Mud Flap Install; Passenger Side - w/pictures and lots of words

[Alaskaberrys]

Hi All, (and feel free to skip to the pictures - it's not rocket science )

With the fact that I recently installed a Propex HS2211 under the floor on the passenger side of our van. And will be installing a 2nd LP tank in front of it right behind the passenger front tire, and coupled with the notion that a car should have at least two mud flaps or none at all - my sensibilities got the better of me and I decided to add the passenger side flap.

I found several very helpful non-flap-centric threads that answered some of my head scratching questions as to installing the front OEM mud flap(s) on our Westy. I was a bit confused as to just how they were held on, and once discovering that nifty trick, how the heck to achieve a good install without making Swiss cheese out of our van. Just so the reader is aware, drilling holes in our van requires an inordinate amount of spousal consultations and the right mix of alcohol - too much/too little of either (in either of us) and the job/marriage can go south pretty quickly (the Propex install was a doozy!).

About three beers into the research and exploration side of the job and a few hundred pages read, it seemed like a good idea to post a straight up mudflap install thread. Not to deny you all of beer-research time (bresearch?) - but to facilitate more beer-research time on even more daunting projects. Please note, this is not for the feint of heart - there are pictures of drilling perhaps unessesary new holes in a perfectly good van. Most drinking was done off camera however, so this should be ok for minors...

Soo....I have been steeling myself for the big job ever since ordering a passenger side OEM Flap from Van-Cafe a few months back -
http://www.van-cafe.com/home/van_1471674545219/page_905_167/original-mud-flap-right-side.html

Although Van-Cafe suggests mounting with just the underside bar without the 'dowels' is sufficient and perfectly acceptable, I wanted to replicate the original install on the drivers side and prove my worth to those forgotten German engineers, so I stepped up and ordered the 'dowel' kit too -
http://www.van-cafe.com/home/van/page_376_167/mudflap-hardware-kit.html

Now to install...

Prep for surgery.

Mount the undercarriage bar - there are holes already in frame but they had to be enlarged a bit to fit bolts that came with the kit.

As the side panel had no holes, it was pretty much up to me where to put them. The flaps have an indication for two holes - one top, one bottom so I pre-drilled the rubber flap there, covered with blue painters tape and drew a centerline to the edges for vertically locating the holes.

Then applied blue tape to the van panel and holding the flap up to the mounted undercarriage bar, checking position (other side was pretty much vertical so I kept this side vertice too), I traced the outline and transferred the hole center lines to the panel tape. I then marked the center of those lines.

Then the hard part

Next, after dabbing some cold galvanizing on the bare steel, I pealed off the blue painters tape only to discover that it lifted my 25 year old clear coat!?!

After some counciling from the spouse and another consultation beer, I added the 'dowels' (1/4" x 1-1/4" hanger bolts) threading the pointy end into the rubber, inserting the plastic expando type anchors into the van body, dab of silicone, held my breath and pushed real hard. Zip. Solid. Whew.

Add the reinforcement strap to the front side of the flap and sandwich the rubber between with some stainless bolts and nylock nuts and we're done!

I've heard the rear flaps require some mods to the fiberglass bumper returns, so I'll let someone else add that.

For me, now it's time to start looking up painting threads...oh, boy
_________________
'91 Westfalia, Bordeaux Red Pearl 2.1L 2wd Auto
'91 T3 Syncro Doka, Escorial Green 1.9L TD AAZ “Gremian” (to provoke, irritate, exasperate, vex...)

[spitsnrovers]

Hey Alaska.... very nice write up. Liked the ideaof using the painters tape to transfer the measurements from the flap to the body.

Shame about the clear coat - and I thought the blue stuff was the least tacky, and less likely to cause damage. Maybe it was the green stuff
_________________
'88 VW Westfalia
'75 Triumph Spitfire 1500

[E1]

An old trick for taking tack off of tape is to rub its length across a pant leg until it loses resistance and barely tries to stick on the pants, then apply and press flat with a rag. I've always found the 3M green tape to have less tack, but it's been decades since using it every day when a sign painter and pinstriper.

I pretty much followed your path when doing mine, but used a thin sheet of cardboard as a template and flipped it over for the right side. I measured several times, and used a smaller drill bit for a pilot hole.

Very enjoyable post, Thanks.

Totally missed out on the bresearch. My Bad. I hate regret.
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[Alaskaberrys]

[E1]

I believe the only reason 3M introduced the blue tape was because it bends MUCH better on tight curves.

They're both great products and both necessary for varied uses. For a project like this, though, I find regular masking tape to be less capable of pulling clear or any refinished single-stage paint, but even then the tack-dulling I mentioned above is a great safety factor.
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[Alaskaberrys]

[E1]

Tape "comes apart" like this if it ever got too hot, or is really old.

Happy Times to You in your bresearch!

I started my double-line dealer striping by laying down three layers of 1/8" tape and painting between the tape. This all worked well until striping a poor repaint, and it was a mess in a hurry!

I was so embarrassed I only did freehand pinstriping from there on out.
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[stasharello]

Alaska - What sized drill bit did you use for the grommet hole?

Thanks for such an awesome write up with the pictures, I'll be tackling this project in the next day or two.

[K58]

[shagginwagon83]

Oh man. I wish I wrote down what I used as I just compared it to the factory holes. I want to say around 15/64 but I may be wrong. For what its worth - GoWesty sells 6mm blanking grommets for the factory holes

http://www.gowesty.com/product/mud-flaps/4286/6mm-blanking-grommet?v=

Here is Gowesty's pdf on installing mud flaps - german style NOT SA

http://www.gowesty.com/files/333-000%20-%20OEM%20Mudflap%20Kit.pdf
_________________
Brandon
"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram @joannthevan

[Alaskaberrys]

[K58]

[nestorwest]

@alaskaberrys I just have to say this write up came in super handy when I installed mine. And when I replace one a year later. Thanks again! Love this community!

🍻

[Alaskaberrys]