Fender Flares

[pdxkid]

Has anyone installed aftermarket fender flares? I'm looking at OEM, and some other aftermarket models. Nothing super huge, I don't want to run crazy huge tires or anything, I mainly just want the look and some of the functionality.

Most look like they bolt up to factory holes in the fender well. I'm wondering about the union where the flare meets the bed side or truck side. Will that just be a big dirt and grit catcher? Will it tear up the paint? Please share experiences.

 

[Diesel85]

Has anyone installed aftermarket fender flares? I'm looking at OEM, and some other aftermarket models. Nothing super huge, I don't want to run crazy huge tires or anything, I mainly just want the look and some of the functionality.

Most look like they bolt up to factory holes in the fender well. I'm wondering about the union where the flare meets the bed side or truck side. Will that just be a big dirt and grit catcher? Will it tear up the paint? Please share experiences.

My experiences with fender flares is two things in my area:

1. Trying to hide salt rust.
2. They catch debris and you end up with rotted panels.

 

[Ozymandias]

Get factory OEM if they are wide enough for your tires. Best quality you can get.

 

[wyosteve]

I had Bushwackers on my '15 and have Rough Country on my current truck. They're a bit of a pain to install because you have to put the rubber 'liner' on to protect the edge. I went with Rough Country this time because they color matched my white truck. To me, the factory look good, but don't seem very functional since they aren't very wide.

 

[bcbender]

I believe the OEM flares need the fender(s) to have square slots punched in them around the edge where it clips in on the body side, at least the ones I've seen are like that. I had aftermarket on my 04 that used adhesive tape on the fender side and personally liked that attachment method better, my 20 has OEM ones and it get alot of dirt between the body and the flare which concerns me about corrosion. When I had it ceramic coated a few months ago, I used air to blow out the fender liners, and mud flaps, when doing that I saw dust coming out of the space between the fender flare and the body, I was astounded at the amount of fine dirt down in the bottom of those pockets!!

 

[CoastyAV8R]

I bought some OEM fender flares for my 2019 Tradesman. It had these pins that would require a truck to have the holes in the side of the fenders so I cut those off as the flares also have screws that mount through the underside of the fender which is sufficient. The truck had the bigger flares with the fake bolt holes on it before and were held on with the same screws. I removed my mud flaps to mount them and it's pretty straight forward at that point. My buddy has a Power Wagon with the OEM flares and even his truck doesn't have the holes in the sides of the fenders for the flares so I'm not sure what truck has them.

 

[AH64ID]

Double check the

I believe the OEM flares need the fender(s) to have square slots punched in them around the edge where it clips in on the body side, at least the ones I've seen are like that. I had aftermarket on my 04 that used adhesive tape on the fender side and personally liked that attachment method better, my 20 has OEM ones and it get alot of dirt between the body and the flare which concerns me about corrosion. When I had it ceramic coated a few months ago, I used air to blow out the fender liners, and mud flaps, when doing that I saw dust coming out of the space between the fender flare and the body, I was astounded at the amount of fine dirt down in the bottom of those pockets!!

I was thinking that too, but can’t recall if that’s all 4th gens or just 4.5’s. Some of the photos I found of 4th gen OEM flares don’t show the square pegs.