Bushwacker Pocket Fender Flares

If you run larger than stock tires on your pickup, then it’s likely that you’ve considered adding fender flares to your truck. Maybe it’s because fender flares are mandated by law in your area, or maybe you’re concerned about rocks and other debris getting kicked up and possibly damaging your truck’s finish on the trail, or maybe you just like the look. Whatever it is, fender flares are often a vital accessory for truck owners with aggressive offset wheels or knobby tires.

Close-up of Bushwacker's pocket fender flares painted-to-match.

Bushwacker is a company which makes pocket style fender flares for 2007 – 2010 Toyota Tundra trucks. These flares bulge out about two inches over the top of each wheel, and then they progressively get closer to the body at each end. This helps to protect the vehicle from kicked-up debris, but not so much that the fender flares stick out too far. The pocket fender flares feature the “bolted” look that some people feel adds a degree of ruggedness to their vehicle – each pocket contains a real Torx-head screw…but the screws don’t actually do anything (they’re just for show).

A kit of 4 fender flares costs about $400, and that cost doesn’t include paint. Since these fender flares arrive matte black from the factory, you’re probably going to want to throw a coat of glossy paint on them because the matte finish doesn’t look right when placed up against most paint colors (black being the only exception, and even then the look isn’t for everyone). Because it’s much cheaper to have a body shop paint your flares before they go on the truck, you’ll want to take your new flares to your local body shop and have them painted to match.

Toyota Tundra with Bushwacker Pocket-style fender flares

By the way – if you’re worried about scratching up your newly painted fender flares during the installation process, you might consider asking the body shop about installation. They’re used to this type of thing, and they just might surprise you with a cut-rate installation price. If not – or if you want to do it yourself – the flares can be installed by a reasonably handy person with the right tools.

Fender Flare Tundra Installation

First, take the time to get your truck nice and clean. Spray off the inside of each wheel well so you have a clean work surface. Next, pull together all the goods – the kit includes all the bolts, clips and trim you need, but you’ll also need a socket wench, a Philips screwdriver, a grease pencil to mark mounting points, and a drill with a Torx drill bit to get the job done.

Start by removing the stock mud flaps (if they happen to be installed) on your Tundra. Once the flaps are off, line each of the fender flares up against the side of your truck to check that they properly match the contours of your wheel well. If they don’t for some reason, you might want to go see a professional about either altering the flares or the wheel well itself prior to taking the next step. If everything fits, the rest is pretty simple.

NOTE: If you’re running an after-market side-exit exhaust, make sure that your exit pipes aren’t venting right onto or near the plastic flares. Hot exhaust gases will cause the flares to discolor or deform, so make sure you have at least 4″ of distance between the exhaust exit and any portion of your fender flares.

Now you can apply the edge trim to the inner edge of each flare using the adhesive tape on each piece of trim, install the decorative Torx-head screws, and then bolt the flares to the fenders. The flares attach using factory-drilled holes at the back of the front and rear wheel wells plus s-clips and screws that hold on to the top of the wheel wells. No holes have to be drilled to keep the flares snug, which is a bonus from a corrosion prevention perspective.

It will take you time and care to do it right, but there isn’t any reason that someone who is comfortable using basic hand tools couldn’t install these sharp-looking pocket flares from Bushwacker on their truck without running into any major hassles.