No mud flaps on 2007 Rangers?

[Bill]

The CHP pulled me over. The first thing the officer said was, "nice truck. Looks good without the mud flaps, but you have to put them back on."

The problem is I never took them off. They weren't on there when I bought the truck, and I'm in one of those states that requires them.

Anyone else have a Ranger from the last several years with or without them?

I guess I'll call the dealership to see what is going on with this.

[Sevensecondsuv]

If the truck was legally sold new in your state without mud flaps then you cannot be given a ticket for not having them. Obviously either the dealer ordered a truck built for another state and forgot to install mud flaps or that cop was giving you a bunch of BS.

[Bill]

I'm aware of that.

I called the CHP. There is no absolute rule, but I was told that they look at vehicles where 50% of the tire is exposed toward the back, which would cause a lot of water to fling off of the tires and on to windshields of other vehicles behind me.

I didn't get a ticket. This officer was reasonable. There is also no splash guards behind and in front of the rear tires. I've noticed quite a few F150's without mud guards. All the Rangers I've seen have them. A parts website I was looking on mentioned that they aren't installed on the 4 cylinder models, which is a mute point since they are required regardless of engine size.

[ranger_veazey]

ok first of all what the hell is CHP...

[Slingblade]

ok first of all what the hell is CHP...

Possibly County Highway Patrol :icon_confused:

lol


Chris

[Norelec]

My 07 came with mud flaps. I'd say your dealer forgot to put them on.

[ranger_veazey]

i took mine off already like 3 mounths ago ... its not illegal in texas lol thats a meesed up law

[06yellowranger]

My '06 came with them, I don't think it's a law to have them in PA, but it keeps me from spitting gravel on my truck as much(live on a country road)


ok first of all what the hell is CHP...

Judging from the fact that he lives in California, I'd say it's probably the California Highway Patrol

[krugford]

I prefer mudflaps myself. The keep the rocks and stuff from chipping up the your paint and the windshield of the car behind you.

[warhawk]

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that CHP is California Highway Patrol. Since Bill is from Cali it makes seems the most plausible to me. :icon_thumby: I actually caught myself reading CHiPs to myself when I read his posts.

[HAPPY_RANGER_GUY]

Mudflaps are a good thing.

T.

[JohnnyO]

Depends on the model. Some have them, some don't. If it is truly illegal not to have them, then Ford should know that and put a set on for free.

[Bill]

CHP = California Highway Patrol.

The dealership is working with me. I'm the first they have had that has been pulled over, but they have had many people come in concerned about the possibility of being pulled over for not having mudflaps. I had a copy of the Vehicle Code and they are going to forward a copy of it to Ford.

The dealership seems to think Ford opted to not install them because people were taking them off. The new ones look kind of goofy, but the older ones on my 95 look ok. I'm going to try to figure out if the 95 style will fit on a 2007. The dealership stated they will order them for me at no charge.

Other states requiring mud flaps:
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2001/rpt/olr/htm/2001-r-0344.htm

[LearjetMinako]

:annoyed:, Nice link. Only one problem. Hardly anyone follow that mudflap law here in Oklahoma. So many trucks that I see with oversized tires and no mud flaps. I leave my Ranger's splash flaps on, because I like the style and they are factory equipment.

[Bill]

It appeared to be the same thing over here. There are plenty of trucks running around without mud flaps. Every so often someone in state government will recall a law that hasn't been enforced, then the CHP does a crackdown, which is probably what happened, or is about to happen this fall when it starts raining.

I prefer mudflaps too, but I prefer the older style.

[RobbieD]

The Ford rubber mudflaps came on my '94, and it's a 4 cylinder. At the time I bought the truck I thought about taking them off, but never got around to it. I'm glad that I've kept them on, as they don't look that bad, and they sure have kept the sheet metal and paint from getting beat up after all this time.

I'm glad to hear that the cop and the dealership were both decent about it.

[Jeepman401]

The mudflaps are an option that gets added on at the dealership.

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

In Canada (well BC anyway) all of the new rangers come from the factory with the rear flaps, the front flaps are an option that costs something stupid like $200+

[oldmantruck]

Wow, Now I feel old if no one remembers CHiP's. as for the mud flaps, I've never seen a ranger with out them, Sounds like your dealer ripped you off. I had a dealer once try to steel my white outlined bigger offroad package tires, Sticker said the truck had them, but when I went to pick it up it was standard black walls from the xl, wouldn't admit anything, but basically stole my tires and stuck me with stock. They fixed it when I fussed, but if I'd have missed it, I'd have been screwed.

[ASMODEAN]

its not illegal in texas lol thats a meesed up law

Hell I've driven a primered 74 Bronco on 38's with no roof, doors, front finders, hood or windshield from where i live in arkansas to a buddy of mines shop in Rockwall and neither states highway patrol ever said anything (i got a few funny looks tho!)


ok this concludes the threadjacking for the day!

[Will]

Indiana doesn't bother enforcing laws either. Actually, I don't think there is a mudflap law in Indiana. There is no trailer fender law. I don't think I've ever noticed mudflaps on a Ranger but I'll look from now on.

[MAKG]

If the truck was legally sold new in your state without mud flaps then you cannot be given a ticket for not having them. Obviously either the dealer ordered a truck built for another state and forgot to install mud flaps or that cop was giving you a bunch of BS.

This is false. Any police officer, for instance, can ticket you for driving without a front license plate. Until fairly recently, it was very common to get vehicles from the dealership that way. Some even came with no provision for one.

