2017 BRZ trunk hard to close?

[Grady]

Originally Posted by humfrz

26 posts commenting on shutting the trunk lid on a car.





humfrz

Yours was 27.

Now we should be at 29

[wild03]

I was able to look at the latch today and this is what I found.

First picture shows the angle of the bumper, As you can see the angle is less than ideal. the trunk doesn't strike it head on and you can see how the rubber is being deformed after only a few months. it won't take long before it breaks off, as I can already see a crack in the part of the rubber that goes thru the hole.



This next picture shows the shim in place, I used a strip of 2.4mm aluminum sheet.



This picture shows the new angle with the shim in place. I also rotated the rubber bumper 180 degrees to provide a new stricking surface.



This last picture shows the latch in place.
the trunk now closes much easier. So I'm happy with the results.

[BRZ616]

I had this happen to mine. Some how the latch on the trunk got little bent and made my trunk hard to close.

[dhuang]

Originally Posted by wild03

I was able to look at the latch today and this is what I found...

My striker plate (along with the trunk latch) got replaced by Subaru under warranty because the rubber bumper split and broke... now my replacement striker plate rubber is starting to split again.

I'm totally doing this fix -- any additional info on how to form the aluminum shim?

[Guest]

Also have a 17 that had a trunk with aluminum wing on it. Replaced with a Seibon CSL style CF one and the stiffer shocks on the 17's made it extremely difficult to latch. Had to slam it so hard the taillight chipped some paint off the bumper cover. Swapped shocks with a local '15 BRZ owner who I sold the trunk to, much better.

[wild03]

Originally Posted by dhuang

My striker plate (along with the trunk latch) got replaced by Subaru under warranty because the rubber bumper split and broke... now my replacement striker plate rubber is starting to split again.

I'm totally doing this fix -- any additional info on how to form the aluminum shim?

Well, I just took some aluminum sheet i had laying around and cut it using a metal shear hand cutter, about 2.5cm (1 inch) long and 2mm wide (1/16") the idea is to have it long enough to wrap it around the post and as wide as the post. Then bend it using a vise and various hand tools, hammer, pliers,..

You can try other metals, like copper if you have copper pipes. the idea is to have a shim thick enough to correct the angle, mine was 2.4mm thick, but could probably be thicker but not too thick as to cause the arm to sit too low.

5 min epoxy might work. 3d printed plug

One thing I forgot to try is to operate the trunk without the spring on that latch bumper installed.... It would be interesting to see how much that bumper contributes to the issue vs the bumpers on the corners of the trunk lid.

Let me know if you have any other questions and if anyone else comes up with a simpler fix. (That does not involve slamming it harder )


In any case, as you can see from the first picture, the design is less than ideal, with that angle. What were they thinking?

[wild03]

Quick update after a few days of using it, I'm liking how trunk behaves now. I just grab it by the tag and swing it down, letting it go for about 8 inches from the bottom. it continues to travel down by itself and closes without bouncing back up like before. Before, i would have to hold the trunk all the way down until it locked.

[Brz_racer]

Either that or replace the latch if you really think it's an issue.

Originally Posted by humfrz

Maybe adjust the trunk latch -


humfrz

[dhuang]

Used 1/4" ID vinyl tubing to form my "shim"

I'll see how well it holds up, as I tend to use the trunk a few times a day.

[Ultramaroon]

It looks as though the assembly was designed for some sort of device to fit over that tab and then they decided that it wouldn't be a showstopper to drop it. Happens all the time.

[dhuang]

Vinyl tubing started hardening & cracking in colder temps, so I switched to a zip tie.

[JD001]

No problems with my boot... Actually, I have to remind my wife not to slam it.. there's no weight in it.. light as feather.....

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by JD001

No problems with my boot... Actually, I have to remind my wife not to slam it.. there's no weight in it.. light as feather.....

Same as mine. I've always been irritated by angle of that lift arm. I'll stick a felt pad in there the next time I'm tinkering around the area.

[dhuang]

Must be a '17+ issue, because my '13 didn't have this issue either.