How Important Are Mud Flaps?

I've got a 2018 OR that did not come with mud flaps and I never really thought about putting any on. I do typical weekend warrior type stuff, often involving dirt/gravel roads and some minor rock stuff. I don't care about some mud getting thrown onto the body as I'm usually good about washing it, but is it bad for my undercarriage to not have them?

 

Mud flaps will save your lower body panels on dirt/gravel roads. Very possible to tear them off in the rocks. As to mud, if you leave it you will eventually have a higher corrosion rate on stuff under the truck.

 

I like them even for driving on the highway too... They keep your tires from throwing up stones and debris on the poor fella behind you. I hate it when the driver in front of me kicks up stones, etc. and they hit my vehicle and/or wind shield. I don't want to do it to any body else either.

Ted

 

I don’t have any installed. I won’t go out and install some. I’m not worried about the damage (rock chips), I just keep it waxed and protected. I haven’t found anything that I would call damage. Get dirty AF, then clean it.

 

The Toyota ones are not that great. They are molded, hard plastic that are likely to rip off while offroad. I removed mine, but heard too many loud hits from stuff bouncing off the rockers. I installed some cheap universals that flex and only hear something once in a while.

Save yourself at least $100 and go with the nicer, cheap ones.

 

That's what she said....

 

One could argue that a coating of mud protects from rock chip damage...

My '13 ripped its mud flaps off in short order. My '20 didn't come with any and I'm not missing them.

 

I live in MN, winter time mud flaps are a gift from God. But they also protect my body from rocks getting kicked up by my tires.

 

if you like stone chips, followed by rust, by all means, dont install flaps. the more aggressive tires, the more chips. if you drive dirt roads and no flaps, you may even encounter "sandblassted lower finish look", that you CANNOT FIX BY POLISHING, OR WAXING. Your results may vary. Ski

 

I splattered my boat big time last summer with dirt so put on some Rekgens this spring. A must, IMO.

 

How flexible are they? Are they just going to rip off if they hit a rock?

 

Potentially yes! They will. You can get a more flexible option! RAD Rubber makes some and a few other options!

 

I have the "stock" hard flaps and figured they'd get ripped off on a trail. Any suggestions for a cheaper, more flexible option?

 

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Building-Materials-Glass-Plastic-Sheets-Rubber-Sheets/N-5yc1vZcj87

Buy some sheet rubber, trace your stock flaps onto it and cut it out. They will be floppy, and with all the rubber you get from a roll you can make a bunch of extras. If you need to make them less floppy you can add some metal coat hanger wire and zip ties.

 

Mud flaps defeat the whole purpose of having high ground clearance. They will break easily if you do any serious off-roading. I had mud flaps on my 2015 Tacoma and they would hit the ground every time I went over a speed bump! It was very annoying to have to worry about speed bumps in a truck!

 

i have these pretty cool slider/steps that let me remove my front flaps and the rocks hit them instead.
I dont know if they were stock or not.

 

What steps are those? Are they just steps or actual rock sliders? Nice looking truck!

 

I am not sure I bought it used and never looked into it.
But with these sliders/steps(idk if they are just a step or a slider) theres no way for a rock to hit the outside of the truck. I can hear rocks hit them all the time.

another user might be able to chime in as to which they are.

 

found them!

https://parts.freemantoyota.com/p-2016-tacoma-shark-running-boardd-cab-00012a167402

looks like just a regular step.

 

Thanks for finding them! They do look nice.