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Best Approach to Prevent Rock Chips?

8K views 24 replies 17 participants last post by  soonercruiser 
#1 ·
Trying to decide the best approach to preventing rock chips which are thrown from the tires, so I'm asking for your opinion because I'm on the fence with this:


Plan A: Install Mopar Mud Guards


Plan B: Have a strip of Expel installed along the entire lower length of the car up about 10-12" high.


I suspect either will do the job, so comes down to the appearance of mud flaps vs.
having a seam from the film and, I really don't want to do both !


I would very much appreciate your thoughts.


Thank you !
 
#2 ·
I've had three rock chips in the last year....neither one of those solutions would have helped me. I had one up high on the front fender, one on the hood, and unfortunately one in the middle of the windshield.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Leave the car parked in the garage all the time? No,seriously i'm worried about that come spring. I think you go both routes. That's what I'm gonna do.Just to be extra cautious.
 
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#4 ·
I put ZL1 Mud flaps on. Don't even notice them.
Now I just drive it and don't worry. If it chips, I use Dr Color Chip.
1st month I had my SRT, some jackass sat on my hood, so it's all minor from there.
Took me about 3 hours to get it back to respectable.
 
#5 ·
I did both. The splash guard are probably a little more helpful than the X-pel IMO, but I would do both again.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Expel 3M protective film is absolutey awesome.....and worth every penny!
I have had it on 3 of my 5 customized PT Cruiser.
(Only because 2 had custon front ends with no standard kit to fit.)

I got one large bouncing bolt on the Turnpike that hit a flat front PTeaser bumperette....tore the film...but not even a scratch on the paint.

Have the heavy Expel film on all my headlights and fogs.
Last 6 cars...not a lost headlight in 10 years!
The film for the headlights has UV protectant in it; keeps the headlamps from fogging and yellowing too.

I will have it installed on my Challenger this spring.
 
#10 ·
Unfortunately...I've only kept the PTs that I had it one for no more than 5 years.
I do remember one very small edge curling up. Never seen yellowing...especially on the headlight film.
* Actually I'm wrong!
My first customized PT was sold to a third owner last fall.
When I saw it at a show, the headlight film was still clear at 8 years!
 
#9 ·
I've got the MOPAR mud flaps on mine. So far, they've worked well. To me, they are understated looks-wise, and blend with the lines of the vehicle.
 
#12 ·
If you go Xpel be critical of the install and speak up if there look to be issues. My installer got a bad roll of film I guess so he ended up replacing the hood and fender film 2 times. It looks totally killer now, super happy with it. May do the mudflaps in the near future.
 
#13 · (Edited)
I highly recommend the mud flaps, and getting proper paint correction and preparation done before having Xpel installed makes it look a lot better, a good installer makes it very hard to even see it on there.
 
#14 ·

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#22 ·
i'm curious how they are better, are they drill-less? I think the ZL1 are also drill-less, they use the screws already there and the 3M tape I believe. I'll probably install them after they finish my clear-bra and when it settles after a few days
 
#17 ·
I Opted for plan C which is the one where you almost never drive the car. it has worked great so far as i have no rock chips and very little miles on the car after 2 years..lol
 
#18 ·
I try to stay off the freeways because I've had bad encounters with those damn gravel trucks weekends arn't bad no trucks on Sundays and less on Saturdays.

That being said I've never had rock chips on the sides of the my cars but a few on the front nose and lower to mid hood.
Now I wax that area once a month and It seems to work at keeping away the rock chips.
 
#19 ·
I ordered my '18 Challenger T/A with the optional Pirelli P Zero 3 season tires. I kind of regret it because they are so damn sticky! I was only able to drive my car 300 mi before putting it away for winter and I already had a few rock chips behind the front wheels from the P Zeros kicking up everything they run over. I've never been a fan of mud flaps on a Challenger but I had to do it this time. I went with the RPI Designs Hellcat flaps which look very similar to the above mentioned ZL1 flaps. No drill installation. Looks decent and works good. I guess it's just what we have to do with the wider tires on these cars.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Rock chips:
Just a thought: this is no reflection on the OP, but it amazes me when I'm driving down the road, any road, just how many people tailgate. This is indeed WHY I see so many rock chips on the front end of the average car. Walk through a parking and look carefully at the front bumper of each car. You'll be amazed: rock chips galore. And watching the way most people drive, I know how they got there. Driving down 1-4 recently, I counted about 8 out of every 10 cars on the road, noting that they were tailgating. I was thinking... no wonder there are so many multi-car pile-ups. But above that, I have often wondered why somebody would spend a gazillion dollars for a vehicle and then drive it that way. Tailgating at highway speeds is a guaranteed way to get plenty of rock chips. FWIW, the rule of thumb once upon a time was 1 car length for every 10 mph. Guess they don't teach that in driver's training courses any more.
Which brings me to my 2 cents on this thread: the best way to prevent rock chips is keep your distance. I drive at a minimum of 4 seconds behind any car I'm following, not that anybody cares. But it seems to me that a lot of rock chip damage can be averted by just driving a little more conservatively.
 
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