Not a lot of people know that the fenders are actually very important when it comes to your vehicle because of how it acts like a shield that keeps the rocks and debris flying from your wheels from hitting anyone within the vicinity.
That said, the tires are supposed to be in the range of the fenders’ shield. So, can you stick your tires out past your fenders?
Tires sticking out past fenders
You cannot allow your tires to stick out past the fenders because the fenders are there to make sure that the mud, dirt, rocks, and debris that roll from your tires don’t damage or impede other people or vehicles on the road. But there are some exceptions such as when you have a mudflap.
The important thing to understand about the fender is that it is there for a very good purpose, and that is to make sure that everyone else on the road is safe.
In that regard, the purpose of the fender is for the safety of other people and vehicles. And that is exactly why it is illegal for you to stick your tires past the fenders without any sort of protection.
Related:
- What Are Differences Between Fender & Bumper? (Explained)
- Can You Drive Without Inner Fender Liner? (Must Read)
Is it illegal for your tires to stick out past your fenders?
There are plenty of different parts and components on your car, and almost all of them have a specific purpose that is very important to the vehicle. Even the parts on the exterior body of your vehicle are just as important as the ones that are internal. And some parts that are people often forget to play an important role are the fenders.
The fenders are basically the rounded portion of the car that you often see between the front bumper and the front door. You can find the fender on your front tires, and you should know that these components play a very important role.
Whenever your front tires are rolling, what happens is that they carry along mud, dirt, debris, and rocks that can end up splashing towards anything that is in front of the vehicle. What happens is that the car or the person within the immediate vicinity of the front tires can easily get hit by anything that is flying out of the front tires.
So, essentially, the fenders are there to make sure that there is some sort of a shield in front of the tires so that there won’t be something that would keep the mud or debris rolling from the tires from hitting anything.
Given the fact that the fenders are supposed to act as shields, what happens if the tires stick out past the fenders? Is it illegal for your tires to stick out past the fenders?
In most cases, it is illegal for the tires to stick past the fenders, but it can depend on the state you live in. There are some states that will allow a few inches to stick out of the fender because about an inch or two from the tire probably won’t be enough throw enough mud or debris that can be detrimental to the safety of other vehicles and people. Meanwhile, there are some states that made it completely illegal for the tires to stick out of the fenders.
However, there are also some states that are not too strict when it comes to tires that stick out of the fenders. Those states allow the fenders to stick out of the fenders a bit but on the condition that there should be something that acts as a protective barrier between the tires and what is in front of them. In most cases, people use mudflaps that stick out past the fenders a bit to make sure that they don’t get in trouble with the law.
So, the reason why it is illegal for tires to stick out past the fenders is, of course, related to the very purpose of the fenders, which is to make sure that anything that is rolling from the tires doesn’t hurt or cause anyone any trouble. You could just imagine how the mud coming from the fenders can disrupt the visibility of the other vehicles on the road. Similarly, rocks flying out of the tires can easily hurt other people or possibly break the windshields or windows of other cars.
While it does look good if your car has tires that stick out of the fender because it makes the entire vehicle look bigger and wider, it would be best to make sure that you also buy wide-body kits that allow your fenders to be bigger as well so that they can cover your tires.
What is it called when your wheels stick out?
When you do see some tires that are sticking out of the fender, what do people often call this?
There is no official term to call tires that stick out of the fender. However, most people call this “poking” or “stance”, which happens when the wheel and tire stick outside the fender.
This is usually achieved using a negative offset, which can create a concave style that will push the tire out. Meanwhile, a positive offset is when the mounting surface of the wheel is close to the outside of the fender, which will force the tires to stick out.
How far can tires stick out past the fenders?
As mentioned, it is illegal for your tires to stick out past the fenders in most states. But there are some states that will allow them to stick out a bit as long as the tires don’t stick out too much to the point that they become hazardous to people and other vehicles on the road. So, how far can tires stick out past the fenders?
It depends. There are some states that will allow maybe two inches of the tires to stick out of the fender. However, some states will only allow up to an inch. The reason why the maximum tends to be two inches is that anything more than two inches would already be dangerous.
Meanwhile, some states will allow more than two inches but as long as there is still something that acts as a barrier between the tires and what is in front of them. This is where mudflaps come in.
Sources
Why is there a law prohibiting your tires from sticking past the fender?
