Wheel well liner

Discuss any problems, warranty, repair, or replacement issues you are having with your Vibe & Matrix
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lannvouivre
Posts: 1601
Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2011 1:00 pm
Location: Texas yay

Wheel well liner

Post by lannvouivre »

So the front wheel wells now have holes in them. I'm replacing them ASAP, but I'd like do know: how can I keep this from happening again? I've had the car for 6 years and the holes only just got worn into them within the last week, so I'm guessing some clips finally wore out and the liner came a bit loose?

If it's clips, are there any other clips I should be watching or replacing? I feel ashamed of myself whenever a part starts hanging off because the clip died! :oops:
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star_deceiver
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Re: Wheel well liner

Post by star_deceiver »

There are many clips like this on plastic around the front end. Check the ones on the splash shield below the rad.
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bluneon
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Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2012 8:04 am

Re: Wheel well liner

Post by bluneon »

the clips are designed to be sacrificial. they are meant to break and fall off during any hard enough impacts on the bumper/shield/liner or parking block hit. that way the shields stay intact, if only for a little bit until the shield drifts too close to moving parts.

if the clips weren't designed to break off, then the shields will rip and tear. the shields costs a whole lot more than the clips themselves.

unfortunately the only way around it is to stop hitting stuff on the road. or you could secure the clips w heavier clips, but run the risk of ripping or tearing the shield if/when you hit something.
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trb
Posts: 1670
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Location: Houston, TX

Re: Wheel well liner

Post by trb »

I need to replace a few clips on my fender liners and the body side trim also, and found they are pretty cheap at Oreilly or Autozone, like $5 for 20 clips or so. But first I need to get the front splash shield since the prior owner broke it off somehow, and now the whole bumper cover rattles. :(

Someone found the fender liners pretty cheap on rockauto.com

Good luck!
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lannvouivre
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Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2011 1:00 pm
Location: Texas yay

Re: Wheel well liner

Post by lannvouivre »

Update!

I got the driver's side liner on, but the back part that's held with the self-tapping screws is now without the clips that the screws screw into (due to Dad and me brutally murdering them while pulling the old one off). I don't know where to get these clips or how to install them once I have them because they have a washer-shaped head that fits between the fender and the exterior plastic cladding, then a square plastic peg that sticks through the wheel well liner.

I know, we shouldn't have killed the plastic clips on that part, but I didn't know they were what the old liner was hooked on. I assumed that some rocks had gotten wedged in along with the entire handful of dead leaves I found in there or something :oops:
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cptnsolo77
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Re: Wheel well liner

Post by cptnsolo77 »

I just used black cable ties in my rear wheelswells after I reinstalled the rear bumper. Cheap & effective. Cant see them anyhow. Good ol' needle nose & they will be super tight LOL.
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