Model S Refresh Mud/Splash Guards

[CaptUAL]

Name your price and please count me in for a set!

 

[JavTPY]

I am in too! Awesome job and thank you for all the hard work!

 

[Bull]

I am in as well and happy to pay - just name your price and send me a PM with payment instructions. Thank you for all of your work making these as good as possible.

 

[WilliamG]

I am in as well and happy to pay - just name your price and send me a PM with payment instructions. Thank you for all of your work making these as good as possible.

Yep. Same here. The idea that this wait for awesome flaps is nearly over…just - beautiful!

 

[derichio02]

Im in as well. Excited every time I get a notification that there is an update to this thread!

 

[gbailey]

Really nice work! Love the integrated thermoformed clip. Great idea which will also reduce the chance of corrosion. I’m in for a set as well.

 

[Laddcruzer]

You are a scholar and an artist. I’m on board if there’s room for one more.

 

[M4H4X]

I got all you folks. Should be tidying everything up this week. More updates to follow (wrestling the flaps and three small businesses this week, otherwise I would have finished it all up today.)

 

[shadowmike]

I'm in as well. Tell me how to pay lol. You are a Saint

 

[WilliamG]

Out of interest, can the fronts be installed without removing the wheels?

 

[M4H4X]

Out of interest, can the fronts be installed without removing the wheels?

Yes they can! I did my prototype set that way (including drilling the 1 hole needed in the plastic fender liner).

 

[WilliamG]

Yes they can! I did my prototype set that way (including drilling the 1 hole needed in the plastic fender liner).

Fantastic news!!!

 

[StiTChEs37]

This is really incredible work - thanks so very much for all of this! If there is still a spot left, I'd gladly pay for time, material, shipping, beer, the kitchen sink...

 

[jebinc]

Yes they can! I did my prototype set that way (including drilling the 1 hole needed in the plastic fender liner).

@M4H4X How about the rears, now that you are using the incorporated ABS clip?

 

[Spyderman09]

I'm in if you're able to squeeze in another. Thank you!

 

[M4H4X]

Settled on final clip shape. About to cut first test front with the clip (after a few meetings. )

 

[jm404]

Please take my money!

 

[M4H4X]

Ok I believe this is the final clip shape:

Pre gapped so it won’t be under high stress under the fender.

It’s all kinds of ugly on the back:

Not really any way around this without a proper thermoform mold, which I don’t have.

But the portion that you can see once installed is fine:

And here is the “scrap” piece on a fender:

 

[jebinc]

Ok I believe this is the final clip shape:

View attachment 739168

Pre gapped so it won’t be under high stress under the fender.

It’s all kinds of ugly on the back:View attachment 739167

Not really any way around this without a proper thermoform mold, which I don’t have.

But the portion that you can see once installed is fine:

View attachment 739169

And here is the “scrap” piece on a fender:
View attachment 739166

Nice creative work!

I wonder if the tension in the thermoplastic loop will be retained over time and temperature, or if it will loosen?
It’s not “spring steel,” after all!

 

[M4H4X]

Nice creative work!

I wonder if the tension in the thermoplastic loop will be retained over time and temperature, or if it will loosen?
It’s not “spring steel,” after all!

ABS has a glass transition temperature of around 221 F, so it should remain ductile up until and slightly past the point where water would be boiling. So it … should. Be fine.

I’d be more concerned about brittleness. ABS becomes brittle below about -20F, which for some of you folks in CA might be an issue. But so would the entire mud flap at that point. (Big rock could crack it). That’s why I pre-gapped the clip so it would be under minimum stress.

That’s probably why most mud flaps are made of some form of Injection molded Neoprene which stays useable until about -50F.

Edit: Also worth pointing out the nylon fastners holding your fender wells in and rocker panels on etc are probably made of nylon 6,6 (with some extra stuff) which also has a minimum service temperature of between -40 F and -22 F. They, like the mud flaps, are fine at those temps but may shatter/break if subjected to stress.