Need Front & Rear Mud Flaps for My 3500

[DonCurley]

Let me start this out with "I hate mud".



I have been wheeling for the better part of 40 years and while I know that there are "mudders" out there who love the stuff, I just prefer rocks, dirt, sand, and essentially dry conditions when off-roading. While I obviously know that muddy conditions cannot always be avoided, cleaning up a vehicle trashed by mud is a real pain as far as I am concerned. Now that we go off-road camping a lot with our Ram 3500 and Outfitter camper, throwing up mud all over the camper and slinging it up under the truck (and the clean up of same) is getting beyond old.



So, as much as I also do not like the look of mud flaps on a vehicle, I have decided that installing a good set (both front & rear) will be a lesser evil than continuing to deal with the worst of the mess and clean up.



Anyway, since I am also running 35x12. 50 Toyo Open Country M/T tires (which can sling a LOT of mud due to their aggressive tread), I need to find some larger aftermarket mud flaps to accommodate their larger than stock tire width. I did an initial Internet search and came up with two potential candidates:



- PowerFlow Big Mudder mud flaps: Stylin' Trucks Truck Accessories -- pickup truck, SUV, and custom truck accessories



- PowerFlow Big Mudder Extreme universal mud flaps: Big Mudder Splashguard from RoadSport, a Division of PowerFlow Manufacturer of Splash Guards for Trucks and Cars in Canada and the United States



Other than the above PowerFlow products, does anyone have any recommendations for functional yet decent looking mud flaps that can handle my tire size?

 

[SHobbs]

Try Dodge Dullay Mud Flaps And Mudflaps For Custom Dodge Dullays Trucks



Not sure what you intend on paying for a set but these folks make some good ones. I have a front and back set on my truck and really like them.

 

[DonCurley]

Try Dodge Dullay Mud Flaps And Mudflaps For Custom Dodge Dullays Trucks



Not sure what you intend on paying for a set but these folks make some good ones. I have a front and back set on my truck and really like them.

OK, thanks ... I will definitely check out the DuraFlaps.

 

[CamarosRus]

google ULTIMATE Flap out of Spokane, WA

 

[DonCurley]

google ULTIMATE Flap out of Spokane, WA

Thanks, and I did check the Ultimate Flaps out. However, I am still looking at DuraFlaps, as they make models that interface with Bushwacker fender flares, which I have a set of their Street Flares on my 3500.

 

[DonCurley]

Well, it looks like I won't have any issues going with DuraFlap's rear mud flaps on my 3500, but it looks like there are going to be some clearance problems with the front.



First off, here is a side shot of my front drivers side tire showing the 2-1/2" clearance to the front edge of my Bushwacker Street Flare:

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I used one of the "El Cheapo" dealership mud flaps that initially came on the rear of my Dodge 3500 to jury rig a "simulated" mud flap for the front drivers side wheel well. Note that this mud flap is only 10-1/4" wide at its widest point:

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Here it is temporarily installed on the front drivers side (the black wedge/shim is there just to force the flap to hang more vertically once it goes below the Bushwacker Street Flare edge):

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And here is a side shot of the same mud flap (with the front wheels straight ahead):

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In this shot, I have only turned my wheels about half way to the left, and I am just contacting the front surface of the mud flap:

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Now here is a shot looking downwards with my wheels at full lock left. Again, keep in mind that these dealership mud flaps are only 10-1/4" wide:

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Although this shot was probably not needed, there is clearly no interference between the mud flap and my front drivers side tire at full lock right (although there obviously would be on the passenger front tire):

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Just to cover the rear, here is a side shot of my drivers rear tire in relation to the Bushwacker Street Flare:

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I'd honestly like to go with DuraFlap's 14" mud flaps that are designed to interface with my Bushwacker Street Flares, however, I obviously need to have adequate clearance on the front for full lock-to-lock turns. DuraFlap also has some special bracketry and a different design mud flap for lifted trucks and that might work for my front end. Anyway, I will be talking with Dennis at DuraFlap on Tuesday to see what we can come up with.





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[DonCurley]

Update

I had a good conversation with Dennis Perry at DuraFlap on Tuesday. He is shipping me 14" mud flap "blanks" along with a piece of Plexiglas for me to come up with a prototype template for the best fit for someone with a Dodge 2500/3500 with 35" tires and Bushwacker flares in the front. He sees a market for this and plans to come up with a separate part designation once he gets the prototype template back and CNC's a precise unit. I will then get the first set of the final version for my front wheel wells. I really didn't expect this, but I am glad that this will allow me to get the best fitting mud flap for my particular application (and it benefits Dennis with a new product). In the meantime, I will install the 14" DR-9-SS mud flaps in the rear of my 3500 (which should pose no clearance issues).