Mud flap effectiveness after 1.5k miles (or lack of)

[ratsbew]

Fascinating. Seems like a simple change to the type of plastic could make a big difference.

 

[MY2Ski]

My Y is a lower SN~6xxx and I have been driving it since last June. Total miles ~6,000 but ~1,500 of that was in snow with gravel in it. Severe paint damage and I did put on the mud flaps as soon as they were available, but the damage was already done. My 12 year old Acura RDX which has seen similar conditions has maybe 1% this amount of damage. Looking into getting some tough PPF (satin black) to cover the bottoms of the doors including the leading edges and bottom edges.

 

[monteitis]

Has anyone tried to use something like VRP or 303 aerospace on the plastic rockers to restore the plastic? I've used these on the interior plastics that looked a bit scratched up and they look almost new afterwards.

I use honda polish for everything on cars & motorbikes. Look it up, my favorite product of all time. Can use for waterless washes and detailing on paint, plastics, metals, whatever. Works great on stovetop too.

 

[LwlPeak]

My Y is a lower SN~6xxx and I have been driving it since last June. Total miles ~6,000 but ~1,500 of that was in snow with gravel in it. Severe paint damage and I did put on the mud flaps as soon as they were available, but the damage was already done. My 12 year old Acura RDX which has seen similar conditions has maybe 1% this amount of damage. Looking into getting some tough PPF (satin black) to cover the bottoms of the doors including the leading edges and bottom edges.
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View attachment 661134

My gosh. This is horrendous.

 

[EVisstillacar]

I just added the PPF myself yesterday. I don't love it to be honest and I'll be happily surprised if it makes much difference. Sort of like when grandma puts plastic on the couch. The rockers (Plastic under the door) is getting it the worst. I wonder what it would cost to just replace those at some point, if I even care to.

I regret getting PPF for our 2021 model 3. Had service tech install that (behind rear wheel well), along with front mudflaps. Today when I washed the car, a month after installation, and there is a line of dirt all along the seam. Also, the tech obviously didn’t wash his hands before installation, as there are greasy fingerprints visible around the edges. I feel like ‘it’s just a car, let the paint take the hits’.

 

[JHCCAZ]

Here's our 2015 Subaru Crosstrek as an example. Has the same type of plastic trim (different finish/material it seems) in the same location. After six years and over 100k miles it has zero marks on it. Just some schmutz that I wiped away towards the bottom to show the surface but no damage whatsoever. View attachment 656819

My first new car was a 1981 Mazda GLC, a little white sedan. It came with a super-tough pebbly plastic rock guard in body color,, applied over the lower fender behind the rear wheel. Probably sprayed on but possibly an adhesive mount. That stuff still looked new when the car was old.

So this is nothing secret or new, just that Tesla hasn't utilized it. I suppose it's possible that the good chemical formulas are banned (Known to the State of California to Cause Retention of Value and to Be Incompatible With Natural Erosion Processes )

 

[ToasterStrudel]

thats painful to see. my 4runner has side steps and ppf on lower doors because with off road tires here in colorado, alot of snow and sludge gets kicked to the sides. but no paint damage on it.

i'm glad i decided to get ppf on the lower section of the doors too

 

[Midnightsun]

Has anyone tried to use something like VRP or 303 aerospace on the plastic rockers to restore the plastic? I've used these on the interior plastics that looked a bit scratched up and they look almost new afterwards.

I came across Stoners trim shine about a month ago at Walmart. Really did a great job and lasted weeks. Just spray on and you're done. Product

 

[1plavs]

These are the flaps I'm using now 4 Garde-boues Tesla Model Y - I had some clips that my ZL1 flaps came with that I used to attach them instead of drilling into the trim. Worked perfectly. Also, only using in the front. I should have gone with these from the start as the ZL1's were too sleek (looked more minimalistic), not deep enough or wide enough.

Are these better than Tesla’s oem flaps? Why did you just go with the front and not the rear?

 

[electricloris]

Im getting rocker PPF installed, luckily even at like 1k miles the southwest roads are pretty normal. I feel for you up north. I used to live there and my cars looked like they got sandblasted on the lower panels. Good luck brother

 

[Michigan Man]

I regret getting PPF for our 2021 model 3. Had service tech install that (behind rear wheel well), along with front mudflaps. Today when I washed the car, a month after installation, and there is a line of dirt all along the seam. Also, the tech obviously didn’t wash his hands before installation, as there are greasy fingerprints visible around the edges. I feel like ‘it’s just a car, let the paint take the hits’.

I feel this. May as well just wrap the whole car a different color in a few years, change things up!

 

[Matever]

The design of the ZL1 Addons guards prevent rocks from flaying off the leading edge of the tire down the side of your vehicle. The damage your car is experiencing is being thrown from the underside of the tire and it is hitting the rocker and ultimately the rear rocker panel leading to the rear wheel well. These cars like many others need side skit extensions to stop 100% of the damage.

 

[MY2Ski]

Pacific NW same problem. No salt but we gravel/pumice (see the porous pink rock in the tread) a lot and it sand blasts Tesla's. My 12YO Acura has only <5% this level of damage and has seen similar conditions. Also same story at the SC. Looking into getting some trim stripes that cover from the door crease down to cover this up and delay further damage.

 

[E_R_N]

Anyone have any luck with TEsla on this? I pretty much got told to bad, your fault.

 

[electricloris]

Rocker PPF is worth the investment, its like a few hundred bucks at most detailing places. Mine already looks sandblasted, and doors are harder to correct than a bumper