I placed a question a little while ago about how to source two inner rear wheel liners for my 2006 1.9TDI Elegance, i am considering replacing them both because both of them have suffered a bit of damage..... but i am unsure if this damage will increase the risk of any bodywork damage if i did not replace them.

At the bottom of both liners (opposite side to where the mud flaps would go), there is a small ' lip ' about 4 inches long that comes down below the bodywork, on both liners these lips have been broken off, would this increase the risk that stones etc would impact the outer edge of my bodywork and increase the risk of rust etc ?

At the bottom of both liners (opposite side to where the mud flaps would go), there is a small ' lip ' about 4 inches long that comes down below the bodywork, on both liners these lips have been broken off, would this increase the risk that stones etc would impact the outer edge of my bodywork and increase the risk of rust etc ?

In a word, yes.

Any damage on the liners which allows stones to hit bodywork will certainly result in stone chipping and corrosion to any exposed bodywork.

FYI Mine has damage there and both my flaps are intact.

They'll just greatly reduce the time for it happening.

i have removed mine since putting winter tyres on because they were rubbing them on the rear arches, there was quiet alot of dirt that had accumilated behind the plastic covers. i then found a couple of rust spots which i cleared with a wire brush and i then painted them with grey hammerite primer, don't think i'll bother putting them back on.

Think about the rotation of the wheels, debris will be sent backwards and/or upwards, not forwards unless you reverse at speed. From your description it sounds as though this is the forward edge of the rear arch, if so I'd not expect much impact damage.

The little flaps on mine are still there but are cracked. They keep catching on bumps / mud etc. the front ones catch quite often too but haven't cracked yet. Could be worth trimming an inch off them or something.

On a budget car (which the Skoda is) I'd say they wouldn't

be there unless completely necessary. They do all they can to pare the

cost down per unit.

Yes, they may get in the way on the very low cars but that's

not the usage the manufacturer intended.

I'm not sure I agree with Avalons comment, although I usually do.

At higher speeds then yes, I'd agree that the bulk of the water and crud will come off

of the rear of the wheel but clearly if people are finding an accumulation of gunge

at the front then it must be finding its way over the wheel somehow, presumably at

lower speeds. Surely once the spray/mud/small pebbles gunge get past the 12

oclock position on the wheel it's also being thrown forwards and downwards?

Think about the rotation of the wheels, debris will be sent backwards and/or upwards, not forwards unless you reverse at speed. From your description it sounds as though this is the forward edge of the rear arch, if so I'd not expect much impact damage.

Yes, it is the forward edge of the arch, so yes by then most of the stones,dirt etc would have hit the mud flap.

Yes, it is the forward edge of the arch, so yes by then most of the stones,dirt etc would have hit the mud flap.

......until a stone stuck in a tyre tread gets thrown out as you reach 70 mph.......it's a lottery what direction it will go, but if it hits the arch where the liner used to be, it'll certainly chip the paint/galvanising down to bare steel, which will rust right away.

Of course if you don't plan to keep the car for years, then you can probably afford to not care about wheel arch damage as it probably won't get bad enough to effect your ownership.

Plastic wheel arch liners are there for a reason.....it's one factor why modern cars are so corrosion resistant (anyone who has owned a car built before the early 1980's will know what I mean!).