Question on Mud Flaps

Okay, so I've noticed there seems to be a disagreement on the issue as to whether or not the mud flaps should be removed. I haven't done any off-roading and don't plan on it in the near future. I haven't installed a lift or larger tires.
I've read that the mud flaps can cause damage to the paint, but it seems only in extreme situations.
So, what the deal?

 

Leave them on and trim them

 

If you aren't going higher or bigger i don't see why they can't stay. Leave em til you break em.

 

Well I hate how my front flaps almost touched the ground. So they came off. I had the truck in central Texas(really dusty) and after a month when I removed the front the dust/ sans had rubbed the paint bad

 

^ This, if you don't offroad. If you do offroad, remove them. If you want to lift with bigger tires, remove them.

I don't offroad either, however sometimes when pavement is cutup or certain gnarly speed bumps, the front flaps would scrap, so I trimmed both the front and back. I trimmed the backs so they just covered the exhaust, and trimmed the fronts the same length as the backs.

 

I say at least take the front off. if you wont be going off road you wont have a problem with rocks. i have A/T’s and go off road and hardly ever have rocks hit the rocker panels or doors. I took the front off the 3rd day i had the truck. back came off last summer because most the tabs broke.

WRONG! the edge of the mud flap and rub the pain off the flair! There is pic in other threads to prove that it can happen. So people that say it can are not morons. I had very slight and small marks on my finder fairs when i took mine off.

 

Trimmed the front 4 inches. Don't offroad but do drive some logging roads. the fronts were scrapping on some dips in the road. Seems good now.

 

this is what they do to your paint, not a big deal if you leave em on forever though

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/57145-damage-mud-flaps.html

 

ok. and only think they really stop if water(don’t even keep water from getting thrown up) and they stop rocks. if you not off roading and don’t have A/T’s or M/T’s rocks are not a problem. i never had rocks hit when i took them off and had the stock rugged fails. only had rocks start hitting when i got my nitto terra grapplers, and i still hardly ever have rock hit even with off roading. and how are you going to get mark from the tires? unless they are bigger tires (even if they are one size bigger they wont touch( they don’t come close to touching the finders.

This is what i’m talking about and everyone els. You can’t see it till you take them off.

 

besides the fact that I cant get away with them removed for safety checks, I've run mine without problems....

granted, theyre kinda fucked up from all the rocks theyve hit, but they're still there....

 

if you're not offroading, then i wouldn't worry about damage, they're more for keeping your truck cleaner than protecting against damage, i have mine off, i think it makes the truck look taller and gives it a cleaner look (not literal)

 

fuck safety checks... I keep my rear on for a little bit. then all the plastic clips broke and they were held on by 2 bolts so i just took them off, did not want to risk loosing one on the road or something.

 

I have never understood the " take the flaps off before they gouge the paint so instead of that you can chip the shit out of your rocker panel and doors with rocks " arguement

 

x2
but it looks better without mudflaps?
idk

I like the way mine are.... just always need to remember to never reverse onto them haha

 

this is a 2nd gen topic? oh well.

 

I've been debating on taking mine off... I guess I'll just leave them on until the break off.

 

trim a few inches off the fronts

 

No no no, you guys are all wrong.

Buy a first gen, they come with flexible mudflaps.

 

I don't like how far down the front mudflaps hang down so I used to just have my rear mudflaps on, but decided to trim all 4 about 4 inches or so and install the fronts as well. I offroad moderately and consider it a decent compromise plus I like the way it looks. I run 265/75R16 BFG AT's with 4.5 backspacing and have no rubbing issues with them. If I were to go up to a 285 I'd probably have to remove the fronts. This setup works fine for me. Just like others have said, it all depends mostly on how you plan to use your truck.

 

I vote on but you wouldn't have a problem selling them. I know the drivers behind you would appreciate them on along with some law enforcement.