Torque box mud flaps?

[The4bangertj]

I drive my jeep every day. I have to. Even in the winter. One day I’ll have a house where I can park it and own a daily but for now it is the daily and has to be. So my concern is how to keep the jeep as clean as possible. I have already re done the torque boxes and cut out the frame where the roll bar meets the tub just infront of the rear tire. I have highlined the stock fenders so the torque box is more open and I have removed the rear plastic liner and opened the wheel well so the access to the torque boxes and tub under the tail lights are a lot more open.
Yes I do fluid film and every spring I sand and repaint where I need to. I have noticed that the biggest area that’s getting hit is the torque boxes / slider and the rear bumper/ tail light section. I want to make a little flap of rubber or an aluminum sheet like a mud flap that just blocks off the these areas. How would you do it?
My thoughts are just to add 2 bolts in the back fender wall and add a sheet of aluminum or rubber (what ever I can find) and just extend the fender lower till it blocks the torque box. The rear tail light area is similar since it has a flat pannel blocking the rear access I’ll just extent it. The rear torque box is my concern. I don’t have any real easy spot to mount anything so it would look worst but the principle stands I just bolt a pannel to cover it.
Here is a photo I took today showing how much snow/salt gets in the torque boxes but everything else is pretty good.
What would you do?

 

[macleanflood]

I leave mine open so they drain.

-Mac

 

[JMT]

I drive my jeep every day. I have to. Even in the winter. One day I’ll have a house where I can park it and own a daily but for now it is the daily and has to be. So my concern is how to keep the jeep as clean as possible. I have already re done the torque boxes and cut out the frame where the roll bar meets the tub just infront of the rear tire. I have highlined the stock fenders so the torque box is more open and I have removed the rear plastic liner and opened the wheel well so the access to the torque boxes and tub under the tail lights are a lot more open.
Yes I do fluid film and every spring I sand and repaint where I need to. I have noticed that the biggest area that’s getting hit is the torque boxes / slider and the rear bumper/ tail light section. I want to make a little flap of rubber or an aluminum sheet like a mud flap that just blocks off the these areas. How would you do it?
My thoughts are just to add 2 bolts in the back fender wall and add a sheet of aluminum or rubber (what ever I can find) and just extend the fender lower till it blocks the torque box. The rear tail light area is similar since it has a flat pannel blocking the rear access I’ll just extent it. The rear torque box is my concern. I don’t have any real easy spot to mount anything so it would look worst but the principle stands I just bolt a pannel to cover it.
Here is a photo I took today showing how much snow/salt gets in the torque boxes but everything else is pretty good.
What would you do?

View attachment 658650

I’ve thought about this and never really came up with a solution. I’ve thought about welding closed the front end of the torque box and leaving the back open so they would stay cleaner but you could still clean them out.

I would think that leaving the wheel well liner in would help retard salt from reaching the rear torque box.

I think a good coat of paint is important as well as fluid film.

Another thing you may be able to do is clean the torque boxes really well and add some seam sealer along the edge where it meets the tub so it prohibits salt from getting in there and sitting there.

 

[ColoJeep]

I drive my jeep every day. I have to. Even in the winter. One day I’ll have a house where I can park it and own a daily but for now it is the daily and has to be. So my concern is how to keep the jeep as clean as possible. I have already re done the torque boxes and cut out the frame where the roll bar meets the tub just infront of the rear tire. I have highlined the stock fenders so the torque box is more open and I have removed the rear plastic liner and opened the wheel well so the access to the torque boxes and tub under the tail lights are a lot more open.
Yes I do fluid film and every spring I sand and repaint where I need to. I have noticed that the biggest area that’s getting hit is the torque boxes / slider and the rear bumper/ tail light section. I want to make a little flap of rubber or an aluminum sheet like a mud flap that just blocks off the these areas. How would you do it?
My thoughts are just to add 2 bolts in the back fender wall and add a sheet of aluminum or rubber (what ever I can find) and just extend the fender lower till it blocks the torque box. The rear tail light area is similar since it has a flat pannel blocking the rear access I’ll just extent it. The rear torque box is my concern. I don’t have any real easy spot to mount anything so it would look worst but the principle stands I just bolt a pannel to cover it.
Here is a photo I took today showing how much snow/salt gets in the torque boxes but everything else is pretty good.
What would you do?

View attachment 658650

Add the " flaps " . Just leave the front of the torque box open to drain and air out. Your idea is very sound .

 

[The4bangertj]

When I re welded in new torque boxes I did put sealer around the edges and I’ve kept up on paint and fluid film but if I could prevent how much salt water even gets in I would prefer that. The flaps would be not plugging the opening but more just just putting a wall infront of them to block to snow so I would think it could still drain and have enough air inbetween the flap and the box to dry out. Atleast I think. Just adding a longer inner fender liner to hang lower is my thought. Since once water gets in it doesn’t get out as easy since sliders kinda plug the holes in the torque boxes.

 

[JMT]

When I re welded in new torque boxes I did put sealer around the edges and I’ve kept up on paint and fluid film but if I could prevent how much salt water even gets in I would prefer that. The flaps would be not plugging the opening but more just just putting a wall infront of them to block to snow so I would think it could still drain and have enough air inbetween the flap and the box to dry out. Atleast I think. Just adding a longer inner fender liner to hang lower is my thought. Since once water gets in it doesn’t get out as easy since sliders kinda plug the holes in the torque boxes.

That’s a good point about the slider blocking the holes on the torque boxes making it harder for stuff to get out.

So yeah, somehow blocking the entrance but in a way that’s removable would be ideal. I think 3D printing a removable plug for the front and rear of the torque boxes would be best. You might stop virtually all of it from getting in.