Installing mud flaps, also known as splash guards, on you vehicle helps to protect other drivers on the road from debris that may come off your vehicle's tires. Mud flaps can be made from thick rubber, molded plastic or diamond plate sheet metal. Splash guards also protect the rocker panel of the vehicle on which they are installed. When splash guards are installed, rocks, sticks or any other road debris will hit the splash guards rather than being hurled backwards by the tires.
Clean the area around the wheel well. All sand, debris and grease should be removed from the areas where the mud flaps will be installed.
Remove the fasteners that hold the wheel well to the fender of the vehicle. Use the 1/4-inch socket and ratchet to unscrew the fasteners. Only remove the fasteners on the bottom half of the fender, where the mud flap will be installed. Depending on the year of the Dodge Ram , there can be between one and four fasteners.
Place the mud flap in place with the wheel well liner placed over top of the mud flap. The mud flap should be in between the metal fender and the plastic liner of the wheel well.
Install the sheet metal screws supplied with the mud flap. Start with the hole in the center of the mudflap. Use the Phillips head screwdriver to turn the screw in place. Note that some fenders will have a metal clip attached to the inside of the fender that the fasteners will screw into. If the clips are not present, use the supplied fastener nut to tighten each fastener into place.
Locate the mud flap kit's smaller machine bolt. Install this bolt into the top hole in the mud flap. If the fender does not come equipped with the fender clips, attach a nut to the inside of the fender and tighten the bolt into the nut. Use the wrench to hold the nut in place while you thread the bolt through the hole.
Repeat steps 1 through 5 on the other side of the vehicle. There is also an additional, optional, step which can add extra support if you wish. This step requires a drill and 1/4-inch metal drill bit. Locate the hole in the mud flap on the inner-most part of the mudflap. Drill a hole in the fender to line up with the hole in the mudflap and attach a machine bolt into the hole and tighten down the machine nut with the socket and ratchet.
