Though I've had winter tires on since before the snow fell the other day in the GTA, I haven't taken the car out. I'm wanting to get the mud guards on prior to doing that. Just can't stand all the crap that sprays up the side and the back of the car. Hopefully the guards will help alot with that??

Are these things easy to install?

Or do they come with really bad instructions like everything else I seem to buy (whether it be IKEA furniture or the kitchen faucet I just installed with only 3 leftover parts )?

How long do you suppose it'll take to install all four?

I don't need to jack up the car, do I?

Thanks for your help.

Herbert

 

Herbert:

The front splash guards do need some cutting required to get them installed. There is a rubber lining that runs under and close to the rail of the cars pinch welds. This needs to be trimmed in order to install the front splash guards. I did the install last summer without issue. You do not need to remove the wheels or jack the car up, but it would be best to drive them up on a set of ramps (I used my rhino ramps). This gives you much more room to work on the underneath of the car as opposed to it just on its wheels.

The rear splash guards are a snap. I can install them now within 20mins. You just need a reall good short-nosed screwdriver. It is very tight to get in between the wheels and those plastic screws to get them undone.

I love the look of the 8 with F/R splash guards. Enclosed is a pic of my 8 with her winter wheels on and F/R spalsh guards..

Good luck!

 

If you are ever going to install the strakes, do them before the front mud guards. The guards use some double sided tape and would be hard to get off.

I used some good strong snips to cut the rubber molding underneath. Don't go by the measurements in the instructions as you will cut them too short. Measure it yourself for a better fit.

 

^^ for sure...don't use their measurements...they are about 3/4 of an inch out....

 

Are the spray guards body coloured or black? The ones that I have are a PITA, mostly because the road grunge accumulates in the little cranny just above them. Sure, they keep the doors clean, but they are a pain to wash clean.

 

Thanks guys.

Thanks about the measurements, I hate cutting things more than once.

SeaRay - I didn't even think about the strakes. I've been thinking about getting them but I guess if I'm going to do it, I should do it now.

YT1300 - Mine will be red. He asked for the colour of the car and needed to use a colour code to order. I hear what your saying about them being a PITA, but I'd rather have the grunge in the guards than on the side of the car.

 

I just installed mine when I put on the winter stocks a couple of weeks ago and it only took me about 30 mins each side with the tires off so it was pretty quick and painless.

The unfortunately thing is that I followed the instructions to the tee so I have the 3/4 inch space in the rock guard

 

I'm going to install tonight. What did you guys use to cut/snip?

 

Mazda recommends your handy dandy ultrasonic cutter!


I used a tin snip although a kitchen scissors would probably do.

 

I've never heard of an ultrasonic cutter. Do people just have them laying around the house? I used tin snips as well. I did the one side tonight... the side I can get at in the garage. Tomorrow, I'll pull the car out and (after sufficiently warming it up of course) will do the other side. They look good. Hope they keep the crap off the car.

 

So far after two snofalls they definitely work. I used to get all kinds of garbage on my strakes and it's significantly less now, as well as up the side of the door.

The only thing I don't like is without the appearance package it doesn't look all that great by themselves. I plan to pick up the package in the spring but figured I wouldn't put the cosmetic parts through a nasty Toronto weather too.

Unrelated Note: If anyone in T.O. has any sunlight silver appearance pieces they removed for whatever reason I'd be interested.