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My experience with RokBlokz mudlfaps

Messages
113
Likes
115
Location
Santa Cruz, CA, USA
#1
Installed the orange rokblokz mudflaps last week and just finished a 1700 mile road trip with them. I saw a post or two with people saying they rub the paint on the front but I have yet to see that on mine. These are my first mudflaps so I do not know how stiff others are but these are about as stiff as those cheap nylon cutting boards you can get at walmart. Installation was straightforward, replace factory clips and drill 1 hole per flap and bolt em up (drilling out the rivets in the back doesn't exactly feel good though). I had no good reason outside of looks to install mine but damn do they look good. As one of the cheapest options out there I definitely stand behind them. Oh yea they arrived at my house on the 3rd day after purchase with free shipping, so good on them for that.

This pic is at the last stretch of road in tortilla flat AZ, if anyone is in that area I highly recommend this drive!
20190525_135123.jpg
 


RubenZZZ

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,436
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915
Location
El Monte
#2
I thought about picking up a set in orange to match my wheels... But my black flaps are still holding strong with 3+ years of abuse.

I guess when they finally bust i'll go orange.

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OP
Maihyo
Messages
113
Likes
115
Location
Santa Cruz, CA, USA
Thread Starter #3
Are you using rokblokz as well? If so no issues with screws loosening because of the rubber spacers?

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RubenZZZ

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,436
Likes
915
Location
El Monte
#4
Are you using rokblokz as well? If so no issues with screws loosening because of the rubber spacers?

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I got Rokblokz on mine. In fact, i bought them used and proceeded to put about 40k miles through them. Still look good, no cracks or lost hardware!



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Messages
493
Likes
637
Location
Sioux Falls, SD, USA
#5
Is there a real verdict on whether this stiffer material that RB uses is preferable to the flappier Rally Armour stuff? The price is certainly preferable.

I feel like the Rally Armour logo has become like the RL Polo horse of car brands. You might have bought it because you are a total dbag or you might have bought it because you are willing to pay for top quality.
 


RubenZZZ

1000 Post Club
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1,436
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Location
El Monte
#6
No offense to anyone in particular but

It's an aftermarket add-on mudflap. It's doesn't need to fit perfect and flush like a body panel.

Never understood that much energy spent on perfecting mud flap fit.

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RubenZZZ

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,436
Likes
915
Location
El Monte
#7
If it costs ~$150 and is touted as a model-specific kit, it damn well better hold up and fit correctly. No rusting, sagging, or 1/2” gaps within two months of install. This is not unreasonable, especially when cheaper options do it better.
I definitely agree with you.

I refer to individuals that gripe as is they purchased a bespoke suit and not mudflaps.

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OP
Maihyo
Messages
113
Likes
115
Location
Santa Cruz, CA, USA
Thread Starter #8
I've used both and prefer the RokBlokz.

While the Rally Armor flaps themselves are very nice, I'm not at all impressed with the FiST-specific kit hardware. Without having actually dealt with it, you may think that it's all going to be top-notch and well-made, as I did. The flaps and the rear hardware are fine, but the front hardware killed them for me.

1. The front flap hardware is a convoluted and fairly fragile mess. The black brackets/plates that get secured in front of the flaps are made of mild steel or some other potmetal crap and are coated in a very cheap paint. This bracket is in the perfect spot to get blasted by anything and everything flying off your tires, which means that the paint will chip and flake rapidly and the metal will rust quickly. It's a shame because the rest of the hardware is made of a fairly nice stainless steel. I eventually replaced these brackets with some aluminum flat bar stock which held up much better, but they still suffered from getting blasted with pebbles and debris.
2. Getting the fitment of the front flaps to your liking is a nightmare. It's all very fiddly and likes to shift around and bend on its own even after you've secured it. That black bracket is especially troublesome, because it will bend with the flexing of the flaps, leaving unattractive gaps at the bottom between it and the flap, and between the flap and the fender, and will also cause the top to sag forward. Thicker bracket material will leave you with less tire clearance and/or not enough threads for the nuts and won't really solve the inherent design flaw of this setup. At least the bottom gap between the flap and fender can be solved with some high-strength 3M mounting tape between the flaps and side skirt caps.
3. As hinted at in #2, the studs and nuts arrangement of the front flap hardware will bite into your clearance if you're running tires that are at all a larger diameter than stock. No bueno!
4. I'll be blunt: the studs for the front flaps just suck and are a really stupid idea. While adjusting them for the nth time in under a year of use, one of my studs snapped right off. Junk!
5. After contacting Rally Armor customer support several weeks ago about replacement hardware, they have never responded. I decided that I had enough at this point and ordered RokBlokz.

