Hot-Rod Mudguards
Many people love to customize and build their own hot rods.
An often overlooked aspect of building the hot rod is the mudguards, which can make or break the whole look of the car.
They may not be a requirement in other countries, but in Australia, having all the wheels on your car covered in a legal must.
When looking at mudguards for your vehicle, there are a number of things to consider, such as size, shape and material.
The size, shape and material often depend on the model of car and what the builder is aiming for, as far as looks.
Size The size of the mudguard is the first thing people notice when they see it.
Because of this, it is valuable to do proper measuring and get the mudguard that exactly suits.
The most popular way of measuring is to simply measure across the face of your wheel and tire to get the diameter.
Once you have this, you simply add on the amount of space you want between the mudguard and the wheel.
For example, if your wheel and tire measure to be 24 inches, and you wanted 1 inch between the wheel and tire, you would take 24 inches, add 2 inches (because you want 1 inch on both sides) and you would realise you need a 26 inch mudguard.
Something worth considering when determining the gap is how the mudguard will be mounted.
If the guard is mounted to the body, the gap at the top will have to be larger to allow for suspension movement, but it the guard can be mounted to the suspension, it can be as close to the tire as you want, because it will move up and down with the wheel.
Shape Round mudguards normally come in either a flat-top, or round-top.
Round tops are normally much more popular in hot-rods, especially for the front guards, but flat tops are used sometimes too, but mostly in the rear, with those big, wide tires.
It really is a matter of personal preference, though, because there have been many really cool looking rat rods that made good use of the standard flat-top style guard.
Material Most mudguards used on hot-rods are made from mild steel.
This is because it is an easily modifiable and weldable material, making it perfect for body work.
However, sometimes the builder wants a different look that really sets the car apart, and will use either stainless steel or aluminum.
Stainless is used when the builder wants a brilliant, chrome-like finish to the guard that will turn heads.
Aluminum is sometimes used when the builder wants to spare no expense in making the car as light as possible.
Aluminum is also used for its ease of mounting by riveting.
An often overlooked aspect of building the hot rod is the mudguards, which can make or break the whole look of the car.
They may not be a requirement in other countries, but in Australia, having all the wheels on your car covered in a legal must.
When looking at mudguards for your vehicle, there are a number of things to consider, such as size, shape and material.
The size, shape and material often depend on the model of car and what the builder is aiming for, as far as looks.
Size The size of the mudguard is the first thing people notice when they see it.
Because of this, it is valuable to do proper measuring and get the mudguard that exactly suits.
The most popular way of measuring is to simply measure across the face of your wheel and tire to get the diameter.
Once you have this, you simply add on the amount of space you want between the mudguard and the wheel.
For example, if your wheel and tire measure to be 24 inches, and you wanted 1 inch between the wheel and tire, you would take 24 inches, add 2 inches (because you want 1 inch on both sides) and you would realise you need a 26 inch mudguard.
Something worth considering when determining the gap is how the mudguard will be mounted.
If the guard is mounted to the body, the gap at the top will have to be larger to allow for suspension movement, but it the guard can be mounted to the suspension, it can be as close to the tire as you want, because it will move up and down with the wheel.
Shape Round mudguards normally come in either a flat-top, or round-top.
Round tops are normally much more popular in hot-rods, especially for the front guards, but flat tops are used sometimes too, but mostly in the rear, with those big, wide tires.
It really is a matter of personal preference, though, because there have been many really cool looking rat rods that made good use of the standard flat-top style guard.
Material Most mudguards used on hot-rods are made from mild steel.
This is because it is an easily modifiable and weldable material, making it perfect for body work.
However, sometimes the builder wants a different look that really sets the car apart, and will use either stainless steel or aluminum.
Stainless is used when the builder wants a brilliant, chrome-like finish to the guard that will turn heads.
Aluminum is sometimes used when the builder wants to spare no expense in making the car as light as possible.
Aluminum is also used for its ease of mounting by riveting.
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