Mud flaps "skirt"

Submitted: Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 14:12
ThreadID: 43160 Views:2584 Replies:8 FollowUps:2
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Gday, how much clearance should I leave from the ground with the mudflap I am making to fit the whole width of the fourby?

Already have the rubber. I want them to be effective but also don't want them to catch on everything and actually flick up rocks onto the CT that would have otherwise gone underneath. Should they just be the same as the original mudflaps, or lower?

Thanks

Barnesy
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Reply By: Member - Kevin H (WA) - Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 14:28

Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 14:28
Hi Barnesy
i read some where that it should be about 75mm from the ground to the bottom of the flap, i will have a look later and see if i can find the site that i read it on.

I am also thinking of making one for my Patrol but am not sure on a design, if possible can you point me in the right direction as to a design.

Cheer's

Kev
AnswerID: 226936

Follow Up By: Member - Barnesy (SA) - Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 15:18

Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 15:18
Still working out the best design. Looking at some of the dings I've made in the bottom of the bumper bar from not enough departure angle, I'm trying to work out the best way not to make it any lower.

Seen many with angle or RHS iron underneath the towbar, with a little tab welded on that bolts on with the existing horizontal bolt for the towbar.

I may end up welding some angle iron onto the towbar itself that i can use as a bracket and bolt it to some upside down angle iron that's jioned to the rubber.

Still working out how to secure the rubber that's extending out past the bodywork. Reluctant to extend the angle iron out that far, due to catching, but i may have to.

Barnesy
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Reply By: Member -Signman - Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 14:32

Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 14:32
I think 75mm is a bit low. I guess you need them low enough to stop rocks being thrown- but high enough for them not to scrape, especially on uneven terrain. I reckon 150 - 200mm would be close to the mark.
AnswerID: 226937

Reply By: Bonz (Vic) - Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 14:40

Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 14:40
I would leave around 100mm when fully loaded.
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Reply By: traveller2 - Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 15:15

Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 15:15
I found that about 200mm was about right but even that will hit the centre on dirt tracks when going through bumps and ditches.
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Reply By: Bros 1 - Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 16:13

Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 16:13
Barnesy,
What ever height you come up with, take into account the hump in the middle of dirt roads/tracks. I did outback Qld a couple of years ago and fininshed up having to trim excess off mid trip to combat the road hump. Every time we stopped overnight i had to clean out kilos of stones/rocks from the front of the C/T.
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Bros.
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Reply By: Member - Norm C (QLD) - Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 19:13

Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 19:13
When I made one, I left a gap of about 400mm in the centre. So I had two separate flaps of about 600mm width each. They were bolted (stainless steel bolts) to 50 x25 RHS. I used very large washers on the bolts to support the rubber, and put the bolts about 60 to 70mm apart.

It joined to the 4B with two D shackles on each side. I had a couple of handy supports on my rear protection bars that I could drill a hole through.

It worked well, and covered 16,00 KM on our Kimberley trip, including 6,000 KM off the bitumen. But I recently cut some of the rubber off to make a replacement mud flap, so it is out of commission. Toyota wanted $105 for one rear mud flap. Yeh, right. I made one for 'nothing' from the rubber I had.
AnswerID: 226998

Reply By: outback epicurean - Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 21:03

Monday, Mar 12, 2007 at 21:03
Hi

Make sure you have your trailer loaded and attached as the back will most likely be quite a bit lower.

Agree to leave a gap in the middle, will stop the flaps catching on middle rocks and will also reduce drag and so improve fule consumption.

Finally, need to careful with the type of rubber you use. I used what i thought was heavy enough but that was in Victoria in the winter. it was too soft in the hot weather in Qld. Swopped it for some very thick rubber but this actually caused more problems with stones. They hit the hard rubber, bounced onto the road then back up onto the trailer. Finally got some that was intermediate and its OK but be perpared to reploace it as it will inevitably get dragged onto rocks etc somewhere along the way.

good luck
AnswerID: 227031

Follow Up By: Motherhen - Tuesday, Mar 13, 2007 at 00:07

Tuesday, Mar 13, 2007 at 00:07
Good advice about measuring it fully loaded, outback epicurean. Even when my husband gets in the driver's seat, it comes a lot closer to the ground. We see some people with theirs dragging on the road, kicking up dust and dirt. We left a gap in the middle for air flow too. It was difficult to fit it on to our Patrol - not a lot of room, and had to get around tow hitch, trailer light plug and exhaust (we had the exhaust slightly turned to the side to accommodate it)
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Reply By: Member - Duncs - Tuesday, Mar 13, 2007 at 15:46

Tuesday, Mar 13, 2007 at 15:46
I have been towing a camper all over the place for the last 10 years or so and don't see the need for a full width mudflap.

There is a theory that they actually create a low pressure area behind the flap which lifts small rocks etc. up into the path of the trailer. This made sense to me when I first heard it and I tend to accept at least the theory of it. The other thing I figured is that it is just more weight to carry and I don't need any more of that.

Someone in a thread here suggested that 2c is no longer legal tender but I still reckon that's what my advice is worth.

Duncs
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