Porous wheel well liners?

[mc2032]

Searched the forum and did not find any threads on this topic: Porous wheel well liners. I have a 2014 Silverado WT (rear wheel well liners were not included in the base price so I purchased a set of OEM's from the dealership and installed them myself). They are made of a woven/spun plastic material that feels like really stff felt, is porous and holds onto road grime, salt, mud, you name it, wonderfully. When I wash the truck the black road grime/gunk keeps weeping/wicking out of these liners to no end. Has any one else noticed this and then why would GM design liners that are not solid? is there a remedy other than pulling them out and possibly sealing them (black paint or an undercoating)? Or should I just leave well enough alone and just try to keep the wheel wells and inner panels flushed out?

Our City road crews apply salt at a pounds per square foot rate. I can only guess how long till the body panels rust thru (sooner than later?). I try to flush as much as I can behind the front and rear liners but you can only do so much. Is this a five or less year truck? Knock on wood my frame has not shown the rust like others have posted.

[fondupot]

They are designed this way to reduce noise. The porous design absorbs more road noise compared to hard plastic ones.

 

When I wash the truck I spray them out really good and it gets most the crap off.

[newdude]

I don't think that they are porous per say...if anything gets behind them its more an issue of the fact that there are open spots in the liners. If you look at the front ones, right behind the front edge of the fender there is spots where crap can get up inside them. Take one out and see for yourself. The ones on my 15 (had to put a washer pump in under warranty) were all nasty behind the liner.

[redwngr]

That's the way they're making now. Road noise reduction.

 

GM cars are the same way.

[RyanbabZ71]

Most manufacturers are going this route and have been for years

 

Spray some APC in there and powerwash them. Should be fine

[mc2032]

I can see the noise reduction bonus/factor. I will just have to make sure to flush behind them often. Thanks for the replies. Now how do I get some volume from my rear speakers? (off topic, I know!)

[silverado859]

I saw that on my 15 silverado, noticed my wife's nissan has the same thing in her wheel wells.

[Rewillia]

wash and leave well enough alone, I have no issue cleaning mine at the DIY carwash

[20L8TSierra24]

I haven't had an issue. I actually like these better than solid ones

[Silverado-Hareek]

I feel solid ones are more likely to trap moisture between the liner and the metal of the wheel well whereas these liners are able to breathe and dry out. Water is your number one enemy, not dirt.