Beware! Ford molded mud flaps
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Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Redding, CA
Beware! Ford molded mud flaps
Just a word of warning to those who have the genuine Ford molded mud flaps.
A couple of years ago I installed the front and back flaps on my 02 F250. Saturday, I went to take them off so I could install them on my new rig. Wouldn't you know it, I found very bad news.
I expected to see some wear/chaffing up the sides which is easy enough to buff/polish out. What I wasn't expecting was a fair amount of boils in the paint at the lower corner of each wheel well. Those pockets in the mud flap held water and debris long enough to eat through the paint and into the metal. Rust-through was just around the corner.
IF I put them on my new rig, I'm going to tape up the areas where the flap and fender meet with thick foam tape (used by CAP installers as weather stripping). I'm also going to drill a few LARGE holes at the bottom of the flap so that if anything gets in between the foam and the flap, it can be washed out and the water can drain.
Mike
A couple of years ago I installed the front and back flaps on my 02 F250. Saturday, I went to take them off so I could install them on my new rig. Wouldn't you know it, I found very bad news.
I expected to see some wear/chaffing up the sides which is easy enough to buff/polish out. What I wasn't expecting was a fair amount of boils in the paint at the lower corner of each wheel well. Those pockets in the mud flap held water and debris long enough to eat through the paint and into the metal. Rust-through was just around the corner.
IF I put them on my new rig, I'm going to tape up the areas where the flap and fender meet with thick foam tape (used by CAP installers as weather stripping). I'm also going to drill a few LARGE holes at the bottom of the flap so that if anything gets in between the foam and the flap, it can be washed out and the water can drain.
Mike
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I guess that is why the Huskey Mud guards I just put on came with this transparent tape to put between the guard and the body. They give good instuctions how to clean the paint and put on the tape. I did it but thought it was overkill but I guess not.
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