Anyone else have this problem?

I was curious to see if anyone else had this issue with the rubber around the fender area starting to come apart and any recommendations on how to mend it or if it’s just something that happens over time on a 21 year old truck.

thanks in advance

 

There was just a thread recently on applying new rubber transitions.

They are in the Body and Interior / Moulding section on parts.toyota.com (https://parts.toyota.com/a/Toyota_2...-4WD/_65510_6725575/MOULDING/674460-7552.html) That's for my truck, you should use your vin.

You'll also need to get the red and blue clips - look at the parts page for the correct number to get per fender.

By far the hardest part is removing the old clips from the metal side of the fender. You'll need an interior trim removal kit if you don't have one already (like a 5 piece kit off Amazon- should be under $10 bucks).

Otherwise, once the fender is off, you just remove the old rubber and clean the plastic fender (removing all the old adhesive residue, using acetone). The new rubber transitions have double-sided tape on them, just peel and apply evenly. The new rubber transitions are the correct length, you shouldn't need to trim them (ie, don't pull too hard as you apply them).

Be careful with your fenders- you can't replace them.

 

Thank you! I appreciate the feedback and information. I’ll take all of that into consideration. I’m still pretty new here so I didn’t even know where to begin on searching for this topic.

 

Best place to start is the search bar in the upper right corner. This forum is really active and we're all really helpful (if not also sarcastic), and it's almost certain someone has had your issue before and talked about it. Sometimes that's from a 10+ year old thread, but it'll at least get you going in the right direction.

Sometimes the hardest part is knowing the name of whatever widget you're looking for.

You MIGHT be able to get away without removing the fenders, but it's definitely easier if you do, and there's less risk of cracking the fender flairs.

Last time I pulled the flairs off, you just pop them off (after removing the screws on the inside edges), I didn't need any special tools. It's inevitable that you'll break at least a few of the clips, but that's why you order a box of new ones before you start. I had good luck with the red/blue clips off Amazon, it's not really one of those critical parts you need to spend the extra for dealer prices. I don't remember if this is the exact part I bought, but I'm sure it's basically the same thing:

$8 AUTOLA Fender Flare Clip Kit 75495-35010 75397-35010 for Toyota 4Runner Tacoma RAV4 FJ Cruiser, Replacement Parts for Exterior Door Trim Panel Rear Plastic Fender Rocker Panels

https://www.amazon.com/AUTOLA-75495...refix=toyota+fender+flair+clip,aps,269&sr=8-5


I've seen some people use just regular weather stripping, too. Available at your local autoparts store or maybe even home depot. There are tons of different shapes and sizes, there's surely one that's close.

Good luck!

 

Yes! Trying to search the name of something I am not all familiar with has been my struggle but I am excited to keep educating myself even more so on keeping up with my Tacoma maintenance.

My pops is a truck guy and taught me young how to do basic maintenance on any vehicle iv owned and since having the Tacoma I take so much joy in being able to work on my own truck with confidence.

I appreciate your feedback!

 

Keep at it. They are truck greats, and most everything is maintainable- very few systems are dealer only, unlike most cars now-a-days with special diagnostic tools etc.. just to change engine oil.