Mudguards on Ford Focus – how to extend the life of a popular hatchback

Ford Focus is one of the cars whose characteristics best meet the needs of the domestic motorist. This is a reliable car with decent power and modest fuel consumption. However, Focus, like many other cars on our roads, needs restyling, that is, replacing standard fenders with wider and stronger parts.

1 Why change the mudguards on the Focus

A lot has already been said and written about the condition and “ability” of many roads to affect the car. It is not difficult to guess what all these words are filled with. We have deep pits everywhere, on every highway, in every settlement. We, ordinary drivers, can only endure this problem and finish the car on our own. This applies to all vehicle owners. After all, if domestic cars can not stand the “harsh Russian truth”, then what can we say about foreign cars.

One of the most important reasons for installing new mudguards on the Ford Focus hatchback is the constant impact of small stones on the bottom and bumper of the car. Not only do they significantly damage the paintwork on the car body, but they can often pierce the exhaust pipe or damage other parts located at the bottom of the Focus. This is especially true of the throttle position sensor, which is located just above the bottom of the foreign car.

In search of protection for a sedan, many drivers prefer to cover the body with a carbon film. In principle, this composition can protect the car body from scratches, but only if we are talking about fine sand. That is, in our country, such “protection” will not bring results.

At present, the most effective way to prevent stones from getting into the body and underbody of a sedan is to install new fenders on the front and rear wheels of the Focus. Such makeup does not require special skills or expensive modern equipment.

In addition, the wide front and rear fenders are economical to install, and the parts themselves have a long service life even in aggressive conditions.

2 Installation of new front mudguards and fender liner on Ford

The front and rear arches of the Focus are equipped with plastic mudguards that absorb all the impacts of sand and stones. The standard mudguards are located at the front and only protect the underbody of the car. To best protect your vehicle, your best bet is to replace flimsy wheel arches and install new front and rear fenders. Thus, you will not only prolong the life of the paint on your car, but also protect the cars behind you from damage.

To install the parts we need:

• TORX keys for 25 and 30;
• Phillips and flat screwdrivers;
• work gloves;
• spare bolts and nuts;
• Jack.

Before proceeding with restyling, it is necessary to remove the corresponding wheel of the car. Then remove the wing. First, unscrew the lower and upper mounting bolts that connect the part to the front fender. Then use a screwdriver to pry the spring clip of the special wing holder. We remove the holder, after which we disassemble the wing itself. Next, we install a new wider part, after which we fasten it with fasteners in the reverse order.

on the Ford Focus, it is possible to remove the front wheel arch liners immediately after removing the mudguards. To do this, unscrew the 3 fixing screws connecting the wing skin to the front bumper. Then we unscrew 2 additional bolts holding the part on the suspension strut. Next, we disconnect the wing skin, repair the part or install a new one.

3 Replacing the rear mudguards and fender liner

The process of dismantling the wheel arches and fenders at the rear of the Ford Focus hatchback is not much different from the same process with the front parts. The only difference is that to repair or replace parts of the rear wheels, you will have to unscrew more fasteners.

To remove the rear fenders, raise the vehicle and remove the wheel. Next, unscrew the four fasteners that hold the part on the rear bumper. At the same time, we need to remove the part holders that are located under the three screws on the outside of the wheel arch. Next, remove the fender and either repair the old part, or install a new one.

Very often, Focus owners carry out restyling, replacing the rear wheel arch liners with wider and more reliable parts. To do this, remove the wing, after which we fasten and unscrew the three spring mounting brackets that are located on the side wall of the Ford Focus sedan with pliers. Additionally, you will need to unscrew the additional spring at the lower front and the fasteners at the rear of the wheel arch. Then carefully remove the fender liner from the pins and pull out the part. Later we can repair the part, but it is better to install a new plastic element. At the end, we assemble the structure in the reverse order.

As you can see, restyling of the wheel arches and mudguards of the Ford Focus does not require any special skills on our part. All you need is to devote some time to your car. The 1-2 hours spent will pay off with the long life of the car paint and the integrity of some important parts.