Guide to installing splash guards and mud flaps

[bmanbmv]

Well, I finally took some time to add my splash guards and some aftermarket mud flaps. First you need to get some generic car mud flaps. The ones I bought where from autozone made by highland park for $9 a pair. I ordered my splash guards from mynissanparts.com for about $120. It comes with all the screws and snap pins you will need but no directions. I started with the rear section first. You will need to remove the rear wheels (This will make you job a lot easier, since no room for a screw driver between wheel and fender). First, you will need to drill pilot holes through the two punched indends as shown in the red cirles in the pic below. After you have made your pilot holes, you will need to place the clips (provided with splash guards) on the fender body over the holes where you will put in the screws, so they have something to tighten against:


Next, you will need to prep the area, whip down with alcohol and get the rear splash gaurd ready as shown below (the rears have two holes in the fender well versus 1 hole for the fronts)


Next, you will need to remove the plastic cover over the adhesive tape on the inside of the splash gaurd and place into position (remember, you need a clean, dry surface before attaching). Be sure to line up the two snap pins on the bottom (there are pre-drilled holes on the bottom valance). Put the snap pins into the holes and push until they lock into place as shown below:



Next, you will need to take your mup flap (I decided to use the whole mud flap instead of cutting it down like some other people on this forum) and place into desired location. Make a mark on the mud flap where the two screw holes line up in the splash gaurd. Drill out those two holes and place into position and tighten down with the two screw as shown in the first pic below. I then added two addition self-tapping metal screws into the top of the mud flap and bottom as shown in the second pic below:



Next, I moved onto the installation of the front splash guards. Remember that the fronts are smaller and only have 1 hole on the fender well side as shown below. Also, for some reason from this point on I could not get pics to load into this page directly, so I will have to add links to each photo from my profile album.
http://forums.maxima.org/picture.php...ictureid=11447

First, you will need to rotate the tire out of the way. Next you will need to remove the two screw on the fender body. The top one (as indicated by the arrow in next pic) will be used to attach the mud flap and the bottom screw will be used to attach the splash guard and mud flap:
http://forums.maxima.org/picture.php...ictureid=11453

Next, remove the plastic cover on the adhesive tape on the inside of the splash guard and place splash guard on the car in the correct location (remember to clean the surface first). Insert the two snap pins into the bottom of the splash guard and push into place until they lock (there are pre-drilled holes on the bottom of the valance for this). Next, place the mud flap in desired location and drill the holes for the two screw sites. Place mud flap on, and screw down. Then use two self-tapping metal screw and tighten down the top and bottom of the mud flap as shown in the next figure:
http://forums.maxima.org/picture.php...ictureid=11454

And then repeat on the other side, It took me about 2 hours to complete. I know other people have used only half or part of the mud flap and attached to the very bottom of the splash guard but I feel like this looks more like a factory installed part. I have asked several people and I had to show them exactly what part I added. My wife could not even tell that I added them! It sticks down below the car about 2-3 inches and to the side of the car a max of about 1/2 inch. Here are some finshed pics:

Rear before I put tire back on:
http://forums.maxima.org/picture.php...ictureid=11452

Front splash guard and mud flap from front view:
http://forums.maxima.org/picture.php...ictureid=11455

Rear splash guard + mud flap from behind:
http://forums.maxima.org/picture.php...ictureid=11458

Front splash guard and mud flap from the rear:
http://forums.maxima.org/picture.php...ictureid=11456

[KillaKam]

Originally Posted by bmanbmv

Well, I finally took some time to add my splash guards and some aftermarket mud flaps. First you need to get some generic car mud flaps. The ones I bought where from autozone made by highland park for $9 a pair. I started with the rear section first. You will need to remove the rear wheels (This will make you job a lot easier). First, remove the two screws as shown in the red cirles in the pic below:

Are there any other instructions ppl that want to add this onto there car or is that pretty much the end of it?

[bmanbmv]

All completed

[KillaKam]

Nice write up on it... I'm sure that it will come in good use.. Thanx for taking the time do write it up.

[lightonthehill]

Very nicely done. Those flaps look remarkably similar to the ones I put on my car last winter. The only difference I see is that I used SUV-size (15" X 9") Highland flaps on the rear, so they would be as wide as the tires when viewed from a vehicle traveling behind me, hence I had to trim the top portion somewhat.

Of course another difference is the excellent photography nmanbnv furnished with his writeup. I made the mistake of taking my Maxima out into the bright sun, thinking that would show the flaps better, and maybe distinguish them from the black molding I have around my wheel wells. But it didn't. As rmanbnv shows, interior photos with carefully placed light works infinitely better. And rmanbnv gives excellent step-by-step instructions. He is correct that removing the rear tires helps. I did not remove the rear tires, but bought new hex-head bolts that I screwed in from the side with a small box wrench; pain in the arse.

It may be that rmanbnv's writeup might be moved to a sticky of some sort, as I suspect folks will be adding these splash guards and flaps as long as the 7th gen is in production. I also suspect we will not see a better writeup of this process.

Excellent presentation, rmanbnv.

[Compusmurf]

Adding link to the How to sticky thread.