OEM Mudflap Review
05-03-2016, 10:43 PM
#1
OEM Mudflap Review
Diving without flaps:
I drove the truck for a few thousand miles before putting these on and found frequently that you might hear the odd ping off the front doors in a corner. Snow would pile up on the running boards very easily and if it happened to freeze there, next time you opened your door you wouldn't be happy with the damage to the bottom of your doors. The rear bumpers also filled with snow which turned wet and froze possibly ripping out your nice backup sensors should the chunk pop free before your next car wash.
OEM vs Aftermarket:
You don't see a lot of the OEM's on fords trucks. I think the dealers make more money on the aftermarket parts or they would use these more often.
After picking up 4 heavy duty aftermarket flaps and comparing the weight I just couldn't do it after all of Ford's hard work trying to remove weight from the truck.
The aftermarket ones will typically cover more area, especially where you see the small hole just behind the rear tire. They will also stick out a bit more in case you run wider wheels.
Considering that Ford has a TSB regarding installation of aftermarket equipment on the body and the materials used with regards to corrosion. I chose to skip the whole drilling holes and stainless/zinc plated bolts thing.
Installation:
The flaps certainly go on easily. There really is no way to misalign them. I have heard comments from others that you should put some double sided tape on them to assist in the flaps staying put. So I pulled out the spool of Ultra High Bond 3M tape I happened to have handy and applied liberally. These flaps aren't going to fall of on their own any time soon!
Looks:
Aesthetically, they look better than I thought they would. The rear alignment seems to be dead centered over the back of the tires with not much extra coverage. I wouldn't get these if you plan on aftermarket wheels with different offsets and wider tires. Offset flaps would likely be a better choice for clearance and coverage issues.
Performance:
Seem to work just fine. I definitely noticed a lack of pinging stones off the sides of the truck. Reduces the amount of SNIRT that flies up on the sides of the truck.
While I don't intend to do much if any offroading (done that before with multiple jeeps and lifted trucks) I suspect they would hold up okay. I do know that long aftermarket ones will still suffer getting ripped off while backing over an obstacle so its really a toss up there between the two.
Cost:
Factory cost was 130 bucks Canadian for all 4. Aftermarkets were 350 and even topped out at 500 bucks with special no drill aluminum brackets, etc.
Overall, I will give them 2 thumbs up. Definitely recommend them!
*You will also notice the OEM inner fender liners. Makes washing out your fenders a breeze be it mud or snow. Definitely worth it.
I drove the truck for a few thousand miles before putting these on and found frequently that you might hear the odd ping off the front doors in a corner. Snow would pile up on the running boards very easily and if it happened to freeze there, next time you opened your door you wouldn't be happy with the damage to the bottom of your doors. The rear bumpers also filled with snow which turned wet and froze possibly ripping out your nice backup sensors should the chunk pop free before your next car wash.
OEM vs Aftermarket:
You don't see a lot of the OEM's on fords trucks. I think the dealers make more money on the aftermarket parts or they would use these more often.
After picking up 4 heavy duty aftermarket flaps and comparing the weight I just couldn't do it after all of Ford's hard work trying to remove weight from the truck.
The aftermarket ones will typically cover more area, especially where you see the small hole just behind the rear tire. They will also stick out a bit more in case you run wider wheels.
Considering that Ford has a TSB regarding installation of aftermarket equipment on the body and the materials used with regards to corrosion. I chose to skip the whole drilling holes and stainless/zinc plated bolts thing.
Installation:
The flaps certainly go on easily. There really is no way to misalign them. I have heard comments from others that you should put some double sided tape on them to assist in the flaps staying put. So I pulled out the spool of Ultra High Bond 3M tape I happened to have handy and applied liberally. These flaps aren't going to fall of on their own any time soon!
Looks:
Aesthetically, they look better than I thought they would. The rear alignment seems to be dead centered over the back of the tires with not much extra coverage. I wouldn't get these if you plan on aftermarket wheels with different offsets and wider tires. Offset flaps would likely be a better choice for clearance and coverage issues.
Performance:
Seem to work just fine. I definitely noticed a lack of pinging stones off the sides of the truck. Reduces the amount of SNIRT that flies up on the sides of the truck.
While I don't intend to do much if any offroading (done that before with multiple jeeps and lifted trucks) I suspect they would hold up okay. I do know that long aftermarket ones will still suffer getting ripped off while backing over an obstacle so its really a toss up there between the two.
Cost:
Factory cost was 130 bucks Canadian for all 4. Aftermarkets were 350 and even topped out at 500 bucks with special no drill aluminum brackets, etc.
Overall, I will give them 2 thumbs up. Definitely recommend them!
*You will also notice the OEM inner fender liners. Makes washing out your fenders a breeze be it mud or snow. Definitely worth it.
Last edited by Toizzz; 05-03-2016 at 11:17 PM.
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gofish101 (05-04-2016)
05-06-2016, 11:15 AM
#6
I went ahead and bought the OEM mud flap/stone guards. $80 for front and rear in your basic black. They have a raised FORD oval on the back units. Very easy to install... fit perfect... and well thought out for our aluminum body installation.. ie no drilling and no mixed metal touching.
Buy the OEM's... I didn't want to put flaps/guards on my truck.. but after driving it a month over the mountain passes, they are a must. As I said earlier, I was rock chipping the doors of my own truck.
Buy the OEM's... I didn't want to put flaps/guards on my truck.. but after driving it a month over the mountain passes, they are a must. As I said earlier, I was rock chipping the doors of my own truck.
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05-08-2016, 10:08 AM
#10
Has anyone installed the "heavy duty" mudflaps on their truck? Part number is FL3Z-16A550-C and they fit both front and rear. Can't find any installation info on them. From what I can tell from pictures I've found of the hardware, I don't think you have to drill into the body...just through the mudflaps, but I'm not 100% sure.