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MG MGB Technical - Wheel Arch Protectos

Having spent a lot of time and effort on underbody and cavity waxoyling on my Roadster, I'm thinking it may be a good idea to fit front wheel arch protectors. I've searched on the web and read quite a bit on how these are fitted to the car. Some sites recommend that the wheel arch protector is fitted over the lip of the front wing and others recommend that it is screwed onto the outside of the lip. Also I have seen some suggestions that plastic rivets are used as fixings rather than self tapping screws.

Aesthetically I think it would look better to have the protector fitted to the inside of the wing, but would appreciate if anybody has experience of fitting these liners and can recommend the best method to use?

Thanks

Andy



Andy Robinson

Never used them myself, but have an inherent dislike of making extra holes in bodywork, especially in areas directly exposed to the abrasive thrown up by the wheels etc..
Allan Reeling

Allan, ditto for me, that is why I am not keen on drilling holes in the wheel arch edge to fit the protectors. I have found the following info, which may help others considering fitting these protectors.


"Fitting does ABSOLUTELY NOT require riveting to the wing edge !

As supplied they have a lip which is supposed to fit over that and the only other fixings necessary are a couple of rivets or screws on the inside lower edge into the chassis leg, removal is then a simple matter of taking those out.

That said the lip is not always a good fit and you can be left with unsightly creases - which is another reason some people fit rivets or self tapping screws - although from ones that I've seen it can look just as bad then or even worse. If I was doing that then I'd make up an alloy strip to act as a clamping plate and smooth the creases out.

I had a creasing problem when I got mine but rather that drill holes I fitted them so that they sit on the top of the wing edge not over it and that has proved every bit as effective at keeping out muck.

I've had them on my GT for many years and through the worst weather UK could inflict and on the odd occasions I've removed them for inspection the entire under wing area has been almost as spotless as the day I fitted them.

I have splash plates and although you could use them without I would only recommend it in dry climates where dust is the only thing liable to find it's way into the open cavity. I would definitely fit mud flaps in that case.

Certainly in the case where the top brackets for the splash plates is missing they would be the ideal solution."

Andy Robinson

I was showing the Navigator these on a couple of cars on the Candles Run a week ago. One had the edge badly buckled as it ran round the arch, it looked like it was supposed to be clipped in somehow but only part of it was. Possibly because of that another had pop-rivets every 3" round the whole of the arch. The edge was neater on that - apart from the rivets, which of course need holes round the arch very close to the edge of the protector and hence likely to get wet on a regular basis even with the protectors fitted.

What with that and having read on a number of occasions people really struggling to flex these into position, even in an Ozzie summer, I have never been even slightly tempted. To be honest with the possible exception of a daily driver exposed to salt I prefer to have air circulating freely under the wing and drying things out faster when it gets wet.
paulh4

This thread was discussed between 28/05/2016 and 30/05/2016

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