Mud Flap Install Struggles

westie135 · 01-14-2017, 06:15 PM

Well, I'm relocating to a more snowy climate, and I'm tired of my lower body panels getting sandblasted every winter, so I picked up the front and rear mud flap install kits.

How on God's green earth did any of you install these damn things? I'm following the install instructions here and the install tips thread here. I'm stuck with one front mud flap installed with the center pins of all the rivets and the lower plug all stuck partway out, and I was too cold and too frustrated by the second front flap not lining up to continue.

What gives?

EndOfAnEra · 01-14-2017, 06:24 PM

Where the plastic rivets go into the fender liner, you'll have to drill out the hole or expand them to make them slightly larger for the rivets and center pins to fit with the mud guards.

For the bigger one on the bottom, I just used the one that originally came on the car.

- Chris

Suprgnat · 01-14-2017, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by westie135

Well, I'm relocating to a more snowy climate, and I'm tired of my lower body panels getting sandblasted every winter, so I picked up the front and rear mud flap install kits.

How on God's green earth did any of you install these damn things? I'm following the install instructions here and the install tips thread here. I'm stuck with one front mud flap installed with the center pins of all the rivets and the lower plug all stuck partway out, and I was too cold and too frustrated by the second front flap not lining up to continue.

What gives?

Fronts aren't made for the M-Sport body work. The 135i/128i w/M-Sport kit is just the rears. Only the non M-Sport 128i can fit the front mud flaps.

See: https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=03_3666

and: https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=03_3666

iminhell1 · 01-14-2017, 07:38 PM

Mine fit with no modification. Though not as well as I thought they would. To hell with what RealOEM says.

Maxsensation · 01-14-2017, 10:50 PM

i got mine to fit the rears...but the fronts... the under rail pin wont lock...so i didnt bother putting it on...

ShocknAwe · 01-16-2017, 11:06 AM

Front flaps fit M-sport perfectly fine. See my car for an example.

I reused the original self tapping plastic screw. Also if I remember correctly I used a trim tool to pry it out.

m_thompson · 01-17-2017, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suprgnat

Fronts aren't made for the M-Sport body work. The 135i/128i w/M-Sport kit is just the rears. Only the non M-Sport 128i can fit the front mud flaps.

They fit fine on my 128i.

westie135 · 01-17-2017, 10:14 AM

Here's an update on my progress. The rears went on with no trouble, apart from needing to use the included screws on the innermost corners instead of the original hardware. I should have just done them first.

As for the fronts...I saw a tip to reuse the old plastic rivets, which made it way easier, and I went a step further by lubricating the tips of the pins with a drop of soap. They slipped right in with a few taps from a hammer. I reused the plastic threaded fastener on the driver side, but the plug that comes with the flaps is still sticking out about half an inch on the passenger side. The flap isn't going anywhere, though.

01-14-2017, 06:15 PM	#1
westie135 New Member 4 Rep 12 Posts Drives: '08 135i 6spd SGM Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: United States iTrader: (0)	Mud Flap Install Struggles Well, I'm relocating to a more snowy climate, and I'm tired of my lower body panels getting sandblasted every winter, so I picked up the front and rear mud flap install kits. How on God's green earth did any of you install these damn things? I'm following the install instructions here and the install tips thread here. I'm stuck with one front mud flap installed with the center pins of all the rivets and the lower plug all stuck partway out, and I was too cold and too frustrated by the second front flap not lining up to continue. What gives?
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01-14-2017, 06:24 PM	#2
EndOfAnEra Lieutenant Colonel 570 Rep 1,707 Posts Drives: F16 X6 Msport Join Date: May 2012 Location: Largo, FL iTrader: (13)	Where the plastic rivets go into the fender liner, you'll have to drill out the hole or expand them to make them slightly larger for the rivets and center pins to fit with the mud guards. For the bigger one on the bottom, I just used the one that originally came on the car. - Chris __________________ flickr
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01-14-2017, 07:38 PM	#4
iminhell1 C2H5OH 4482 Rep 2,183 Posts Drives: 2010 SG 135i auto Join Date: May 2015 Location: Darwin, MN iTrader: (1)	Mine fit with no modification. Though not as well as I thought they would. To hell with what RealOEM says.
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01-14-2017, 10:50 PM	#5
Maxsensation Lieutenant 58 Rep 485 Posts Drives: 2011 128i Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Somewhere? iTrader: (3)	i got mine to fit the rears...but the fronts... the under rail pin wont lock...so i didnt bother putting it on...
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01-16-2017, 11:06 AM	#6
ShocknAwe 1Addict 5381 Rep 9,253 Posts Drives: N54 E82, M57 E70, 964 C4 Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Charleston iTrader: (22)	Front flaps fit M-sport perfectly fine. See my car for an example. I reused the original self tapping plastic screw. Also if I remember correctly I used a trim tool to pry it out. __________________ 2010 E82 1 Series M Clone Hydra Performance augmented OEM+ Last edited by ShocknAwe; 01-16-2017 at 11:15 AM..
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01-17-2017, 10:14 AM	#8
westie135 New Member 4 Rep 12 Posts Drives: '08 135i 6spd SGM Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: United States iTrader: (0)	Here's an update on my progress. The rears went on with no trouble, apart from needing to use the included screws on the innermost corners instead of the original hardware. I should have just done them first. As for the fronts...I saw a tip to reuse the old plastic rivets, which made it way easier, and I went a step further by lubricating the tips of the pins with a drop of soap. They slipped right in with a few taps from a hammer. I reused the plastic threaded fastener on the driver side, but the plug that comes with the flaps is still sticking out about half an inch on the passenger side. The flap isn't going anywhere, though.
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