Hi everyone,
I have been lurking on this forum ever since I picked up a 1996 xlt awd Aerostar last September 2011 for winter duty. After one winter with the Aerostar I now look forward to the snow and driving the Aerostar when my other car is in storage. Anyways...I am wondering if anybody can recommend a brand /model of mud gaurd or flaps that are easy to install and fit on my 1996 awd xlt extended model (lots of ice and snow buildup here in Wisconsin) I'm looking to save the rockers and rear bumper as much as possible. I woul ideally like to mount a set both front and rear. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

 

Pretty much any medium size universal flat flap will work. But if you are super picky, there are some OEM Aerostar flaps out there in dealer inventories.

 

Check eBay. I picked some NOS (new,old stock) Ford flaps there a year or two ago. Nice, easy to install and had the Aerostar logo on them. I put mine on for similar reasons. Tired of getting a lot of dangling snow pack build up around the rear bumper that was pulling my tow hitch wiring loose. Flaps were a big improvement for the rear and the fronts significantly cut down the amount of road grit that was finding its way into the frame members and rocker panels. It is amazing how much fine dirt/grit gets into those rocker panels.

On edit: here is a pair of front ones that are sold but they are still available and it gives you an idea of what they look like.http://www.ebay.com/itm/SPLASH-GUARD...-/170909945637

 

I would also spray rustolem rush converter on the underside of the rocker panels and make sure all those plugs under it are in the holes.

 

What causes rust int he rocker panels is water that gets trapped inside. Spraying anything on the rocker panels or making sure the plugs in will do nothing for that.

To prevent them from rusting you need to:

1: Make sure that anyone who puts the vehicle on a 2 post lift does not let the arms pinch or damage the rocker panels. This prevents the water from draining out and damages the panels so that rust can get started. If your rocker panels are undamaged, take a picture of it, and hold any repair shop that damages them liable to repair them.

2: Have a shop spray a rust inhibitor inside the rocker panels through the rubber plugs (thats what they are there for). This will seal the panel from the inside and inhibit rust from getting started.

Mud flaps will do little to prevent rust, they are pretty much just cosmetic. I personally prefer the look of them, and they do help prevent you from throwing rocks at other cars.

 

Unfortunately there is already rust which I have sprayed with rust converter, covered with aluminum tape, and then painted to match. I call it "quick and dirty" bodywork, but it looks halfway decent. The mud guards are just for added protection. I was able to locate genuine aerostar splash guards online but they seem a bit expensive if they come only one to a package. Any tips on mounting the rear mud guard? The space behind the rear wheels looks quite different than the front as far as mounting options. And thanks for the replies everybody

 

OEM front and rear flaps both requiring drilling the fender lips (1/8") and mounting with pan head screws. About 4 or 5 screws per flap. There are no directions included. Park on a flat surface. Put your top screw in first then stand back behind and eyeball the flap as you move it in/out to get it to sit level compared with the ground. If you just start drilling and using the fender lip as the guide, you'll wind up with funnly looking bowed out flaps.

I'm surprised the ones you located come as singles. I'll always seen the OEM Aerostar as a pair.

For the what its worth section: These OEM flaps are fashioned from tough vinyl but they are rather thin. Thin enough to bend backward from the airflow at highway speed. The result is the rear flap near the tailpipe can bend far enough to contact the hot tailpipe. After time, you will have a melted area in the middle. When I replaced my exhaust system, the aftermarket TP was slightly shorter than the original, bringing the TP even closer to the flap. I riveted a 2" x 6" piece of galvanized sheet metal to the middle of the flap where it would contact the TP. Works well so far.