FX3D rock guards

[fenix-silver]

crap, well I guess I need to swap the left and right side mesh pieces now. ugh

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[spiff72]

crap, well I guess I need to swap the left and right side mesh pieces now. ugh

Mine went together so I may just leave it "flipped"...

 

[fenix-silver]

yeah, not sure if it really matters or not. I guess with the way I installed them, the front/back of the mesh are reversed.

 

[heartbeat91]

Would the tape ruin the paint when/if we are to remove the mud guards in the future? If so, I am inclined to not use the tape.

 

[menikmati]

Would the tape ruin the paint when/if we are to remove the mud guards in the future? If so, I am inclined to not use the tape.

I would think any adhesive remover would do the job.

@arcticdc5 these appear to be back in stock at the time of this post.

 

[MooMoo]

I guess mine are installed incorrectly but they seem to be fine and do the job so I am going to leave em be, getting those plastic pins out is a huge pain and I already installed the tape.

The tape should not be problematic but do take your time removing it, heat it up first or leave car in the sun. Car parts get installed with double side 3m tape all the time, a ton of OEM spoilers for example, and they get removed all the time with no issues. I did install some PPF before putting the tape, the reason though is not cuz of the tape but that on other cars I have had I had rocks and dirt caught btw the flaps and the paint so putting some ppf there will minimize problems, tape will keep some of that out of course too, I actually installed a longer strip of tape to seal that hole nicely.

 

[KhaoS2K]

Totally understand - no worries on the screwdriver. I could model one myself in about 3 minutes, but thought I would ask.

I installed mine a few days ago and didn't bother with the VHB tape yet, but I think I am happy with the positioning now. Is there any harm/risk in not using the tape?

In cold weather, I don't think it really matters as the material becomes stiffer.
But when it warms up it might become an issue since the oem mounting points are located deeper into the wheel well in the front. As for the rear, the oem screws sit relatively high. So, in order to avoid having to drill the bumper, tape is used to secure the lower part of the guards.

For those that have installed the mesh (not according to my latest update) and are satisfied with the result, just leave it there It'll be fine.

To remove the tape, use heat. Works great.

BTW, if the site shows "out of stock", it just means we need some time to process the current orders we've got. Normally becomes available again in 2-3 days.

 

[spiff72]

I just wanted to share an observation, and I'm curious if others have noticed this...

I was showing these guards to a coworker the other day and he reached down and flexed one of the front guards backwards, and a small pile of pebbles fell out. I'm guessing that these are just collecting between the main part and the finer mesh part?

Please note that I have NOT installed the VHB tape yet, but I am still planning to do so. I spent a fair amount of time driving around in a big parking lot while I was teaching my son to drive a manual, and it was kicking up lots of little pebbles from that lot. I even had a few times where it sounded like a pebble found its way between a brake rotor and caliper or shield and started scraping. (This was easy to clear by just backing the car up for a short distance).

So my question is whether this happens if you DO apply the tape, and is there a way to purge the pebbles out somehow?

I need to inspect more closely to see how much space there is between the fine mesh insert and the coarse mesh of the main flap.

 

[MooMoo]

I just wanted to share an observation, and I'm curious if others have noticed this...

I was showing these guards to a coworker the other day and he reached down and flexed one of the front guards backwards, and a small pile of pebbles fell out. I'm guessing that these are just collecting between the main part and the finer mesh part?

Please note that I have NOT installed the VHB tape yet, but I am still planning to do so. I spent a fair amount of time driving around in a big parking lot while I was teaching my son to drive a manual, and it was kicking up lots of little pebbles from that lot. I even had a few times where it sounded like a pebble found its way between a brake rotor and caliper or shield and started scraping. (This was easy to clear by just backing the car up for a short distance).

So my question is whether this happens if you DO apply the tape, and is there a way to purge the pebbles out somehow?

I need to inspect more closely to see how much space there is between the fine mesh insert and the coarse mesh of the main flap.

I think I mentioned this earlier in this thread. I actually installed my own tape so that it would extend for most of the flap to prevent this. I also PPFed behind the flap beause rocks will get in there and sit there till you remove em. I knew this because happened on my old car, every once in a while I had to wiggle the mud flap and get a credit card or think plastic tool in there to remove dirt and rocks that got stuck there.

