Learn All About Fender Moulding
What Is Fender Moulding?
These
days it has become common to get a widebody kit for your car that makes your
ride look more aggressive. The main drawback, however, is the hefty price bills
these widebody kits have and require many modifications to the car for
installation making it impractical to most users. However, there is an
alternative called Fender
Moulding, more commonly
referred to as Fender Flares. The Fender Moulding is a plastic or metal piece that
extends over the wheel well for heavily offset or oversized wheels and tires,
and in some cars are a standard feature or for an upgraded kit. These trims can
make your car look meaner and leaner while also acting as protection from
rocks, rubble, and debris that can affect your precious paintwork while costing
very little effort and money to replace.
Where Are Fender Moulding Located?
They
can be bolted right onto the car fender above the wheel well and usually also have similar pieces for the rear
quarter-panel above the
rear wheels.
Types Of Fender Moulding
Fender mouldings come in a variety of different styles to
match any vehicle types be it an extreme off-roader or a cargo-hauling pickup
truck. However, the two main types are:
- OEM Fender Flares: They are mouldings
that come standard on a particular truck or SUV model.
- Pocket Fender Flares Or Riveted Fender
Flares: Typically
have a rugged, exposed hardware look to them where bolts are visible, but
purely decorative. Many pocket-style fender flares are able to be custom
painted.
- Street Style Flares: They're low profile so they're unobtrusive and some may add a touch of extra well coverage for slightly wider tire combos.
- Cut-out fender flares: They are designed
to extend and cover very large wheels.
Important Features Of Fender Moulding
Here
are some of the advantages of having Fender Mouldings:
- The
main purposes of the Fender Mouldings are; they act as an extension of the
Fenders that provides additional coverage for heavily offset or oversized
wheels and tires.
- Fender
Flares will keep a truck or SUV in compliance with Vehicle Equipment Laws,
which lowers the likelihood of Police fines, which may be levied upon widebody
kit users.
- They also help retain resale value by deflecting rocks and debris away from the vehicle’s body. By installing these, you are protecting your investment as well as adhering to tire coverage laws.
- Fender
Mouldings also gives you the advantage of styling your vehicle for a unique
limited edition look. Most Flares come ready to paint out of the box, which
gives you the ability to style your vehicle in a variety of different ways.
Besides painting, you can also Line-X, Rhino line, or Kevlar coat them. They
come in a variety of styles, from low profile to big and bold. Most Flares do
not require any cutting or drilling and use pre-existing factory holes to
fasten securely.
Frequent Problems With Fender Moulding
The
primary focus of the Fender mouldings is to protect the other important
bodywork of the car from rocks and debris thrown by the tread on the offset
tires which can greatly damage the vehicle sides. In doing so the flares take
all the abuse and get tattered up overtime. These are stuck on in most cases,
using tape which expires after prolonged use and causes the moulding to fall
off the body or fender. They also allow significant dirt and grime accumulation
which can eventually corrode the metal panels.
Symptoms Of Bad Fender Moulding
With
prolonged use these mouldings will show signs of deterioration and the elements
can take their toll on these plastic pieces. They look worn out and tattered
and the most obvious sign may be that they start hanging off the bodywork due
to lack of adhesion. They also crack on impacts. These are mainly used for protection
purposes and hence replacing them would not only increase protection but also
enhance the overall styling of the vehicle.
Tools Needed For Fender Moulding
There are a number of skilled auto mechanics who have a
goal of opening their own car repair shop at some point in their career. But
let’s face it; if you want to put up an efficient as well as profit making
shop, then you might need much more than mechanical skills. There are a number
of tools which you might need to perform the car repairs quickly as well as
reliably. Auto repair equipment that you will need to repair your Fender
Moulding may include:
To avoid scratching the precious paintwork on the car
while removing the Fender Mouldings and to refit it, make sure to use the
following tools:
Top Brands For Fender Moulding
If customers trust a brand, then it would make them loyal, and if they are loyal, then they will surely buy more. We are well aware that customers want comfort, cheerfulness as well as satisfaction in their lives and that’s the reason why we offer top quality auto parts brands to our customers. We make sure to provide a positive experience to our consumers from the brands which we are offering so that they can form an opinion that a particular auto parts brand is trustworthy and would give them peace of mind while they are purchasing it for their car. Here we have listed out some top brands for Fender Moulding.
Related Parts Of Fender Moulding
If you are like most of us, then you won’t know much
about the related components of car Fender Moulding. Fear not! Here is a quick
and easy guide to explain the related parts of the Fender Moulding.
For a customised look that also adds structural
protection to the vehicle consider buying other mouldings and related parts
such as:
Total Cost & Repair Times, Effort For Fender Moulding
Fender
Mouldings are a great addition to any truck or SUV as they greatly enhance the
overall look of the vehicle making it look tougher and more aggressive while
also protecting the bodywork. There is not much in terms of maintenance that
can be done on such elements but cleaning them regularly will surely prolong
their life. The Fender mouldings come in a variety of different styles and
sizes to match anyone's preference. They are a great investment as they are
much cheaper than widebody kits while offering a similar mean look. The price
range varies from around 200-700 dollars.
How To Change the Fender Mouldings?
Changing the Fender
moulding requires a little persistence and the right tools. Follow along these
steps for an easy removal process:
1. In case of Stuck-On Fender Mouldings - Use a plastic scraper
and insert it between the fender and the moulding and gently scrape off the
moulding from the tape underneath. This will require a little persistence but
should come right off. Alternatively, you can use a heat gun or a
hairdryer to heat the surface of the moulding which will warm up the glue and
help reduce the effort required to remove the moulding.
- Once the moulding is
off and if the tape is still adhered to the surface of the vehicle, use a
plastic scraper to remove all the gunk before installing the new moulding.
- To apply the new
moulding, use 3M double-sided tape and stick the moulding in line with the
tape. Apply a little pressure to make sure the adhesion is strong.
2. In case of Bolt-On Fender Mouldings - Find all the bolts on the moulding. Some may also be found in the wheel well.
- Undo all the bolts
using a ratchet and the appropriate socket. The mouldings should come right
off.
- Installing the new
moulding may require certain modifications depending on the moulding type.
- Make necessary
adjustments and bolt the new fender moulding in place.