Same thing with rear bumpers. And if your headlight burns out at the factory, you're still responsible.

California has no pre- or post-sale safety inspections. The vehicle can be legally sold to you in unsafe or undriveable condition (though of course the dealer would almost certainly be liable to fix it). It is only required to pay the use fee (sales tax) and registration fee and to obtain an emissions certificate or waiver (new vehicles generally get waivers just because they are new).

And virtually every state requires mud flaps.

Now, very many officers will be quite understanding if the vehicle is new and so on, since despite what the dealership claims, this is not at all a rare occurrence.

It's common in my area for lifted Jeeps with extra wide axles to get nailed. People are just too cheap to buy the $20 flares....

This is, of course, only for street legal vehicles.

[Bent Bolt]

My 08 FX4 came with rear flaps and no front flaps.

[JohnnyO]

There is a little burgh here, Kilbuck Twp. which is known for its speed trap, where they will write you a ticket for "license plate obstruction" if you have a bumper ball installed.

[Bill]

There is a little burgh here, Kilbuck Twp. which is known for its speed trap, where they will write you a ticket for "license plate obstruction" if you have a bumper ball installed.

Same deal in the San Jose area. I've been stopped several times for having the trailer ball on in that area. I finally got tired of it and took the trailer ball off. I put it back on to tow a small trailer across town, forgot about it, and got stopped over there again. I got a fix-it ticket for that one.

But for the mud flaps, I'm kind of annoyed that Ford quit putting them on their trucks, but I'm ok with the requirement. I usually have to replace a windshield every other year due to rocks being launched from tires on vehicles in front of me. Our wet season is constantly wet. There is so much spray and splashing water on the freeways here that it makes for poor visibility. Mud flaps reduce both problems.

[skippy]

i feel old too,i remember a lame show called chips,even been pulled over by a a few chp officers when i lived in the peoples republic of california.in georgia i see very many rbvs out there and many have mud flaps and many don,t,mine doesn,t and i,ve considered putting them on because i like the way they look.around atlanta you have to be wanted or 20,30 over the speed limit to get pulled over anyway.how about a thread on experiences with the highway patrol?i remember officers behind every other billboard in iowa.and wisconsin.

[Will]

I don't think mudflaps are required in most states. There are 49 states that are not named California; that would be a lot of research to find out which have mudflaps required. I've never heard of anyone getting stopped for no mudflaps in 20+ years of driving. I've only researched Indiana's vehicle equipment laws (http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title9/ar19/) so I can't speak for any of the other 49 states.

Here's what I found on California's site:27600. No person shall operate any motor vehicle having three or
more wheels, any trailer, or semitrailer unless equipped with
fenders, covers, or devices, including flaps or splash aprons, or
unless the body of the vehicle or attachments thereto afford adequate
protection to effectively minimize the spray or splash of water or
mud to the rear of the vehicle and all such equipment or such body or
attachments thereto shall be at least as wide as the tire tread.
This section does not apply to those vehicles exempt from
registration, trailers and semitrailers having an unladen weight of
under 1,500 pounds, or any vehicles manufactured and first registered
prior to January 1, 1971, having an unladen weight of under 1,500
pounds.

If the body of the vehicle covers the tire, you don't need mudflaps.

A good many states don't have a license plate for the front either, as weird and backward as that may seem to people with a plate on the front.

[BDAB]

A good many states don't have a license plate for the front either, as weird and backward as that may seem to people with a plate on the front.


doesn't stop oregon from writing that ticket. I have gotten it 3 times now since moving to Michigan. I hate Oregon, if I didn't friends and family there I would never go there.

[Bill]

I don't think mudflaps are required in most states. There are 49 states that are not named California; that would be a lot of research to find out which have mudflaps required. I've never heard of anyone getting stopped for no mudflaps in 20+ years of driving. I've only researched Indiana's vehicle equipment laws (http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title9/ar19/) so I can't speak for any of the other 49 states.

A good many states don't have a license plate for the front either, as weird and backward as that may seem to people with a plate on the front.

I posted a link that has a partial list of states that require mudflaps. That doesn't mean they enforce the law.

There are quite a few states that require front license plates. It has been in the vehicle code in California for years, but really not enforced much until recently. There are a few people in office and law enforcement that seem to be losing sleep over the fact that someone would run past a red-light camera without a front license plate, thus not get cited for it.

Really, I don't see what the fuss is over the requirement of a front license plate. As far as I'm concerned it is a non-issue.

[JohnnyO]

PA does not have front license plates. The idea of a front plate predates redlight cameras by decades, what I got told was that front plates make it much more efficient to write parking tickets since they don't have to walk around to the back of each car.

[Will]

Well, California doesn't require mudflaps. They only require that the tire be covered. If the tires stick out, then you need something in addition--like mudflaps or flares.

[Bill]

Well, California doesn't require mudflaps. They only require that the tire be covered. If the tires stick out, then you need something in addition--like mudflaps or flares.

California requires that you employ something to prevent water, mud and rocks from flying off the tires. If there is enough clearance under the vehicle to allow water and mud to fly off the tires and on to vehicles behind you, then you need to find a way to prevent it. Mud flaps are the most logical way to accomplish this.

It is in California Vehicle Code Section 27600.

[Will]

Yes, I posted the entire paragraph from California's web site if you go to the last page. The point is, you probably have what you need without mudflaps if you have the stock tires on.