The primary utility of a truck flat fender is to protect and prevent your truck from the road dirt collected by your tires. It also helps prevent the spraying of dirt from the road on passing vehicles. Drivers often enjoy customizing the look of their tires by making small changes in their fenders. However, you could be spoilt with choices; hence it is important to know where to begin from. Here’s all the information you’d need to make the right choice:
Why do you need fenders for your trucks?
In order to protect your investment in your heavy-duty equipment, there are certain precautions you must follow. One of the most important pieces of equipment is a fender. Fenders are used for various purposes like semi-trucks, construction machinery as well as farm equipment.
Fenders are generally a great addition to your heavy-duty equipment. From the heavy truck for delivering goods to farm equipment, fenders generally add protection to your truck without the functionality being lost.
Some of the reasons to use Fender are as follows
- Reduces Exposure to Weather Elements
Whether you are going somewhere or traveling, with the exposure to different weather elements, truck fenders can actually protect your cab from such weather anomalies. Generally, stopping your truck is very much a necessity in winters; hence by using fenders, you can actually prevent about 30% of the road size dirt from spelling to your truck, thereby saving money as well as time.
- Reduces Wind Resistance and Maximizes Fuel Efficiency
One of the most important ways, in order to improve the fuel-efficiency is to reduce drag. Bu using fenders you will reduce airflow so as to pass smoothly.
Semi-truck fenders: Fenders keep your truck cleaner and attractive. So, making the right choice for fenders would require a bit of time and effort of researching. The decision taken would ideally be based on materials used, size, and coverage style. Some material options are polymer, metal, and fiberglass. Metal and polymer tend to be more durable than fiberglass. But fiberglass goes well after a paint job. The ideal size is to at least have 1.5 inches of space above tires. Before buying, be sure of the size of the truck’s wheel and tire.
Following are the varieties of semi-truck fenders:
- Front Fenders: These fenders cover your truck’s front wheels and steer axel. They differ from different other varieties of rear fenders. Some trucks have fenders integrated in the front of their vehicle, while others have separately replaceable fenders. Iowa 80 presents buyers with some aftermarket options, which are primarily made of fiberglass. You can choose from a variety of shapes and styles according to your preference.
- Full Fenders: For the rear axles, i.e., the drive axels of your truck, you have a different option for coverage. They go straight across the top portion of the two tires with a dip in the middle. These fenders cover the two axels and are a popular choice as they provide maximum protection for your truck. These can be considered the safest option. Some truck drivers feel that these fenders can hinder full access to various parts of the truck. They are expensive and can make checking tires a challenging task! But they are quite attractive looking.
- Half Fenders: It looks like a full fender that has been cut in half, but it barely covers the second axel. They offer reasonable coverage and provide more access in comparison to full fenders. As they are smaller, they are less costly than full fenders. Being less obstructive, drivers with low-sitting trailers like it.
- Quarter Fenders: As the name suggests, they only protect a portion of one of the axels. They are ideal for trucks that require a minimal amount of debris and spray protection. These are the least expensive and easy to install. They also provide significant access to tires. However, if exposed to a significant amount of debris and spray, these fenders will render useless.
- Single Axel: These fenders provide coverage of only one axel. They may obstruct each other in case they are installed close to one another. Hence, make sure you have enough room between the two before you decide to buy this. They provide more protection from debris and spray than full fenders and provide a high-end look. However, they are more expensive because each axel needs a separate fender.
Summing Up
This was some of the most important reasons as well as types of offenders you can use for your trucks.