My wifes explorer has the inside of the wheel wells covered so that when you look in to the wells you see the black covers and not the frame of the truck. It makes sense because rocks and all sorts of debris will hit the pickup bed. Why did they not put them on our trucks?

 

Cost cutting. And it's been a few years, my 02 doesn't have wheel wells either. I've noticed that Dodge trucks still have them, maybe I'll go see my junkyard buddy and see if I can score a set off a Dodge and modify them to fit my truck.

Do the 2-3 year old Expeditions have them? Might be a closer match than the Dodge ones.

 

For some odd reason the Flaresides have the tubs but the Stylesides do not. My guess is cost also. If they cost ford $2.00 each, $8.00 per truck and sell 900,000 trucks it adds up very fast.

 

that is why Ford will start having a problem. Cost cutting on the flagship f-150 not a good idea at the current price-tag.

 

This is something that I'd really like to see an aftermarket company come up with... even better, I wish it came stock. I understand economical reasons but, a few extra dollars on a $40K+ truck really wouldn't have hurt all that bad.

Anyone know of an aftermarket version?

RP

 

As was already mentioned that couple extra dollars adds up fast with the number of these trucks produced. A truck that sells for $40K without shields would sell for $42 or $43K with them. The cost gets passed on somewhere and it will normally be the consumer that pays.

 

Point taken however; I draw HUGE exception to the addition of shields adding an additional 3 THOUSAND dollars to the final sticker price.

 

The factory shields aren' t that good anyway, mud, and ice pull them off and then they are flopping around under there. The little plactic pop rivets they use bite. Plus you can clean the truck better without them.

 

I'm overguesstimating for sure, but a truck that sells for $40K now wouldn't after. Every little thing that's added will affect price. Look at all the stuff that was moved off the standard eqip. list for '05. Fog lights are optional, alot of sound deadening was removed, to name two.

The consumer has to be prepared to pay for all those little things we want on our new vehicles.

 

Again, I concur...

But, I still want well liners or some sort or fashion... Again, I refer to my initial and closing question in my first response to this thread...

Are there any aftermarket options available? I seem to remember seeing some guy on ebay that was selling PLUGS or something for the body structures in the wells...

RP

 

I read on another forum (or maybe this one) of a guy taking a set of cheap truck mud-flaps, cutting them to fit, and riveting them on to make a make-shift wheel-well shroud. I don't know if I'll try it, but it's one idea.

mjm

 

Actually they are held in by sheet metal screws, not plastic tabs. 12 screws actually. I actually shoot the screws on the Flaresides.