I can always hear gravel hitting the undercarriage

[mindcontrollerone]

Just need some feedback... want to make sure I'm not alone. I've owned BMW's for over 20 years and have never experienced this issue. My M4 feels like it's a gravel magnet. Any bit of gravel I go over I can hear it in the undercarriage or hitting the car in various places.

Is this normal?

[Takumi587]

If you are referring to the sounds in the wheel well then yes it is completely normal. Tires are bigger and stickier so it will pick up much more than your average tire. That’s kind of why another member created custom “mud flaps” or protectors. I always try to avoid gravel, small rocks or dirt on the road if possible.

[Takumi587]

I will add that newer cars have fabric liners now too so it is less noisy in the cabin. My old e46 M3 has none so you definitely hear it much more in the older one than the new f80 M3.

[mindcontrollerone]

Appreciate the responses!! Saves me a trip to the service department 😎

[GERMAN M3]

Originally Posted by mindcontrollerone

Appreciate the responses!! Saves me a trip to the service department 😎

As I turn into my neighborhood it seems that I can hear it even more. Speed limit in neighborhood is 20mph and the slower I go, the more obvious it becomes. Drives me up the wall. :

[allinon72]

In addition to what others have said, stickier tires also pick more debris up.

[M3Meh]

This is normal. I get this all the time on my f80. The wide body (fenders) of the car allow it to pick up stones much more. Plus i think there is no sound deadening material around the wheel arches, so you hear it much more.

[ntg44]

Originally Posted by allinon72

In addition to what others have said, stickier tires also pick more debris up.

And spray the sh** out of the fenders

[aerostar]

Also why your car comes w/ the plastic film on the rear quarter panels.

[Peedbj]

I recently removed the plastic underneath the bumper because I dropped a bit and when I removed it both side where the splitters are had a good amount of little pieces of gravel and rock

[G4BR13L]

Originally Posted by Peedbj

I recently removed the plastic underneath the bumper because I dropped a bit and when I removed it both side where the splitters are had a good amount of little pieces of gravel and rock

The deflectors? The lower deflectors are air guides that seals off the underbody for aerodynamics and to channel air into the radiator. It aldo protects the undercarriage. Or did you just cut off the plastic?

[BL1zZaRd]

It's driving me crazy. I don't care about the noise and undercarriage but it's sandblasting lower part of the front doors! I have many rock chips there after only 19k miles. :

[Tommy L Garage]

Originally Posted by BL1zZaRd

It's driving me crazy. I don't care about the noise and undercarriage but it's sandblasting lower part of the front doors! I have many rock chips there after only 19k miles. :

My solution

[coldsteelrain]

I got the mud flaps from Tommy L Garage as well and they have been great at protecting my car from rocks, road debris and dirt
He has them for both front and rear and easy to install
Email him or check out his YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/xtremetommy

[RoundelM3]

I've also got Tommy L's "debris deflectors" - well worth it. Easy to install as well.

[BL1zZaRd]

Originally Posted by coldsteelrain

I got the mud flaps from Tommy L Garage as well and they have been great at protecting my car from rocks, road debris and dirt
He has them for both front and rear and easy to install
Email him or check out his YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/xtremetommy

This is a great product hands down. I though about it but I don't like the mud flaps, they kinda ruin perfect line of car for me. Plus I have clear bra almost everywhere except doors. On top of that I don't drive on snow or rain so it's not that necessarily. I don't even know how I get those rock chips, some gravel on highway or so. Paint gotta be soft too..

[minn19]

Don't ever drive with a Cup2 like tire on the streets. Those are nuts how much gravel they pick up and throw.

[coldsteelrain]

Originally Posted by BL1zZaRd

This is a great product hands down. I though about it but I don't like the mud flaps, they kinda ruin perfect line of car for me. Plus I have clear bra almost everywhere except doors. On top of that I don't drive on snow or rain so it's not that necessarily. I don't even know how I get those rock chips, some gravel on highway or so. Paint gotta be soft too..

I didn't get them for rain or snow or even mud as the car gets dirty when you drive behind someone anyway. I got them for rock chips that started to appear on my rear quarter panel not even 1k miles after I bought the car. The little clear bra that's there does nothing.
Since I put these on I haven't had a single rock chip plus I added the rear mudflaps to protect the rear bumper and my Vorsteiner diffuser. Less dirt is just a plus. As far as ruining the line, one doesn't even notice these unless you look at it and it looks like it came with the car anyway.
I still feel it's a cheaper alternative to doing clear bra (or at least add this to it to prolong the clear bras longevity) that in the end will look all scratched up anyway.
Just my opinion

[wdskukm3]

Was it difficulty to in stall the rear mud flaps. You got a picture of how the rears are installed. I already got the fronts.

[Tommy L Garage]

Originally Posted by wdskukm3

Was it difficulty to in stall the rear mud flaps. You got a picture of how the rears are installed. I already got the fronts.

I explain it here

https://youtu.be/Q8Mn2Z7Yhck

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by PureModelsOnly

There's also no sound deadening material in the wheel wells so you hear everything.

I've never seen "sound deadening material" in the wheel wells of any cars that I've owned over the last 50+ years or I've owned cars where that wasn't a concern. Maybe in a Rolls?

[FatRear08]

Originally Posted by minn19

Don't ever drive with a Cup2 like tire on the streets. Those are nuts how much gravel they pick up and throw.

Ditto on the RE71r’s...like flypaper. Nothing is for for free I guess.