You do your best to keep your truck in top condition, but you encounter so many hazards during your daily drive: debris, road salt, puddles, UV rays and thick, sloppy mud. All those can wreak havoc on your truck’s exterior, including its body panels and paint jobs. But what about your fender flares for pickup trucks? Do they protect against any rust damage or are they also vulnerable to the elements? Learn more about some useful tools that keep your truck’s exterior in great shape.
The Low-Down on Fender Flares
You’re no doubt familiar with fender flares. They not only look great on your truck, but they also shield your wheel wells from damaging road debris. And as you know, your truck’s fender can be especially vulnerable to rust. So, do those sweet looking fender flares help keep the rust at bay?
Surprisingly, the answer is “No.” And why not? Those fender flares can deflect gravel and debris, but they aren’t typically watertight. Water can seep through the minute gap between the flare and the body panel. Toss in salty runoff from winter roads and you have the perfect recipe for corrosion, especially above and behind each flare.
How Mud Flaps Keep Rust at Bay
You’re probably bummed over the bad news about fender flares. Fortunately, there’s some good news: You can help prevent the damage. Mud flaps for trucks are excellent tools for keeping your fenders clean, helping your fight the battle against fender rust. They not only block mud, dirt and salty water from hitting your fenders, but they also keep rocks and debris from smacking your truck’s undercarriage.
Basically, you get two-in-one benefits from mud flaps and guards: reduced damage to your fenders and underbody. By both your fenders and flares staying cleaner, you extend their useful lifespan and potentially save hundreds or thousands of dollars in maintenance, replacements and repairs.
Selecting the Best Mud Flaps for Your Truck
When you’re shopping for mud flaps, you’ll want to keep a few things in mind. They’re made from a wide range of materials: aluminum, polyurethane, plastic, rubber and stainless steel. With aluminum mud flaps, you can choose finished such as chrome or brushed metal. You’ll also see several styles of flaps, including hitch-mounted, truck style and dually mud guards and flaps. These accessories come in custom-, semi-custom and universal fit styles and either mount on the hitch or wheel well.
With so many options available, it can be a little difficult to choose a set of flaps. Knowing key benefits can help you select the right ones. Hitch-mounted flaps hang from your ball mount, protect the rear of your truck and are best for heavy-duty driving. Made to cover four tires on a single axle, dually mud flaps are thicker and wider than standard types.
Shopping for Your Mud Flaps
Shopping at a trustworthy retailer can help cut down on both time and hassle, offering high-quality products and exceptional service. These retailers may also have other essentials to keep your truck clean – custom rubber floor mats, seat covers, dash covers and other essentials. Whether you’re looking for custom-fit or universal, you can narrow down to items that fit using make, model and year drop-down menus.
