Rusted Fender? Look no further than this review on Wheel Well moldings. Read to find out what option fits your vehicle.
Car owners purchase wheel well moldings to serve needs peculiar to their cars. From covering rust to improving appearance, wheel well moldings are pretty functional.
Installation of these car moldings is no deal. Within a few minutes, your vehicle is protected and ready for a ride.
To help you make the best choice for your ride, we have compiled a comprehensive list of the best wheel well moldings for cars and trucks. Read on and let us know what you think!
8 Exclusive Wheel Well Moldings for This Season!
- Broad Coverage
- Extra Height
- Warranty
- Injection process
- Extra bolts
- Pocket deisgns
- Injection process
- UV Protection
- Included hardware & Guide
- Warranty
- Universal fit
- Chrome Exterior
- Reduces Vibration
- Protective Gasket
- Full Kit
- Tall height
- Value for Money
- UV Resistant
- Wide Tire Coverage
- UV Resistant
- Complete Kit
- Alignment Tool
- Fits all sides
- Low-Priced
- Protective Gasket
- Universal fit
- Shiny Chrome
- Sticky Adhesive
- Low Priced
- Waterproof
- UV Resistant
- Easy Install
- Attractive Chrome Finish
- Durable
- Life Warranty
- Easy Install
A 8 Best Wheel Well Moldings
Positive
Negatives
Tyger FF8D4078 is a vehicle-specific wheel well trim molding custom-made for fleet-side models of 03-08 Dodge Ram 1500/2500/3500. The black wheel well molding has a lackluster finish and is made of polypropylene plastic. It has a height size of 5.5’ for the front side and 4.5’ for the rear.
Benefits
- Broad coverage: It is ideal for outdoor applications because it has wide tire coverage of 2.5 inches.
- Extra tall height: With a height of 4 – 5 inches, It can be used as a wheel well molding to cover rust and dents on your fender.
- Warranty: This Tyger Fury trim molding has a limited lifetime guarantee against all factory defects and cracks.
- Injection process: Constructed from an injection molding process, this trim molding is durable and fit for all off-road uses.
- Pocket designs: It is a pocket-riveted style fender molding with stainless rivets for tough use. Its unique design gives your Dodge Ram that rugged beast look.
- Extra bolts and Screws: There are extra bolts and screws included in the packaging of this molding. You might not use all the screws and bolts during the installation process, but you wouldn’t bother about a replacement if you misplace them.
Drawbacks
- Unclear Guide: The mounting guide that accompanies this black wheel well molding is not comprehensive and could get confusing.
- Won’t fit HEMI badge: If you have a HEMI badge on the front fender, you’d have to strip it off for the molding to fit your fender.
- Tedious Installation: Installing the bolts and screws could be time- consuming and tedious.
- Not tight fitment: Little gaps might exist between your vehicle body panel and the wheel well molding.
What do we think?
This Tyger Fury truck wheel well molding gives your Dodge Ram a rugged look with its pocket-riveted design. It is a great rust cover with an affordable price, an excellent choice for your Dodge Ram 1500/2500/3500.
RATING: TYGER AUTO POCKET-RIVETED STYLE WHEEL WELL MOLDING
Positive
Negatives
Merits
- Injection process: This molding takes its form through an injection process that increases its life span and shields it from cracks and warps.
- Complete four sides: It would cover all the four sides of your vehicle.
- UV protection: No sunlight rays would damage the painting of your molding because it is ray resistant.
- Mounting Hardware and Guide: This wheel well molding kit also contains all the necessary hardware and guide you’d need for mounting the trim.
- Limited lifetime warranty: With this warranty, you are guaranteed from cracks, breakages, and any other factory defects that come with the product.
Demerits
- No adhesive tape: The wheel well fender molding has no adhesive tape that seals the trim to the body of your fender. When water rolls down your fender, it might get stuck in between your fender and your truck body panel, leading to severe rust issues.
- Error in Packaging: Some Dodge Ram owners complain of the lack of mounting hardware in their package. In such scenarios, you might have to purchase all hardware needed for installation.