The tape will definitely help and the longer the tape the better but I bet still gonna get some dirt and small stones in there, we will see.

 

[spiff72]

I think I mentioned this earlier in this thread. I actually installed my own tape so that it would extend for most of the flap to prevent this. I also PPFed behind the flap beause rocks will get in there and sit there till you remove em. I knew this because happened on my old car, every once in a while I had to wiggle the mud flap and get a credit card or think plastic tool in there to remove dirt and rocks that got stuck there.

The tape will definitely help and the longer the tape the better but I bet still gonna get some dirt and small stones in there, we will see.

I did look at this again last night when I left work and there were accumulated pebbles in there (I checked the opposite side that was "purged" by my coworker). It did seem like there was a bit of waviness in the flap that would likely have been mitigated by having the tape in place.

Seeing this made me wonder if it would make sense for the front-most mesh (the part that is integrated into the flap) should be finer? I'm not sure how feasible that is with the 3D printing process, though. And would it restrict airflow through the vent too much? I'm not clear if these vents in the car are meant as a brake cooling feature, or an aerodynamic feature (or both)...

EDIT: I meant to add that since swapping in the stock wheels/tires a few weeks back, I notice that the stock tires tend to kick up a LOT more pebbles and road debris than my winters did (Blizzaks). Are these stock tires really that sticky? I was glad to have these guards installed when my son and I were driving around in the previously mentioned parking lot as I listened to all the sounds of pebbles bouncing off the inside of the wheel wells.

 

[MooMoo]

I did look at this again last night when I left work and there were accumulated pebbles in there (I checked the opposite side that was "purged" by my coworker). It did seem like there was a bit of waviness in the flap that would likely have been mitigated by having the tape in place.

Seeing this made me wonder if it would make sense for the front-most mesh (the part that is integrated into the flap) should be finer? I'm not sure how feasible that is with the 3D printing process, though. And would it restrict airflow through the vent too much? I'm not clear if these vents in the car are meant as a brake cooling feature, or an aerodynamic feature (or both)...

EDIT: I meant to add that since swapping in the stock wheels/tires a few weeks back, I notice that the stock tires tend to kick up a LOT more pebbles and road debris than my winters did (Blizzaks). Are these stock tires really that sticky? I was glad to have these guards installed when my son and I were driving around in the previously mentioned parking lot as I listened to all the sounds of pebbles bouncing off the inside of the wheel wells.

PS4S are sticky compared to winters for sure but nothing like 200tw.

My driveway is gravel so I heart stone pinging for like 20 seconds after I leave everytime

 

[spiff72]

I don't think this is technically related, but I can't really rule it out because I installed these mud guards at the same time I switched to the stock summer tires...

I am getting stones/pebbles stuck in my rotor/shields/whatever pretty frequently now (every 2-3 days). I had another one on the way to work, and it was still stuck when I pulled into the parking lot. When I left for lunch, I made sure to back up (in a spirited manner) to try to dislodge, but I was still hearing it come in and out while driving. Eventually after I got up to higher speeds it seemed to clear up.

Now whenever I hear the pitter-patter in the wheels wells I hold my breath and hope that I don't pick up another screecher...

 

[heartbeat91]

Just got mine, and I'm kind of stumped on the step where you need to remove the push type plastic fasteners (front). I have the pry tools but the tool (or a flat-head screwdriver) can't get under neither of the fasteners to pull them out. Any tips here? I'm kind of stuck here. @KhaoS2K

 

[fenix-silver]

Just got mine, and I'm kind of stumped on the step where you need to remove the push type plastic fasteners (front). I have the pry tools but the tool (or a flat-head screwdriver) can't get under neither of the fasteners to pull them out. Any tips here? I'm kind of stuck here. @KhaoS2K

I just used a couple screwdrivers to pry. The OEM clips don't unlock, so they will just break.

 

[Clark_Kent]

Just got mine, and I'm kind of stumped on the step where you need to remove the push type plastic fasteners (front). I have the pry tools but the tool (or a flat-head screwdriver) can't get under neither of the fasteners to pull them out. Any tips here? I'm kind of stuck here. @KhaoS2K

The plastic clips break easily; however, they can be removed without breaking. A plastic clip removal tool like this one is best for a task like this. It's also a good practice to have spare clips on hand since they're cheap.

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