The RokBlokz are much easier to install and get proper fitment. The mounting hardware is much more simple, sits flush and will not bite into your front tire clearance, and they also do not "self-adjust" the way the front Rally Armor flaps did. I do have two things to note about them, however:

1. You'll still get that gap on the bottom of the front flaps without mounting tape. No biggie - at least there isn't an ugly bracket or studs to deal with and the top of the fronts won't sag since they mount directly to the wheel liner.
2. Being made of a stiffer polyurethane, the flaps do not flex like the RA flaps do which is kinda nice but also means that they will scuff/get damaged a bit more easily if they scrape the road.

In the end, you are FAR better off with universal RA flaps or the RokBlokz kit. I believe Jeff has a thread around here about making DIY hardware for universal RA flaps. Just avoid the FiST-specific Rally Armor kit. It's a $150 pain in the ass.

Thats some good comparison info right there. I was extremely close to going for the RA flaps lol. I love the rokblokz though. They've been holding up very nicely with no issues!
 


Messages
493
Likes
637
Location
Sioux Falls, SD, USA
#9
$150 for mudflaps is stupid money when you think about it. $100 is steep. For $150 they should be $50 better at least. No rust, no gaps, and tailored for is not unreasonable.

I want them because I drive on gravel enough and the car can pull them off without looking silly. The fact I am debating between $100-$150 for this annoys me.
 


OP
Maihyo
Messages
113
Likes
115
Location
Santa Cruz, CA, USA
Thread Starter #11
$150 for mudflaps is stupid money when you think about it. $100 is steep. For $150 they should be $50 better at least. No rust, no gaps, and tailored for is not unreasonable.

I want them because I drive on gravel enough and the car can pull them off without looking silly. The fact I am debating between $100-$150 for this annoys me.
IMO go for the rockblokz :)

Its funny, my buddy was borrowing my car while his gti was in the shop and he has to go down a dirt road every day. These ended up coming the day he got his car back. He, too, now has a set of orange rokblokz mudflaps on his black gti
 


Messages
140
Likes
57
Location
Victoria, BC, Canada
#12
I've used both and prefer the RokBlokz.

While the Rally Armor flaps themselves are very nice, I'm not at all impressed with the FiST-specific kit hardware. Without having actually dealt with it, you may think that it's all going to be top-notch and well-made, as I did. The flaps and the rear hardware are fine, but the front hardware killed them for me.

1. The front flap hardware is a convoluted and fairly fragile mess. The black brackets/plates that get secured in front of the flaps are made of mild steel or some other potmetal crap and are coated in a very cheap paint. This bracket is in the perfect spot to get blasted by anything and everything flying off your tires, which means that the paint will chip and flake rapidly and the metal will rust quickly. It's a shame because the rest of the hardware is made of a fairly nice stainless steel. I eventually replaced these brackets with some aluminum flat bar stock which held up much better, but they still suffered from getting blasted with pebbles and debris.
2. Getting the fitment of the front flaps to your liking is a nightmare. It's all very fiddly and likes to shift around and bend on its own even after you've secured it. That black bracket is especially troublesome, because it will bend with the flexing of the flaps, leaving unattractive gaps at the bottom between it and the flap, and between the flap and the fender, and will also cause the top to sag forward. Thicker bracket material will leave you with less tire clearance and/or not enough threads for the nuts and won't really solve the inherent design flaw of this setup. At least the bottom gap between the flap and fender can be solved with some high-strength 3M mounting tape between the flaps and side skirt caps.
3. As hinted at in #2, the studs and nuts arrangement of the front flap hardware will bite into your clearance if you're running tires that are at all a larger diameter than stock. No bueno!
4. I'll be blunt: the studs for the front flaps just suck and are a really stupid idea. While adjusting them for the nth time in under a year of use, one of my studs snapped right off. Junk!
5. After contacting Rally Armor customer support several weeks ago about replacement hardware, they have never responded. I decided that I had enough at this point and ordered RokBlokz.

The RokBlokz are much easier to install and get proper fitment. The mounting hardware is much more simple, sits flush and will not bite into your front tire clearance, and they also do not "self-adjust" the way the front Rally Armor flaps did. I do have two things to note about them, however:

1. You'll still get that gap on the bottom of the front flaps without mounting tape. No biggie - at least there isn't an ugly bracket or studs to deal with and the top of the fronts won't sag since they mount directly to the wheel liner.
2. Being made of a stiffer polyurethane, the flaps do not flex like the RA flaps do which is kinda nice but also means that they will scuff/get damaged a bit more easily if they scrape the road.

In the end, you are FAR better off with universal RA flaps or the RokBlokz kit. I believe Jeff has a thread around here about making DIY hardware for universal RA flaps. Just avoid the FiST-specific Rally Armor kit. It's a $150 pain in the ass.
Where can you buy a decent black mounting tape with good adhesive?
 


Messages
579
Likes
461
Location
San Jose
#14
I definitely agree with you.

I refer to individuals that gripe as is they purchased a bespoke suit and not mudflaps.

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$150 for maybe 2 square feet of plastic and some screws? That damn well better fit like a tailored suit.


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