Our Judgment
Although some packaging of this product does not contain mounting hardware or instructional guides, this truck wheel well molding is durable and has a limited lifetime warranty.RATING: TYGER AUTO FACTORY STYLE WHEEL WELL MOLDING
Positive
Negatives
Pros
- Reduces Vibration: It has a protective lock gasket that helps isolate vibration.
- Chrome exterior: Although it has a black coat, the hidden external surface of the chrome wheel well molding is glazed with a dull silver finish.
- Protective lock gasket: The lock gasket seals the fender molding tightly to the body panel of your vehicle and also helps prevent vibration.
- Universal fit: It can be used for any application on any car since it is not a vehicle- specific.
Cons
- Not fit for angled fenders: Although the TrimLok wheel well molding is a universal fit, it is not compatible with fenders that have a 90-degree angle. The JK Wrangler is an example of a vehicle with an angled fender.
- Too short for four sides: Some vehicle owners complain that the 25ft length of the wheel well fender molding is too short to cover all the front and rear sides of their car fender.
Our Verdict
The TrimLok molding has an attractive finish, and it is a universal fit for all fenders, excluding vehicles with a 90-degree angled fender. If you don’t need a custom fit trim molding, then this is for you.RATING: TRIMLOK FENDER MOLDING
Positive
Negatives
This molding is a full wheel well molding kit with four complete pieces for the front and rear sides of your car’s fender. It is constructed from high impact plastic and has a broad tire coverage of 2’ for its front and rear set. It has a height dimension of 4.25’ for the front molding and 2’ for the rear molding. The black wheel well molding is custom made for the fleet side models of 02- 08 Dodge Ram 1500 and 03 – 09 Dodge Ram 2500/3500
Advantages
- Full kit: This molding comes in a complete kit containing four sets for front and rear sides, mounting hardware, and an instruction guide.
- Tall height: This fender trim has an extra tall size that makes it the best wheel well molding to cover rust.
- UV-resistant: The pocket- riveted style molding has a UV protection that shields the trim from fading or other damages.
- Value for money: Purchasing this molding for your Dodge Ram fender gives you the ultimate value for your money.
Disadvantages
- Fine texture: This black wheel well molding does not have a smooth finish.
- Challenging rear installation: It might be hard to install the molding on the backsides of your Dodge Ram model.
- Little gaps: It might not be a tight fitment on your fender as there might be narrow gaps between the body panel of your car and the fender molding.
Our Opinion
If you own a 05-07 Dodge Ram model, then this truck wheel well molding is an excellent choice for you. The truck wheel well molding has a full kit that contains everything you need for easy installation.
RATING: POCKET-RIVETED STYLE BLACK WHEEL MOLDING
Positive
Negatives
The truck wheel well molding pack contains a full set of trim molding for all fender sides, mounting hardware, and an instructional guide for installation. It is made of an ABS, heat-resistant plastic, and has a black textured finish. The trim molding is not compatible with mud flaps and aftermarket bumpers. It was custom made for the fleet side models of 09 – 14 Dodge Ram 1500 and has a dimension of (4×2 inches) for the front side and (4.25×2 inches) for the rear side.
Pros
- Wide tire coverage: It has wide tire coverage for off-road applications.
- Full kit: It contains all the necessary components needed for an easy wheel well fender molding installation.
- UV resistant: It is not affected by sunlight rays. This protection reduces the risk of your molding fading off within a short time.
Cons
- Expensive: Compared to other wheel well moldings in this review, this is the most costly.
- Complicated Weatherstrip fix: The rubber weather stripping of this trim molding is hard to fix. Many truck owners complain of the difficulties experienced in installing the strip.
- Time-consuming pre-install: The process of coupling the molding and the bolts consumes more time than installing the trim on your fender.
- Faulty packaging: Truck owners complain of severely broken and cracked products delivered to them. These breakages might be as a result of rough handling during shipping.
- It is not compatible with mud flaps and aftermarket bumpers.
Our Opinion
Although it is more expensive than other wheel well moldings present in this review, it comes with a full kit of everything needed for installation. You cannot go wrong with this choice!
