RAD RUBBER Engine Splash Guards (1 Viewer)

[sl3807]

Has anyone installed a set of these splash guards? Tempting at $70 with hardware.

https://www.radrubberdesign.com/store.html

My OEM gurads are dying, and I would like to replace them. They look to be good quality, and the price seems reasonable. It is well over $100 for OEM replacements, and it will cost roughly the same price as the kit to order the nitrile sheet materiel off of McMaster Carr.

 

[DirtScaresMe]

Beno advised to rip the factory ones off (that sit between the wheel well and engine compartment). I did that a year ago and haven't had any problems. I like having the access to stuff so that I just pop a wheel off and I can get my hands in there right quick.

 

[Malleus]

Those OEM guards are cosmetic. They do nothing vital, IMHO. They are in the way, though.

 

[Oscar Witte]

I definitely noticed a difference between having the OEM ones on and off with the amount of mud in the engine bay.

 

[SHREDwagon]

Those OEM guards are cosmetic. They do nothing vital, IMHO.

They don't keep dust and mud out of your engine bay?

 

[Tedward]

And some salt water in the winter if you live where I live?

 

[Heckraiser]

Mine are long gone. FWIW, dust and whatnot gets into the engine bay with or without these. Maybe a little less crud with them installed, but the engine bay is still coated in red dirt after a weekend in Moab regardless.

 

[rolliges]

I doubt that they are merely cosmetic.

 

[Dork]

In an effort to derail this thread even further, anyone done any tests to show how much engine heat can be lessened by removing the guards?

 

[slow95z]

if you play here the fan will sling it all over the engine anyways without any help from the tires.

 

[LINUS]

I can echo they do keep some of the slinging (guessed it was off the inner sidewalls of tires) - of whatever into your engine.

Have had multiple 80's & simultaniously my black one stayed far cleaner underhood than the Lx450.

So I babied the splash guards in the black one, and around here heat isn't really a pressing issue.

 

[rolliges]

In an effort to derail this thread even further, anyone done any tests to show how much engine heat can be lessened by removing the guards?

Or, perhaps like the skid plate, they are a minor part of the cooling system...?

 

[boredmuse]

Has anyone installed a set of these splash guards? Tempting at $70 with hardware.

https://www.radrubberdesign.com/store.html

Meh, I was going to try them, emailed him a question, and he was unresponsive. Kind of killed my faith in the product.

 

[mmajsw]

Well, they are still offering the splash guards and I have ordered a set. My main reason for getting them is when driving through puddles, water gets on the distributor and I experience engine miss until the distributor dries off. This is not a splash from the fan and I have done quite a bit of testing with driving through puddles at various angles and my conclusion is it comes through the fender. My truck did not have the guards when I bought it
Will report back on how it works.
I will say that if it was useless, Toyota would not have included it on the truck.

 

[Cruzerman]

How big are these puddles? The wife loves when we drive through "puddles" and I haven't experienced engine missing from this.

 

[Bambusiero]

I just got done making my own from 3/32" x 4' wide sheet rubber, by the foot, from a local industrial hardware store.
A bit of a project to make the patterns, to be sure.
I don't remember the cost, but shelling out $70 for already done sounds like a good deal.

What good are they?

1) Keeping wheel splash out of the engine bay is an obvious function, but here in dry Arizona, I went for years without, no problem.

2) Cooling system : as @rolliges says, along with the engine under shield, they are a minor part of the cooling system.
I think the idea is that the heated airflow through the radiator is guided and channeled back over and around the engine and transmission.
This will be moderately hot, but less than the 194F (give or take) engine coolant temperature.
It has the benefit of being consistent in a wide range of conditions, slow or fast, winter or summer, giving better regulation the the cooling system.
"At working temperature" is what you want, not cooler is better.
Speculation - there may be some benefit at highway speed due to low pressure zone under the vehicle, pulling air through. Hard to say.
Has been observed - hot air re-circulation without these things at crawling speed. Not good.
The wheel wells are probably just turbulent and inconsistent, sometimes helping, sometimes hindering radiator airflow.

What a pain are they?

You need them out of the way for quite a few engine compartment maintenance chores.
Those damn little plastic fasteners are a total pain.
You can count on them breaking, lucky if they don't.
The fender holes are 6mm, which is mostly a Toyota only size, and always expensive.
I've spent a silly amount of time at Space Age Paints in Mesa, who stock every darn fastener in the Auveco catalog, 1000s I think, looking for ones that work and are re-usable.
Some 6mm parts don't quite fit.
Auveco #19490 works, and is supposedly re-usable (maybe, maybe not), but costs a ridiculous $1.71 each.
Pop, pop, pop, pop. There went $7 just to tighten the fan belt, or whatever.
All the different 6mm ones are expensive, unless maybe you go with the definitely one time "Christmas tree" type. Not sure there.
I got fed up and drilled out to 8mm, which gives a lot more choices, and much cheaper too.
Auveco #19239 works well for 8mm (once, for sure, maybe again, maybe not) and costs $10.46/25 (box)
You need a box of them on hand. If they don't break, they get lost.
In any case, getting them out with a screwdriver is an exercise in frustration.
You need a special tool to get 'em off quick. I custom modded some $8 thing from Harbor Freight. Looks great. They still break.

 

[rolliges]

Shower Pan Liner, 40 mil PVC @ any big box hardware store.

Clips for free at the junkyard.

 

[RFB]

Landcruiser – Rad Rubber Design – FJ Fender Flaps, Toyota Engine Splash Guards

 

[mmajsw]

How big are these puddles? The wife loves when we drive through "puddles" and I haven't experienced engine missing from this.

About 100' long and up to 1' deep. There is a part of one street that does not drain properly. Speeds range up to 40mph. Once I get around 25-30 and up, I will get engine miss.

 

[rolliges]

So easy. But not a great solution for some of the aprons with complex curves and I wouldn’t use this near the exhaust downpipe because 40 mil is not formed or rigid.