Mud Flaps

Rumour has it that Danny and Nichole are well acquainted. Maybe over breakfast one morning they can make a decision about shipping to Norway. :gossip:

 

2 months after receiving from Danny I final had good enough weather to install my flaps. I added an extra screw on each, on their lower most inward edge. It seemed that in winter ice build up could cause problems. So I had matching screws on hand and drilled an extra 1/8 hole in the plastic. The install took about 40 minutes, including the time to push the 03 tbird to get the floor jack from infront of it.

 

I took delivery on my '08 Saturday ... mudflaps were installed today, so THEY ARE AVAILABLE.

 

the next thread i expect on this will be a question on how much the added air resistance and weight will hurt mileage especially at higher speeds just staying ahead of the curve guys and gals

 

Did you get them from the dealer? What did they charge for the install? Thanks!

 

$155 bucks for flaps and labor ... robbery. Took them an hour, so I guess the labor rate was about $100 per hour.

Like I said ... robbery. But, it is done and I didn't have to deal with it.

 

Toyota does have 2008 Mudflaps that they bring in from a company in Florida that is making it for them. The install charge was $148 at my Dealer. Expensive but worth it.

 

That's what my dealer told me today as well. There are no OEM mudflaps made for the 2008 Prius. They had to have been aftermarket. That's cool though. Now that I know that there aren't OEM mudflaps for the Prius, I'll search out the best aftermarket price. Thanks guys.

 

Is the '08 shaped differentlythan the '07? I was just going to order a set of OEM mudflaps from the Prius Shop, but then I saw the above posts and wondered...

 

Bought OEM mud flaps online. Found them for $36 + $8 shipping. Took about 20 minutes to install. Yes, drilling into my new car was initially scary but it was really easy (I think the drill was drilling into plastic, rather than metal). After starting with the left front tire with the wheel turned left, I found that I couldn't install the flaps on the rear without removing the tires. It was actually pretty easy and I'm no car mechanic. Figured it was good practice to know that that the jack works and all the pieces were in the car (jack, crank-thingy, wheel lock). Better to find that out now in a low pressure situation than on the side of the highway--which is really stressful and dangerous.

The flaps look great on my 2006 Gray Metallic #8. Don't have to worry about snow in the SF Bay Area but plenty of rain and, since I live in a semi-rural area, need to deal with lousy roads and dirt/gravel roads more frequently than I would like. Flaps are a good, easy investment. Highly recommend.

 

I get severe ice and snow build up on the mudflaps on my Prius. I am in the snow zone - but sometimes I think I would be better off without them.

 

Uhh, maybe not in the US, but as far as I know the Canadian models, at least, still come equipped with mud flaps. You could always order them from a dealer out of your country who's willing to ship them to you. They should be the same from 2004 onwards, so no need to specify a year.

 

Who did you buy them from?

 

I bought them from Deland Toyota (delandtoyota.com) but that was before I learned about PriusChat. Even thought it is a little more money, I would encourage you to purchase from Danny in the PriusChat store to help support the website.

 

I just installed the front pair of mud guards on my 2008. (I bought them a ways back, I'm cautiously certain that I got them from Coastaletech. They were manufactured in Canada.)

A super simple job, an excellent fit. For those going this route I offer these observations:

The best site I've found for pictures is:

Molded Splashguard Installation

The pictures give a good overview of the process. These additional comments may prove helpful as well:

It easiest to remove the plastic clips and mount the guard using the two new metal screws with the front wheels turned towards the side you're working on.

The existing plastic "push pin" fasteners you take out are two-part; remove both parts. The base part on my 2008 did not have the flats shown in the pictures, its not a meaningful difference.

The new metal "spring clips" are to be installed on metal tabs on the body. (This tab is painted the same color as the rest of the car) These clips are "one-sided," and are not reversible. One end of the folded metal clip is slightly rolled back. This end of the clip goes behind the body tab, away from you. (If you look closely, this end of the clip has a threaded hole, the other doesn't.)

When mounting the guard, install the first screw only a few turns by hand initially. With the wiggle room this provides, it is easier to get the second screw threaded. Push the guard in and up as you tighten the screws to get the guard to fit tightly to the body.

When it comes time to drill the new hole, the preferred inch-size bit would be 15/64; not a common size. I found that 7/32 -- more likely to be in most drill indexes -- works fine although minutely smaller.

The plastic you'll be drilling through for the new third hole is almost paper thin. I found that I could twist the bit through it by hand. I then cleaned up the hole by pulling/pushing the bit back and forth without letting the bit turn in my hand.

If you find you do need to use a drill, turn the wheels to the opposite lock, away from you. This provides more room from behind the rim/tire to get the drill and bit essentially perpendicular to the plastic.

Push the new plastic "finned clip" through the hole in the guard and into the hole just drilled, and seat it fully.

So, that's it for the front guards.

The rears are going to have to wait for a bit; I have to borrow a torque wrench before I take off the rear wheels. If I find the process is meaningfully different from that in the cite above, I add that info to this string.

On the rear guards you have to drill holes in the inward-turned, body-colored flanges of the plastic rear bumper cover piece at the wheelwell. It shouldn't be difficult, but it has me a little nervous just thinking about it. Oh well, upward and onward, "Nothing ventured, nothing won!"

 

After ny earlier post I was digging through old threads using the Google search tool and found info from 2006 on installing the rear mud guards without removing the rear wheels.

See the first post in this thread:

http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-modifications/16009-installation-mudflaps.html

I sure feel foolish finding this after I needed it -- it's dark out now. I don't need that torque wrench after all.

 

Thanks for the great input. I ordered a set through the Prius Chat Store. I'll post some pics once I get them.

 

i am going to remove my mudflaps either today or tomorrow. its creating a drag noise when im 75-80mph.

 

I got them on mine, no MPG hit and help keep my paint clean. Purchased mine from Prius Club of Queensland.
They are not available in Australia from dealers so my Prius is pretty unique in Adelaide with shark fin antenna, mud flaps, side mouldings, rear bumper protector, wheel rings off, sheep skin seat covers and a Prius Club of Queensland sunscreen for parking in the sun.

Next I need a leather cover for the steering wheel and a leather cover on the gear knob. Also a sun shade over the MFD, and might make a little one for the clock. Also need a phone and GPS mount. Oh and haven't fitted my tyre monitor yet too.