Installing Mud Guards

[356driver]

I will be installing a set of four OEM mud guards (flaps) on my Cayenne. This doesn't seem like rocket science, but just for safety does anyone have any instructions? If not, are there any hidden gotchas I should know about? Thanks in advance.

[PTEC]

I've installed a set of these and they kind of a bugger. It took me a while to figure out which went where actually. The fronts are a bit harder to install than the rears.

[gchu]

I order mine few weeks ago and asked my dealer to see if there any instruction with the kit. The answer was "no" for the mud guards. The kit seems to have more screw that it needs. I found there are marks at the wheel well (either front or back, no both) for the holes to be drills. I was thinking to put mine on this weekend but it seems better with the wheels off for the hole drilling. Maybe few months later when my tire need rotation.

[356driver]

OK so I did them today. They weren't too hard but here are a few tips:

1. You have to drill so double check that everything is lined up before punching holes in your car. All of the pieces can be temporarily mounted for the purposes of drilling new holes and all the drilling spots are within easy reach. Before you start, remember...

2. You have to take the wheels off to get at everything. You will be removing torx screws that hold on the plastic wheel well lining and pull the lining back to get behind it.

3. On the front mud guards remove the torx screws from the top mounting screw of the mud guard to the ones completely inside the bootm edge of the wheel well. There is also a hidden torx screw that you access underneath and behind the wheel well (it is near the jack point). Once you undo all of these you will have loosened the lining enough to maneuver the metal bracket behind it. I have seen a couple of gripes about installing these metal brackets, so here is a technique that makes it easier...

4. On the front mud guards the metal bracket goes behind the lining. You have to drill two new holes to install it, but there are two torx screws already in the right places. So using those two existing screws mount the bracket in FRONT of the wheel well lining to line up where to drill the two new holes. Once drilled, then remove the bracket and screw it into place BEHIND the lining in two places. (Forget about the two-way tape that is supposed to hold the bracket in place, it will just get in the way of maneuvering the bracket into place.) Once the bracket is lined up correctly and held in place with torx screws, then mount the mud guard by removing each screw one at a time and remounting them with the mud guard in place.

5. Lastly, there are sometimes little clips (included) that are used to anchor screws near the edge of a plastic panel where new holes are drilled. Sometimes the holes aren't near enough the edge of the panel for the clips to intersect the hole. Fear not, just use the clips as a "nut" on the other side of the hole and don't worry whether it is near the edge or not. That way you can drill the hole where it best lines up for the installation, instead of being constrained to being near the edge of the plastic.

I am very happy with the results of this project - I doubt if a dealer would have done any better job than I did. This is within reach of an average do-it-yourselfer. The main thing is to be careful and double check everything before drilling any holes, because you can't undrill a hole.

[TC (NJ)]

I have a set of these sitting in the box waiting for the time to "play" with them. I'm glad to see your tips. So you're saying that the metal strip that kinda looks like a boomerang is for the front guards? And the wheel well lining needs to be removed for both front and rear? Thanks.

OK so I did them today.  They weren't too hard but here are a few tips:

1. You have to drill so double check that everything is lined up before punching holes in your car.  All of the pieces can be temporarily mounted for the purposes of drilling new holes and all the drilling spots are within easy reach.  Before you start, remember...

2. You have to take the wheels off to get at everything.  You will be removing torx screws that hold on the plastic wheel well lining and pull the lining back to get behind it.

3. On the front mud guards remove the torx screws from the top mounting screw of the mud guard to the ones completely inside the bootm edge of the wheel well.  There is also a hidden torx screw that you access underneath and behind the wheel well (it is near the jack point).  Once you undo all of these you will have loosened the lining enough to maneuver the metal bracket behind it.  I have seen a couple of gripes about installing these metal brackets, so here is a technique that makes it easier...

4. On the front mud guards the metal bracket goes behind the lining.  You have to drill two new holes to install it, but there are two torx screws already in the right places.  So using those two existing screws mount the bracket in FRONT of the wheel well lining to line up where to drill the two new holes.  Once drilled, then remove the bracket and screw it into place BEHIND the lining in two places.  (Forget about the two-way tape that is supposed to hold the bracket in place, it will just get in the way of maneuvering the bracket into place.)  Once the bracket is lined up correctly and held in place with torx screws, then mount the mud guard by removing each screw one at a time and remounting them with the mud guard in place.

5. Lastly, there are sometimes little clips (included) that are used to anchor screws near the edge of a plastic panel where new holes are drilled.  Sometimes the holes aren't near enough the edge of the panel for the clips to intersect the hole.  Fear not, just use the clips as a "nut" on the other side of the hole and don't worry whether it is near the edge or not.  That way you can drill the hole where it best lines up for the installation, instead of being constrained to being near the edge of the plastic.

I am very happy with the results of this project - I doubt if a dealer would have done any better job than I did.  This is within reach of an average do-it-yourselfer.  The main thing is to be careful and double check everything before drilling any holes, because you can't undrill a hole.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[356driver]

The metal "boomerang" strip is for the front guards. It is installed behind the plastic liner. It fits with the biggest hole toward the top next and to the fender. It curves down toward the inside of the bottom of the wheel well. Because of the bend in the brackets they are each specific to the left and right sides of the car. If you hold one of them up to the outside of the liner it will be pretty apparent how it fits because the top hole and the third hole down (I think) already have torx screws that show you the right place. You use these torx screws to temporarily mount the bracket on the outside of the liner, and then you drill the other holes. Then you dismount the bracket, move it to the inside, and remount it with a couple of screws to hold it in place while you are mounting the mud guard. The small holes in the bracket are the right size to serve as the inner anchor for the torx screws you use to mount the mud guard.

You do not have to remove the entire liner to install the mud guards. You just have to remove enough of the torx screws to be able to peel the bottoms of the liners in to give you access to the inside (rear) surface.

This should be a pretty painless job if you are careful about it. I hope this helps and have fun!

Edited October 4, 2004 by 356driver

[TC (NJ)]

Thanks for the info. Are the back guards pretty much straight forward?

The metal "boomerang" strip is for the front guards.  It is installed behind the plastic liner.  It fits with the biggest hole toward the top next and to the fender.  It curves down toward the inside of the bottom of the wheel well.  Because of the bend in the brackets they are each specific to the left and right sides of the car.  If you hold one of them up to the outside of the liner it will be pretty apparent how it fits because the top hole and the third hole down (I think) already have torx screws that show you the right place.  You use these torx screws to temporarily mount the bracket on the outside of the liner, and then you drill the other holes.  Then you dismount the bracket, move it to the inside, and remount it with a couple of screws to hold it in place while you are mounting the mud guard.  The small holes in the bracket are the right size to serve as the inner anchor for the torx screws you use to mount the mud guard.

You do not have to remove the entire liner to install the mud guards.  You just have to remove enough of the torx screws to be able to peel the bottoms of the liners in to give you access to the inside (rear) surface.

This should be a pretty painless job if you are careful about it.  I hope this helps and have fun!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[356driver]

Thanks for the info.  Are the back guards pretty much straight forward? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The rear mud guards are straightforward. Start with the rears if you want to build a little confidence before doing the fronts.

The only trick is to drill the mounting holes where they should be, not where the marks on the plastic are. Hold them or temporarily mount them in place and drill. Don't worry if the little anchor clips aren't close enough to the edge of the plastic to intersect the holes. Instead, put them behind the plastic and use them as "nuts" to anchor the screws.

Good luck.