RATING: WHEEL WELL MOLDING KIT
Positive
Negatives
The universal wheel well trim molding is shaped in a T-style and has a dimension of 0.28”x 30” (HxL). It is made of high-quality rubber and has a black finish. The Universal wheel well molding can be used for all the four sides of your fender. It has an alignment tool and a rubber gasket to aid fitting.
Pros
- Alignment tool: The black wheel well molding possesses an alignment tool that helps you fix twists and warps if the trim is misaligned.
- Rubber Gasket: This molding protects your car paint from peeling off. It has a rubber gasket that sticks between the body panel of your vehicle and the wheel well molding. This gasket also helps the wiper-style shaped molding to reduce vibrations.
- Fit for all sides: It would be sufficient for covering all four sides of your fender.
- Universal fit: It is not custom-made for any specific vehicle.
- Low-priced: This wheel well trim molding is budget-friendly.
Cons
- Not fit for sharp curves: Although it is a universal fit, it would not fit sharply curved fender edges.
- Weak adhesive: You might need extra tape to replace the adhesive provided with this molding because the glue won’t stick properly.
- Installation issues: Installing this molding might be quite tedious and time – consuming.
Our verdict
This King Fender molding has an alignment tool and a protective gasket that helps you achieve a tight fitment on your fender. It is budget-friendly and would fit any vehicle you have.
RATING: T-STYLE KING FENDER MOLDING
Positive
Negatives
This Universal body molding is for all car parts – doors and bumpers. It is a slim trim molding that serves other body parts of your car but can serve as a chrome wheel well molding for your fender. It has UV protection, and you wouldn’t have to worry about the chrome finish fading off in a short time.
Merits
- Shiny Chrome Finish: This is a perfect choice for all lovers of wheel well chrome molding. It is a shiny trim that improves the appearance of your vehicle’s fender.
- Waterproof: It is a water and rust-resistant fender molding.
- Fits Fender curve: Since it is a universal body molding, you might be worried about its fitting on your wheel well curve, but this is a perfect fit.
- Sticky Adhesive: The glue on this universal wheel well molding would last on your fender for years without falling off.
- UV-resistant: This Cowles molding wouldn’t fade off after some months due to sunlight rays. It maintains its chrome finish for years.
- It is Economical
Cons
- Too short: Since it is not specifically designed for car fenders, one pack of this molding wouldn’t cover all four front and rear sides. It has a size of 12ft and would require more trim packs to wrap around all fender sides.
- Slight scratches: Due to shipping vibrations and rough handling, there might be tiny scratches on this wheel well chrome molding.
Our Opinion
The Cowles molding is not uniquely designed for the wheel well. However, it is durable and would last you for years. With more packs to cover all sides of your car’s fender, you’re good to go!
RATING: S37734 UNIVERSAL MOLDING BY COWLES
Positive
Negatives
The Putco fender molding possesses a complete four-piece stainless steel molding. It is an attractive wheel well chrome molding that boosts the appearance of your fender. Just as its name implies, it is made of stainless steel and has a UV protected rubber edge.
Pros
- Attractive Chrome finish: If you care about aesthetics and chrome quality, this is your deal. Its silver finish gives off a bright fender look.
- Durable: The chrome wheel well molding is made from rust-resistant stainless steel and has a rubber edge coated with ray-resistant powder.
- Lifetime Warranty: This is a sure guarantee against factory defects or cracks that could be pretty disappointing.
- Easy Install: Within a few minutes, your Putco fender molding is installed on your fender without stress.
Demerits
- Poor Quality Control: Some of the Putco moldings arrive dented, bent, or cracked. This dents might be as a result of poor quality control from the company or rough handling during shipping.
- Not compatible with mud flaps: The wheel well chrome molding might be hard to mount if you have an already installed mud flap at the rear or front side of your car.
Our Judgment
This molding is for lovers of an attractive chrome finish. It is affordable and easy to install. If you own a 2008 Chevy Silverado, this is the fender molding for you.
RATING: 97289 STEEL WHEEL MOLDING KIT BY PUTCO
How To Fix Fender Flares
There are different ways of installing a fender flare. The brand you are using determines the procedures involved in the installation. The guidelines for installation outlined below may differ slightly from yours, depending on the brand of fender you are using:
- Step 1: If your vehicle comes with a fender from the factory, carefully detach the old fender from the vehicle using a screwdriver to loosen the bolts. Locate the screws behind your vehicle fender and unhook them.
