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'Drooling Tundra' syndrome after driving in rain - how to fix this?

Discussion in 'General Tundra Discussion' started by BrakeDust, May 16, 2021.

  1. May 16, 2021 at 5:48 AM
    #1
    BrakeDust

    BrakeDust [OP] New Member

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    My MGM tundra looks like crap after driving in rain, but especially bothersome is the 'drool' caused by dirty water dribbling down the corners of the front bumper, see pic below. There is a large gap on the inside of the fender where two pieces meet with a 1/2" to 3/4" space. I attempted to remedy this by shoving some foam pipe insulation into the gap - but alas the drooling still happens! I know I'm not alone, other Tundras appear to have the same problem and I noticed that F150s have this syndrome as well. Only vehicles with a fully integrated plastic front-end don't have the issue (ie. almost the entire face of the vehicle is plastic and includes the 'bumper.')

    So... what to do? I'm going to try shoving even more pipe insulation in there, this time from the front, into the large space between the bumper and the front plastic 'quarter panel' sections.

    [​IMG]
     
  2. May 16, 2021 at 5:52 AM
    #2
    Uhhhh....

    Uhhhh.... New Member

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    It might come off if you wash it.
     
  3. May 16, 2021 at 6:15 AM
    #3
    slowpokepete

    slowpokepete New No More

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    Seems like there must be mud/dirt in the wheel wells?

    I'd give a good hose rinse under there.

    SPP
     
  4. May 16, 2021 at 6:25 AM
    #4
    ColoradoTJ

    ColoradoTJ Certified tow LEO Staff Member

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    Undercarriage sprayer works pretty good for the people that off-road their Tundras. Sometimes I would use a yard sprinkler.

    The same thing would happen to my MGM truck. Mud and dirt would get in the wheel wells and look just like that.
     
  5. May 16, 2021 at 6:26 AM
    #5
    Rubberdown

    Rubberdown Spilling my guts here.

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    Yeah... just put a water stream in there when you wash and clean all that crap out. The water isn’t a problem. The dirt is.
     
    Saltyhero13 likes this.
  6. May 16, 2021 at 6:35 AM
    #6
    15whtrd

    15whtrd Mr. Blonde

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    It might not be as bad if you didn’t have rims/tires with poke. My stock wheels keep a lot of the dirt and water in the wheel wells.
     
  7. May 16, 2021 at 6:54 AM
    #7
    frichco228

    frichco228 Valued Member

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    ditto on the wheel offset. I have a black truck, off road package wheels and I can drive in the rain a couple days and still have the truck looking recently washed. Another factor is keeping the truck waxed and protected, really makes a huge difference in the dirt sticking.
     
    jhardy1979 and 15whtrd like this.
  8. May 16, 2021 at 6:59 AM
    #8
    BrakeDust

    BrakeDust [OP] New Member

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    Well of course I can get the dirt off if I wash the truck. And yes the wheel well is squeaky clean after I wash it. (I'm not off roading, that drool in the pic is just from driving around the roads of the San Antonio area yesterday after a rain.)

    But let's pretend I wash it again. The minute I leave the house I'm back on public roads with a little dirt on them. That dust mixes in with the rain water, which then gets flung around the wheel well and much of it goes through the big 1/2" gap in the wheel well and dribbles out the front! Brand new drool created.
     
  9. May 16, 2021 at 7:00 AM
    #9
    ColoradoTJ

    ColoradoTJ Certified tow LEO Staff Member

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    The dirt gets inside the wheel wells and is pretty hard to get at.
     
  10. May 16, 2021 at 7:42 AM
    #10
    LuvCRVs

    LuvCRVs New Member

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    That gap in the wheel well..focus on that. Perhaps some black "Flex Seal" tape would cover that gap and not be too noticeable, or not noticeable at all once it gets dirty like the rest of the wheel well. IIRC Lowes sells some that is about 4" wide.
     
  11. May 16, 2021 at 7:45 AM
    #11
    LuvCRVs

    LuvCRVs New Member

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    Am I the only one who washes the plastic wheel well liners every time I wash my truck? A bit of a pain but frankly a newly washed truck with dirty wheel wells still looks like a dirty truck.
     
    jhardy1979 likes this.
  12. May 16, 2021 at 7:52 AM
    #12
    blanchard7684

    blanchard7684 New Member

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    As my wife says: it’s a Toyota truck , not a Ferrari.
     
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  13. May 16, 2021 at 8:22 AM
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    Rubberdown

    Rubberdown Spilling my guts here.

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    I mean. I have cow crap all over mine. If I wash the wheel wells it ends up all over the driveway. So I don’t wash my wheel wells every time.

    Maybe stick a piece of self adhesive weatherstripping in that gap from Home Depot and see if that fixes the problem?
     
  14. May 16, 2021 at 10:21 AM
    #14
    RainMan_PNW

    RainMan_PNW SSEM #82 RGBA #4 “That Guy” Vendor

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    One of the reasons I chose a color that wasn’t dark, and would still look good dirty. For 7-8 months we get rain at least once a week, and I’m just not into worrying about it. :notsure:
     
  15. May 16, 2021 at 2:07 PM
    #15
    slowpokepete

    slowpokepete New No More

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    I live on a dirt road so it is not worth the fight.

    SPP
     
  16. May 16, 2021 at 2:35 PM
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    LuvCRVs

    LuvCRVs New Member

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    Growing up we lived on a "sand" road. A car would drive buy and a cloud of dust would hang in the air for a good 10 minutes. To this day I have never understood how my parents made the decision to build on the road (house was maybe 50 feet from the road) and live there for almost 20 years. I would wash and wax my car for "Friday Night" and pray to the car gods that I could make the 1/3 mile drive up that road to where it met pavement at about 3 mph without passing any other car. It was awful.
     
  17. May 17, 2021 at 5:56 AM
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    Bammer

    Bammer I'm disinclined to acquiesce your request.

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    Same here !
     
  18. May 17, 2021 at 6:01 AM
    #18
    Nowhereman

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    Dude, it's a truck.
    A truck doin truck things..
     
  19. May 17, 2021 at 6:04 AM
    #19
    Nowhereman

    Nowhereman New Member

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    You poor guy, parents would never understand.
    That had to be major frustration, mental scaring to the max.
    Any car washes around your area then?
    If it was me I'd be spending so much at one of those back in the day.
     
  20. May 17, 2021 at 6:11 AM
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    Shanet421

    Shanet421 (Semi) New Member

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    Maybe try these...I was contemplating getting a set. It may stop so much water/dirt getting splashed up there in the first place

    https://www.arksplashguards.com/product/tundra-sequoia
     
  21. May 17, 2021 at 9:32 AM
    #21
    BrakeDust

    BrakeDust [OP] New Member

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    The Flex Seal tape was a great idea! Wow - it's like duct tape and 3M VHB combined.

    Anyway, I sealed the gap on both sides, it will be rainy over the next few days. Interested to see how this hack holds up.

    BEFORE
    [​IMG]

    AFTER
    [​IMG]
     
  22. May 17, 2021 at 12:03 PM
    #22
    Nowhereman

    Nowhereman New Member

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    Rough Country shocks, ReTrax cover, Summo springs, black out badging, bed extender, "some other things I can't mention"
    Sounds like a NEW Flex seal tape commercial on the horizon...lol
     
    NewImprovedRon likes this.
  23. May 17, 2021 at 12:09 PM
    #23
    Kung

    Kung Dead sexy

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    I'd prefer FiberFix.

     

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