Mud flaps for truck

[bpw]

Hello,

Was recently told (no ticket) that I need mud flaps on my truck (stock, no lift). when I searched the DMV site I found the section saying that I needed to prevent water or mud from spraying behind my vehicle but it doesn't give any info as to what is considered "adequate". So my question is are there any guidelines as to how long I need to make the flaps for my truck?

Thanks


From the DMV:

Fenders and Mudguards

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.

 

[silversvs]

The flaps need to be as wide as the tire and need to come down to the centerline of the wheel.

A quick drawing to help. Red is required mud flaps. Blue indicates centerline of wheel.

Hope this helps.

Forgive my non-artistic abilities.

 

[bpw]

Thanks, exactly what I needed to know.

 

[tgrrdr]

The flaps need to be as wide as the tire and need to come down to the centerline of the wheel.

is this only for tires that extend wider than the body of the vehicle? Most (stock) pickups I've seen don't have mud flaps. The "the body of the vehicle...afford adequate protection" part in the quoted CVC section seems somewhat subjective to me.

 

[MR662]

The OP might have aftermarket wheels, which may stick out farther then the fenders. He would then be required to have mud flaps. If his vehicle is 100% stock from the factory, it shouldnt require any additional mud flaps to be legal.

 

[motorman4life]

The flaps need to be as wide as the tire and need to come down to the centerline of the wheel.

A quick drawing to help. Red is required mud flaps. Blue indicates centerline of wheel.

Hope this helps.

Forgive my non-artistic abilities.

I believe the diagram provided demostrates (thanks Silver) the minimum height relative to the wheel/tire profile, but adequate protection requires the flaps to be as close to the ground as they are to the tire.

So,in the diagram, if the flap is 3" back from the apex of the tire, then the flap needs to be no more than 3" off the ground. Again, using the diagram, if the diamter of the tire is 36" and the midline of the hub is 18", then you could have a flap that is 18" off the ground (at or below the midline of the hub), so long as the flap hangs 18" back from the apex of the tire.

A short flap as close as shown in the diagram does little to nothing to keep debris from being contained by the flaps and is a violation.

 

[bpw]

Good info,

Its a stock truck but old so most likely the flaps have just been torn off over time. (1993 toyota 4wd) I'm sure the aggressive (but actually smaller than than some factory options) mud-terrain tires make the lack of flaps more apparent.

So is there somewhere I could have actually found this info in CVC or is it more of a "rule of thumb" that defines reasonable? It all seems very sensible but I'm curious as to where these definitions come from.

Thanks again

 

[motorman4life]

27600 cvc is the applicable section. The policies were communicated to me in a commercial vehicle enforcement class. I don't know where they are officially documented. It is really a matter of the CHP interpreting or defining what "adequate protection" and "to effectively minimize" mean. There are probably several SAE papers on the topic and/or CHP Training or Policy notices that sumarize the position of the department and what references or court decisions were used to develop that position.

 

[Roadstergal]

Do they have to be equal-opportunity?

 

[Anti-Hero]

I got a ticket for this very thing by CHP. I forgot all about the fix-it ticket that got lost in the black hole of my glove box. It ended up costing me $650.00 for FTA, fines, etc.

I still walk funny this very day.

But I never ended up getting mud flaps, HAHA suckers!

 

[cardinal03]

I fucking HATE all the people in SUVs without mudflaps when I'm trekking to an from Tahoe. HATE THEM!!!!!!

 

[stovepipe]

The flaps need to be as wide as the tire and need to come down to the centerline of the wheel.

A quick drawing to help. Red is required mud flaps. Blue indicates centerline of wheel.

Hope this helps.

Forgive my non-artistic abilities.

Those art classes at the JC really paid off.

 

[silversvs]

Those art classes at the JC really paid off.

Yeah but the teacher was hawt

 

[bojangle]

Do they have to be equal-opportunity?

It's only a matter of time before the mud flap on the right makes his way over to the mud flap on the left. Before you know it there will be tiny little mud flaps all over the back of that truck.

 

[stovepipe]

It's only a matter of time before the mud flap on the right makes his way over to the mud flap on the left. Before you know it there will be tiny little mud flaps all over the back of that truck.

True, but how dose the mud flap on the right know the mud flap on the left is really a female? Hence possible modifications. And what will be his opening line? Nice meat flaps?