What Are Fender Flares and What Are They Used For?

While fender flares can enhance the look of your truck or SUV there is actually some functionally to installing fender flares on your vehicle.  One of the main reasons people install aftermarket fender flares is that it allows them to put on bigger wheels and tires on their truck or SUV without worrying about them rubbing on your wheel wells.  Fender flares also can help keep your vehicle cleaner while off-roading by keeping mud and dirt from flinging on the side of your vehicle.

What Are Fender Flares Used For?

The main purpose of fender flares is to extend the surface area surrounding your wheel wells.  Installing fender flares can allow you to install bigger wheels and tires on your truck or SUV which can enhance the look of your vehicle. Fender flares work similarly to mud flaps, which help to prevent rocks, mud, and other debris from being kicked up on cars and other vehicles behind you.

Types of Fender Flares

There are three main types of fender flares bolt/pocket, extended, and OEM.  But which type is right for you?

Bolt/Pocket Style

The bolt or pocket style fender flares are the most common type of aftermarket fender flares that are installed.  Bolt style fender flares are called that because the bolts used to attach them are visible on the outside of the fender flares.  These types of fender flares can give your truck or SUV a more rugged look and enhance the look of any vehicle they are installed on.

Depending on the specific bolt style fender flares that you go with will determine the installation difficulty.  If you go with bolt style fender flares that are designed for your specific vehicle they should be easier to install and may only require a small amount or no amount of cutting or drilling.

If you go with bolt style fender flares that are generic you will likely have to deal with a lot more cutting and drilling to get the bolt style fender flares installed.

Extended Style

Extended style fender flares essentially extend the surface of the existing fender flares on your truck or SUV outward.  If you have replaced your stock wheels and tires with bigger wheels and tires then extended fender flares can be useful to you.

Extended fender flares make it less likely for mud and dirt to sling on the side of your vehicle.  Extended fender flares may also be required depending on what state you live in.

In certain states, your wheels cannot exceed the width of your fender flares so extended fender flares must be installed to remain street legal if you are running wider wheels and tires.

OEM Style

Some vehicles will come from the factory with fender flares (think Jeeps and the Ford Raptor pickup truck).  If you are looking for fender flares but still want to keep your truck or SUV looking somewhat stock then I’d recommend researching fender flare options from your vehicle manufacturer.

OEM style fender flares should fit your specific vehicle with minimal to no cutting and drilling.  OEM style fender flares may also be painted to match your specific body color which is a plus if that is one of your requirements for fender flares.

Are Fender Flares Worth It?

Fender flares can enhance the look of your truck or SUV as long as they are paired with bigger wheels and tires to match them.  If you put fender flares on your truck or Jeep and don’t also put on bigger wheels and or tires it can actually make your vehicle look worse.

You want your wheels and tires to stick out almost as much as your fender flares.  Installing fender flares but keeping your stock wheels and tires will make your wheels look small and out of place.

Do I Need Fender Flares?

In some states, it’s actually illegal to have your wheels and tires stick out further than your body panels.  That’s why you don’t ever see any cars from the factory that have wheels and tires wider than their body panels.

If you plan to install wider wheels and tires that will extend past your wheel well and you live in a state that enforces that your wheels must fit inside your wheel wells then I’d recommend getting fender flares for legality purposes.

Otherwise, fender flares are mainly to enhance the appearance of a truck or SUV if wider wheels and tires are going to be installed.

What Are Fender Flares Made Of?

The materials used to make fender flares can vary depending on the type that you go with.  There are metal fender flares that are meant to look like the rest of the body panels of the vehicle.  You can also find fender flares that are made from plastic.

It really just depends on that specific set of fender flares that you are looking at.

How Are Fender Flares Installed?

Most fender flares will need to be installed using double-sided tape and bolts that attach the fender to the side of your truck or SUV.  Depending on the fender flares that you decide to go with will determine how difficult the install will be and how the fender flares will be installed.

I’d recommend going with fender flares that are designed for your specific vehicle so that cutting and drilling is minimal.  Otherwise, you may hurt the resell value of your truck or SUV if you have to do extensive cutting and drilling on your body panels.

Can You Paint Fender Flares?

Yes, you can paint your fender flares to match the body panels of your truck or SUV.  Jeeps have the Sahara edition that comes with body painted fender flares from the factory.  It really comes down to you and your preferences.

If you prefer to go with fender flares that don’t match your body color then I’d recommend going with plastic fender flares or metal fender flares that are painted black.

Do Fender Flares Prevent Rust?

While fender flares can enhance the appearance of your vehicle they will not help prevent rust and can actually contribute to increasing rust formation.  Fender flares won’t prevent water from hitting your fenders which if you don’t know water is a main contributor to cause oxidation and rust on steel body panels.

If you install aftermarket fender flares that require additional holes to be drilled those holes will be susceptible to rust.  To help combat rust in areas that you have to do additional drilling I’d recommend painting over the holes that you create with your drill.  That way they are somewhat protected from the elements.

Fender flares can cover up some rust that has already started on your fenders but if rust has already started to take hold it’s tough to stop.  At some point, you may have issues with your fender flares falling off because they no longer have a place to be mounted on your fenders because of rust holes.

Do Fender Flares Prevent Rock Chips?

While fender flares can’t prevent rust they can do a good job of preventing rock chips on your vehicle.  Rocks can be tossed up by your tires when driving which can contribute rock chips on the side of your car.

Fender flares can help prevent rock chips as they will cover more a larger area of your tires and prevent as many rocks from being tossed up by your tires when you are driving.

Can Fender Flares Be Removed?

Fender flares themselves won’t ruin the paint job on your vehicle but it may be hard to revert back to your stock fender flares once you’ve installed aftermarket fender flares.

If the fender flares have been installed for a long time and your vehicle has set outside for a long time then the paint that has been exposed to the sun may be faded compared to the paint that was protected by the aftermarket fender flares.

The fender flares that you decide to install my also require drilling, if so your stock fender flares may not cover up the holes that were created to install the aftermarket fender flares.

This is something to take into consideration before installing fender flares on your truck or SUV as you may want to remove them if you plan to resell the vehicle down the line.

What Are the Best Fender Flares?

When it comes to which fender flares are best it really depends on your specific vehicle that you plan to install them on and what type of fender flares you want to go with.  I’d recommend finding fender flares that are made for your specific vehicle and aren’t just generic fender flares that need to be modified before installing.

When you buy fender flares that are made for your specific truck or SUV there will be instructions for how to install them on your specific vehicle.  Usually, fender flares designed for a specific vehicle will also require minimal cutting and drilling which is also a plus.

The most common vehicles to install fender flares on are Jeeps and trucks like the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado.

Related Questions

Can you install fender flares without cutting?  Some fender flares can be installed without the need for cutting or drilling, it all depends on the brand of fender flares that you go with and those specific fender flares.

If you’d like to install fender flares but aren’t thrilled with the idea of cutting into your fenders or drilling into your body panels then I’d look for a set that specifically says that no cutting or drilling is required.