatch rubber, good point.
All of my SX4's collect rain water in the spoiler and then dump it out when you open the liftgate, splashing me and the contents of the trunk. I'm interested in the solution you figure out.
My plan is to fill the void space with low expansion foam. I would shave the foam down by hand until it was as snug as possible against the surface of the hatch. I could then use gasket maker or similar sealer to fill in the rough surface of the foam, letting it squeeze out and set against the surface of the hatch.
Quote from: captspillane on April 18, 2012, 12:47:11 PM
All of my SX4's collect rain water in the spoiler and then dump it out when you open the liftgate, splashing me and the contents of the trunk.
I wasn't aware that was a problem, thanks for telling me. I'll try to figure something out.
Here is what I would do.
Go to a ski shop that has been around forever and see if they have any old stock AFD replacements kicking around (anti friction device). These are teflon pads that are 2" x 1.5" and a few mm thick and have a sticky tape backing. Cut them up and after test marking the contact points with chalk then stick them to the paint. This could also solve the water issue in the void by leaving a slight gap for the water to escape. This would also stop any noise that may happen because of the contact of those bumps.
Option B: Get your hands on some replacement computer mouse teflon pads and do the same thing.
And yes I can see the rust stains on those bumps in the pictures.