OEM mud flaps: different size than original?

Hi All,

My '05 DC needed both right side mud flaps, and when I ordered them from someone on ebay, found that the right front one was clearly about 2 inches longer than the original one on the left front. The part number is this: 76621-04101. If you look this part number up, it is supposed to fit all '05-'10 Tacomas, and yet this doesn't match the length of the original.

I am thinking my next step is to remove the left front flap and check the part number, but don't want to because it's a pain to get off with the way the bolts work (you have to bend the black plastic trim that sits behind it and immobilize the nut of one of the retaining bolts).

Hoping someone knows about this so I don't have to pull that other front flap off...?

Thanks.

 

All I know the one I have the are factory are like 2 in. or less from the ground...that is on a 4x4 off road

 

Most of us with the 05's got lucky and our original front flaps are much shorter. To my knowledge, they can not be purchased anymore... Hence, the reason for the difference.

 

hmm, the plot thickens...

I just went and measured the one on the left front and it is about 6 1/2 " off the ground. The new one I got is like yours, just a couple-few inches off the ground. My question is a) did they make different length ones for different taco's (DC, TRD off road, TRD sport, etc.)? If you look up part numbers, it seems there's only 1 OEM one...

The right front one I bought is about 21 inches from the very top where it finishes wrapping around the fender trim to the flat of the bottom, whereas the one that came with the truck on the left front is only about 19"....

 

There is a thread on here somewhere about this. From what I remember the older models had shorter flaps, not sure about what years. I just trimmed my front down about 3 1/2 inches to match the rears. Pretty easy to do. There is a thread on this in the cheap mods. Just take a piece of cardboard and trace the flap on to the cardboard and you have a guide to trim by. I'm glad I finally did mine. I think they came out good. I was afraid they would wind up looking like sh*t and I would wind up taking them off. IMO it is a must do unless you just remove them all together.

 

This makes sense, that the older ones had shorter flaps. The question I have is then why is Toyota only selling one size to cover all year ranges? If you aren't replacing both it's just stupid...

 

Here's the thread that TacoDawgFan remembers: http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2n...er-2nd-gens-have-shorter-front-mud-flaps.html. And yes, the OEM ones are one-size-fits-all even though the flaps for the '05 were shorter originally. Ugh.

 

That is a common problem for many manufacturers. It boils down to the fact that they do not want to continue paying for the manufacture of items that arent actually needed - i.e. the new size flaps will fit all models of trucks, so why make the old ones JUST for replacements? SAAB did this with their emblems - you can no longer get the old (pre 2000 I think) style. You have to order the newer ones or buy third party.