Fender flares necessary with larger tires that stick out?

[Lamarsh]

I have a 2018 Big Horn, and recently put 285-75-17 BFG KO2s on, with Fox 2.0 set to full 2-3" lift (whatever it is). The tires stick out a good amount, and because the Big Horns do not come stock with any kind of wheel well flare whatsoever, you can really see them sticking out. I've noticed the truck does get muddier, but what I'm really wondering is if I need flares to prevent damage while running a somewhat aggressive tread AT tire?

I installed Bushwacker pocket flares on my old Gen 3 2008, had 35s that stuck out, and I thought the flares looked cool, but those flares had voids inside of them that would trap moisture and actually caused rust below the flare, so if I get flares on this new truck I was thinking of just sticking to the Mopar ones that come with the Laramies, and maybe even getting them installed by a body shop.

Thoughts?

 

[MADDOG]

I put them on with some 3M clear bra material between the flare and the fender to avoid the rust and rub damage.

I also put them on to cut down on the amount of material that comes off the tires and smacks the rocker panels, cutting down on paint damage in that area.

 

[Lamarsh]

I put them on with some 3M clear bra material between the flare and the fender to avoid the rust and rub damage.

I also put them on to cut down on the amount of material that comes off the tires and smacks the rocker panels, cutting down on paint damage in that area.

Thanks for the feedback. A few questions if you don't mind me asking.

What kind of flares did you buy?

Were they hollow in the center like a shell, or solid? I was just concerned there would be some void between the outside plastic shell and my truck's paint where moisture can get trapped, like how it did with those Bushwhacker pocket flares I had on my old truck.... Are you saying you just put the bra material on to preserve the paint below the flares? I was thinking of just putting a thick layer of wax on first, but your idea is much better! But I'm still worried about crap and moisture getting caught between it. There's gotta be a way to put these on to avoid that, I imagine body shops have to replace them pretty often.

 

[MADDOG]

On my 2014 I purchased the Bushwacker pocket flares. I did use the 3M Clear Bra material and the flares come with a nice vinyl press in seal that goes between the body & the flare.

Those flares are formed and sealed but the center is hollow. The backside is fully enclosed and I saw no gaps between the fender and the flare when they were installed. They are rigid enough not to move around and the wall material is heavy enough that they won't deform and pull away from the body of the truck.

The biggest variable I can see that can cause material to get in between the body and flare is the quality of the installation, not the quality of the Bushwacker flare.

This is the 2014:

I never got a chance to check out the body where the flares were installed as that truck came to a bad end:



But look at the flare on the passenger side fender. It's still stuck in place even being as bent as it is. I think it sealed pretty good.

On my 2017 I have the factory 2500 flare package and am considering getting some Bushwacker's color matched and installed on it.


I'm pretty sure the factory did not use any 3M Clear Bra material nor is there much of a seal between the backside of the OEM flares and the body, which sort of concerns me.

 

[Lamarsh]

The biggest variable I can see that can cause material to get in between the body and flare is the quality of the installation, not the quality of the Bushwacker flare.

LOL that was likely the problem with my Bushwhackers, I installed them. There was a few gaps between that rubber and my paint, and it let moisture in.

How did you go about installing them and ensuring they were tightly sealed?

Looks like they didn't save the front of your truck from whatever hit it. Geez man!

 

[MADDOG]

I cheated and used a professional shop for the installation. They've done dozens, if not hundreds, of flare installs.

Believe it or not, that poor black truck looked a lot better than the other truck...and it still ran!

 

[Graygoose]

I bought the Laramie OEM ones and put on my Bighorn

 

[Lamarsh]

I bought the Laramie OEM ones and put on my Bighorn

View attachment 138016

Looks nice. Tires still stick out though?

 

[monettejb]

The reason I never went with them is because I read a lot of threads stating that if you didn't remove them every once in a while and clean behind them, fine grit, dirt, mud, etc, got behind them and caused a "rub line" on the fender. This is about the case for even mud flaps so it's all in what you want. I just never had a problem without flares, but mine was more for looks. I was never one to just throw my truck in the mud to see how dirty or when I could get it stuck.