What You Learn After Signing... mud flaps and power running board recommendations?

[boshog]

Well, it has been about three weeks since my wife took delivery of her 2024 Bronco Outer Banks. We live deep in the rural, well-off paved roads. The mud roads we drive versus the design of the Bronco isn't working well for us. I hope I'll come across others who have addressed similar issues and can offer some recommendations.

As you can see from the picture, the entire side of the vehicle is spayed in mud. The running boards do nothing but make it worse. The mud collects around the outside door handles making a mess in your hand and the running boards are mounted too high to serve the purpose of getting in or out of the vehicle. They stick out just far enough from the vehicle to make it impossible to swing your lower legs out from the vehicle far enough to avoid picking up a fresh horizontal mud imprint across the back of your lower pant leg.

The running boards, they gotta go. I'm looking for a recommendation on mud flaps that would reduce the amount of mud painted on the side of the vehicle. Also, I would entertain power running boards that would swing down low enough to assist in getting in and out.

A thousand thanks to anyone who can tell me how they solved this issue.

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[Beach_Bum]

What you learn after signing? Sorry, Bob, but there are tons of pictures showing the rooster tail of dirt kicked up on the body of the Bronco. All you had to do was peruse photos. This has been known going back to the pre-production spy shots.

Since you feel the steps are too high on a non-Sasquatch Bronco, no need to explore any solution other than power running boards. Others can give you recommendations.

You'll need to find a set of mudflaps. No need to go full 76 Truckstop Yosemite Sam flappers. But there are plenty that others can recommend. The bigger issue is what will fit with the power running boards.

Also, your stock wheels have a +55 offset. Don't be tempted to get different wheels that don't match the same offset. You'll hate the results.

In the meantime, slow down on the dirt roads and the rooster tail won't be as pronounced.

 

[Shazamalingo]

Why don't you just step on the running boards when exiting, instead of trying to bypass them?

Also, there are plenty of mudflap options, which will help.

That being said, mud and rock spray with the Bronco, especially with OEM tires, has been documented ehaustively all over the interwebs.

 

[Jhopkinson]

Mud flaps should help a ton.

 

[HighVelocity]

wrap it in cellophane.

 

[CUPRA]

Mabett mud flaps have done us real well for almost 18 months now. https://amzn.to/3SLhB0c

 

[mjcutri]

The regular Ford flaps should be all you need.
https://parts.ford.com/shop/en/us/a...splash-guards-front-pair-p-m2dz16a550aa?pdp=y

I have a front pair sitting in my garage that I never installed because it was too much work to modify them to work with the SAS flares. I ended up just installing a generic set from Advance Auto.
PM me if you want them.

I installed the rough country power steps and really like them. I don't think you can do any better for $1K. They make getting in easier, but getting out is where I can really tell the difference.
https://www.roughcountry.com/product/electric-running-boards-psr51330

 

[Murraydog11]

Mud flaps should help a ton.

I second that emotion...

 

[Quicklime]

You can get the two front mud flaps from Mabett on Amazon for $79. They do reduce the spray on the doors, and customer service is top notch.

 

[HBTFD]

The mabetts (or other Amazon brands that are the same flap) will block most of the mud. I added go rhino dominator D6 running boosted and almost eliminated the mud. That combination did stop all the rock slinging from the Goodyear wranglers that come on a SAS.

 

[Doc TOC]

Tough crowd - but they're right.
You are, by definition, off-roading in the mud. No one would expect to come out even slightly clean from that.

You could consider going with wider fender flares, then add mud flaps to align with that. It would reduce, but not eliminate the spray.

On the running board, a wider one might help catch the spray tail, and you could actually step on it. A power drop step is going to cost you a bigger chunk of change and still have mud dripping down.

Have you considered buying a portable car wash? Or moving?

 

[604Bronco]

I had the Gatorback mud flaps on my Bronco, and they are the best (in my opinion) mud flaps out there. They aren't cheap, but they are heavy duty and do a great job keeping the mud down. The bottom also slides off so you can re-gain some ground clearance while off-roading.

Here's a picture of them on my Bronco, not long after I picked it up:

I have since removed them, simply because I prefer the look and functionality without them. However, I was also concerned about rocks and mud being thrown up the side of my Bronco too. I opted to add rock sliders, which have helped keep the rooster tail down a bit, and also work well as a step... And obviously serves its original purpose of protecting the vehicle from rocks and such.

I recently added a strip of paint protection film on the lower rocker panels, which seems to be doing a good job. If you're concerned, I could do the entire side of the Bronco (or the entire vehicle, if you so choose). I went with a ceramic coating for the rest, so the only PPF I have is on the rocker panels.

This is my Bronco (taken this morning), with the sliders and you can't even see the PPF:

Edit: Better picture of the sliders, so you can see how far they stick out and their angle:

Hope that helps!

 

[Sparkherd]

"...full 76 Truckstop Yosemite Sam flappers...."

That's what I NEED!!!

 

[mcinfantry]

These look hideous but i bet work well

 

[Clemmy]

The mabetts (or other Amazon brands that are the same flap) will block most of the mud. I added go rhino dominator D6 running boosted and almost eliminated the mud. That combination did stop all the rock slinging from the Goodyear wranglers that come on a SAS.

Same set up. Works well!

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