Fixing rock guard fasteners...a better solution than OEM?
Hey Airforums! Long time no check in. Been busy raising my herd of rascals. Still Streamin' though!
So, Out of Doors Mart did an absolutely embarrassing job of installing the rockguards on my trailer a few years ago. The fastener studs on the actual rockguards do not line up with the rubber receivers on either side. My fault for not inspecting them properly upon trailer pickup, but avoid OODM for your service needs if you can. I wasn't happy with any of their work or their ability to manage projects.
Anywho, to close the rockguards, one needs force the fastener studs a solid 2 inches up and in just to get them to rest on the rubber receivers. This of course applied too much pressure on the mounting hardware and eventually they failed (en route to adventures, the way things often go). Luckily the slipjoint hinge hung onto the rockguard long enough for me to pull over and tuck the segment inside the trailer for the rest of the journey.
Before I uninstall and reinstall both rockguards with OEM hardware, I'm wondering if anyone has replaced the fastener/rubber receiver mechanism with something that is a little more fool proof? Like a marine latch or strong magnets or something?
If not, please wish me luck in not making the same mistakes the installer at OODM did.
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