DIY mud flaps AGAIN

[Taiden]

Here's my quick writeup of my DIY mudflaps. Total cost including everything $18 (18 wheeler 1/4" thick mudflap + hardware) :orly:

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk16/lukepighetti/The%20Outback/diy%20mudflaps/DSCN0394.jpg

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk16/lukepighetti/The%20Outback/diy%20mudflaps/DSCN0404.jpg

THE MATERIALS: a bigass mudflap for an 18 wheeler (from NAPA, just ask for the biggest one they got... $12). THIS THING IS HUGE! That's a 36" yardstick layed out on it.

three strips of thin sheet metal ($0.10 a piece at my hardware store)
8 1" sheet metal screws
2 2.5" sheet metal screws
2 1" nylon spacers
10 fender washers



Tools:
a box cutter with a fresh blade
a yardstick/meterstick
drill
screwdriver

Mounting Instructions: THANK YOU RALLY ARMOR!
LINK (http://www.rallyarmor.com/store/gc8_instructions/rallyarmor_GC8_classic_mud_flap_mounting_instructi ons.pdf)

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk16/lukepighetti/The%20Outback/diy%20mudflaps/DSCN0395.jpg
CUT EXACTLY IN HALF

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk16/lukepighetti/The%20Outback/diy%20mudflaps/DSCN0396.jpg

CUT EXACTLY INTO QUARTERS


http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk16/lukepighetti/The%20Outback/diy%20mudflaps/DSCN0398.jpg
this **** is THICK!

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk16/lukepighetti/The%20Outback/diy%20mudflaps/DSCN0399.jpg
What we're going for


http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk16/lukepighetti/The%20Outback/diy%20mudflaps/DSCN0400.jpg

Lay the fronts on the rears so you can copy the curve

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk16/lukepighetti/The%20Outback/diy%20mudflaps/DSCN0402.jpg

Curve copied

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk16/lukepighetti/The%20Outback/diy%20mudflaps/DSCN0403.jpg

Curve copied on both rears. Later you will copy the curves on both sides... you'll see what I mean.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk16/lukepighetti/The%20Outback/diy%20mudflaps/DSCN0405.jpg
Cut your sheet metal about this big

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk16/lukepighetti/The%20Outback/diy%20mudflaps/DSCN0406.jpg

Fold it over and drill a smaller hole... I went two sizes smaller than my sheet metal screws. Your sheet metal screws will tap it and you want a real tight fit so your fasteners last long.

I have no pictures of fitment because there is no way I can help you over the internet after this point. You'll do it if you can do it, you won't if you can't. For me it's really easy, might be different for you. But here is more or less what my fronts looked like before I mounted them.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk16/lukepighetti/The%20Outback/diy%20mudflaps/DSCN0407.jpg


I mounted them per RALLY ARMOR's directions. I figured if anyone knew anything about mounting mud flaps for street use, they would.

http://www.rallyarmor.com/store/gc8_instructions/rallyarmor_GC8_classic_mud_flap_mounting_instructi ons.pdf


http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk16/lukepighetti/The%20Outback/diy%20mudflaps/DSCN0412.jpg

The rear installed. I wanted to keep the inside from flapping so I drilled a hole in the neighboring seam and threaded a ziptie through it. I also used the predrilled hole in the napa mud flap to mount the top.


SOME PICS INSTALLED

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/5879/20954592.jpg

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/3923/66237250.jpg

http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/6378/img0236k.jpg

http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/9144/img0237qq.jpg

[HeathyVT]

sweet cheap flaps!

[enginerd]

Good work and nice DIY write-up. This is what DI is all about. :thumbsup: You've given me some inspiration to finally replace my RallyAmour Basics with the sheet of urethane I got in the mail last week, and replace my fender liners, and install my skdiplate, and....etc.

[Taiden]

just dont make your rears as low as I did. I ran over them backing up over a rock and pulled my bumper right out of my rusty quarter panel LOL!

oh well, now it's time to fix the rust!

[enginerd]

Ha Ha. Wow I didn't think about that. What is your vertical distance from ground to bottom of mud flap? It may give me an idea of what NOT to do ;)!

I'm basically just 'tracing' my Rally Armor Basics which are a good pattern and have worked well so far. The haven't ripped or anything yet, but the cheap plastic has permanently deformed from the constant gravel and snow spray over the years. I do want to go an inch lower and a bit wider to get that solid Group-N look :eyebrows: but I'll have to be careful of how low I go.

[Taiden]

My flap was literally 1.5" off the ground. I liked how it looked (even though it was kind of goofy) but I learned my lesson. I'm going to raise them up 2" after I fix my rust.

That might be why the RA ones come with plastic clips. I bet they pop right out. The sheet metal ones I made, even though the sheet metal is incredibly thin, still ripped my bumper right out! pretty crazy stuff.

[enginerd]

Finished my DIY Mud Flaps and Fender Liner project. Sprayed down new fender liners with rubberized undercoating to attempt to make them more durable. I did notice that they were stiffer after painting and a sucessful testing at RallyCross event with some Sprint Course lunch-time fun...and they are holding beutifully and actaully a LOT quieter. Replaced my Rally Armor Basics with urethane flaps. Bought a 2'x4' sheet from Precision Urethane for $70 shipped, cut down to 10" x 16" pieces, used RA flaps as template for drilling mounting holes, and used existing RA hardware to install. Cutting the material was a pain in arse. These flaps are also holding up beautifully, they're quieter, and it really looks badass IMO. I was going to spray down my entire wheel well with the rubberized undercoating, but simply ran out of time prior to race event.

http://www.dirtyimpreza.com/forums/vbpgimage.php?do=full&p=2325&d=1273844755

[Taiden]

Nice! I bet it quieted down the interior quite a bit!

[HeathyVT]

The Urethane flaps look sweet and about haft the price of RA.