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OK. So this is a totally random topic. Mudflaps....
I've been scouring the internets in search of mudflaps for my F450. I have found them in all shapes, sizes, and composition. There are small ones, large ones, and really huge ones. Plastic and rubber. And i mean heavy rubber. Prices are all over the place, too. From the absurdly inexpensive ones, to the equally absurdly expensive. Now, I realize that all of my comments are very subjective, as everyone has their preference of shape, size, composition, and price.
I think I prefer them to be pretty basic. Not too flashy. But I do like them well made. And, I don't mind paying a premium if they meet my needs. So what are my needs? Simple. They must do what they are designed to do...protect my F450 Lariat, and my Grand Design Momentum Toy Hauler from road debris.
I thinkI prefer the solid rubber kind, but again, they do appear to be very heavy. And, I kind of like the rubber ones with the Ford logo (is that flashy?). Which (finally) brings me to my question: What mudflaps do you have on your truck? Would you recommend them, and would you mind sharing where you purchased them from?
I have Gator Backs and really like them. I got mine from a member here that didn't want them so they were quite a bit cheaper than normal. They are time consuming to install but are worth it. In the past I've had the plastic molded guards and they look good but never really hangdown far enough to do much.
I put Gatorbacks on my F-450 with the black Ford ovals and used all their mounting kits. Bought from Sharp Truck on a black Friday sale so that softened the price blow. They gave me a $50 certificate for over $500 purchase on top of it. They are heavy and the rears were a PITA to get installed, but I'm sure they would tear the rear fender off before they came loose and they look really nice. They sit up high enough I don't have to worry about dragging them over a curb backing into a parking spot or backing over them in the snow. Pictures of the Gatorbacks loaded, unloaded, and curb comparison.
That being said if I were to do it again I think I would try out Dura Flaps. They were in the running as well when I bought mine. The extra width you can get on the fronts combined with the rain grooves would be better I think. The front Gatorback is only as wide as the factory fender flare. And it actually tapers in at the bottom. Barely covers the tread of the factory tires. If plans for aftermarket wheels/tires are in your future it would tip the scale even further toward Dura Flap. They offer extra long versions too. They will email you photos of the different versions installed on your truck to help pick what style you want.
If you like the "Trucker" look go with something like above. If you like something cleaner, look at the Weather Tech, that's what went on our shop truck and everyone at work drives this thing to offroad events. They have held up well.
I have the gator backs on my swr truck. I don’t think I would get them again. They seem to decrease tire clearance. They do keep a lot of mud off my truck. I fear they may get torn off if I get stuck in deep mud or snow. I’m pretty sure there’s no room to run tire chains.
Not a random topic. This gets asked and answered about twice a month.
The search tool is quite good here:
For an F450, I might disagree... That does somewhat change it a bit, at least I think anyway. Mine has not arrived and I ordered the OEM mud flaps so I haven't really looked into it much.
I had the very pricey Gatorbacks with the Ford Blue Oval emblem on my 2017 F350 dually. While they were heavy duty and looked nice, I started to get rust stains around the rivets that attached the emblem to the rubber. Although I regularly washed my truck, I attributed this to the very corrosive magnesium chloride they put on the roads here in the winter for ice melt. I also thought they were a PITA to keep clean with all the ribs in them. Since my 2021 F450 came with standard front mud flaps, I just decided to save some cash and go with the factory ford accessories rear mud flaps which work fine for their purpose. Since this truck doesn't have the chrome package I wanted a much more monochrome look with just solid black flaps. Sorry my truck is dirty in the photos.
I have Gator Backs and really like them. I got mine from a member here that didn't want them so they were quite a bit cheaper than normal. They are time consuming to install but are worth it. In the past I've had the plastic molded guards and they look good but never really hangdown far enough to do much.
Thanks, fordman. I'll look into the Gator Backs. I've had the plastic ones as well, on another truck. But you are right, they do not hang down far enough to do any good.
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