- Step 2: If your vehicle did not come with a fender from the factory, you will have to create holes to enable you to fix the new fender on. Make use of the installation guide enclosed on your new fender.
- Step 3: Size up the new fender to see if it fits well with your vehicle by placing them on the surface of your vehicle close to your vehicle wheel before you mount it on your vehicle. If it fits well with your vehicle, one end of the new fender will cover the part of your vehicle that houses the fender. The other edge of the fender should seamlessly align with the bumper. Note that a good number of Fender flares come with a two-edged auto capacity that serves as extra protection. Ensure the two-edged fluffy tape that is rightly positioned at the back of the fender. However, you are not to uncover the other part of the fender unless you are set to fix it.
- Step 4: When you are set to fix the fender flare, unseal the second part of the tape. Position the fender on the vehicle surface as a mock installation process to see if the holes in the flare are in line with those in your vehicle.
- Step 5: Put the crews in the holes and secure it tightly with a screwdriver.
- Step 6: Kindly follow the installation guideline outline above while mounting the other fender flares on your vehicle.
Fender Flare Buyers Guide
When choosing the right fender flare suitable for your vehicle, there are certain conditions to consider. You might choose to consider the fitting, design, and brand. Whichever factor you need to consider, ensure that it serves your purpose better. But if you are still not certain on the most suitable brand of fender flare for your vehicle, this guide will help you in making your final decision. Below are some of the conditions:
The color and design: if you are looking for fenders that will give you the glamour and beauty you want your car to be, then narrow your choice-making towards getting colorful fender that will match your vehicle to enhance the physical outlook of your car.
Perfect styling: fender flare has varied styles that come in different shapes and colors. Your choice of style determines the kind of brand that fits your vehicle better. While choosing a suitable style for your vehicle, have it at the back of your mind that all fender styles are design in such a way that they can fit your vehicle perfectly well. Some fender flares are designed in such a way that you will have to puncture holes on them before installation, some come with already perforated holes. Your choice of fender styling determines how your vehicle will look like. Therefore, if you choose the cut-out styling, it will give your wheels adequate protection as it will provide shield to your tires. It also gives your vehicle a beautiful outlook. The extra wide fender flare are perfect for vehicles that ply rough and rugged roads as the fenders will protect the edges of the vehicles from cracks and damages while colliding with sharp objects. Cut-out fender Flares might be a good choice for you if you want to clear off the rusted part of your vehicle. Though, cut-out fenders may appear exceedingly difficult to mount due to the long procedures involved in installation, they are often worth the stress. The fender styling contributes a lot in giving your vehicle the great look that you desire for your vehicle.
Wheel Well Molding Frequently Asked Questions
Some days back, I noticed some rusted edges on the fender of my 2018 Subaru. I’m pretty much freaking out now, and I would take any recommendations on a Subaru Outback wheel well molding. Thanks!
The E201SAL000 Subaru Outback wheel well molding is an excellent cover for those rusted edges.
Kindly recommend a universal carbon fiber wheel well fender trim molding for me.
For a universal carbon fiber molding, the True Line Automotive fender trim is a perfect fitment, and it is available in different sizes to fit all fender sides.
Conclusion
Wheel well trim moldings are the best option for covering rusted areas of your fender. You can avoid the cost of repainting your truck or finding other home-made solutions when you order for any of these wheel well moldings.
However, just like any other car part, you would need to find a compatible fit for your car or truck. There are universal molding types for any vehicle, but a custom fit might give you a preferred tight fitment.
If you hate the typical black matte finish of the featured wheel well moldings in this review, then you should opt for the chrome finish of the Putco and Cowles brand.
Whatever final shopping choice you make from this review, we assure you of their quality and durability. These are the absolute best products money can buy.
I live in Colorado, snow, mud and giant potholes are daily for me. These wheel well moldings collect water, snow and salt causing rust on them. They also fade over time if you don’t put any protection. I still don’t know if this is really functional or dysfunctional.