Mud flap with adaptable mounting section

A mud flap for a vehicle comprising:

• a height, a width, and a thickness, where in an intended mounted arrangement on a vehicle the height extends primarily in a vertical direction, the width extending perpendicular to the height, and the thickness extending perpendicular to both the height and the width and measuring less than both the width and height;
• a mounting section and a barrier section each being integral with each other, the mounting section configured to facilitate mounting of the mud flap to a vehicle adjacent a tire and the barrier section configured to intercept and deflect matter discharged from the tire while rotating during vehicle operation;
• the mounting section having a width and the barrier section having a width, each width of the mounting section and the barrier section extending in the direction of the mud flap width, where the width of the mounting section is greater than the width of the barrier section;
• the mounting section including a first set of mounting features, each of the mounting features forming a recess or aperture, where one mounting feature of the first set of mounting features is arranged at and/or beyond a widthwise extent of the barrier section width, and where the one mounting feature is arranged at least partially within a portion of the mounting section width extending outwardly from a widthwise extent of the barrier section width, where the first set of mounting features are configured to facilitate attachment of the mud flap to a mounting structure on the vehicle by way of a first set of mounting orifices;
• and,
• the mounting section further including a second set of mounting features configured to facilitate attachment of the mud flap to the mounting structure or to another mounting structure on the vehicle by way of a second set of mounting orifices,
• where the mounting section width extends outwardly from the widthwise extent of the barrier section from opposing sides of the barrier section width.

A method of mounting a mud flap on a vehicle comprising:

• providing a mounting structure configured for receiving a dual wide mud flap configured to extend across a substantial width of a dual tire arrangement, the dual wide mud flap including a first set of mounting orifices to facilitate reception of the dual wide mud flap, where the dual tire arrangement comprises a pair of tires arranged adjacent one another on a vehicle;
• providing a mud flap comprising:
• a height, a width, and a thickness, where in an intended mounted arrangement on the vehicle the height extends primarily in a vertical direction, the width extending perpendicular to the height, and the thickness extending perpendicular to both the height and the width and measuring less than both the width and height;
• a mounting section and a barrier section each being integral with each other, the mounting section configured to facilitate mounting of the mud flap to the vehicle adjacent a tire and the barrier section configured to intercept and deflect matter discharged from the tire while rotating during vehicle operation;
• the mounting section having a width and the barrier section having a width, each width of the mounting section and the barrier section extending in the direction of the mud flap width, where the width of the mounting section is greater than the width of the barrier section;
• the mounting section including a first set of mounting features, each of the mounting features forming a recess or aperture, where one mounting feature of the first set of mounting features is arranged at and/or beyond a widthwise extent of the bather section width, and where the one mounting feature is arranged at least partially within a portion of the mounting section width extending outwardly from a widthwise extent of the barrier section width, where the first set of mounting features are configured to facilitate attachment of the mud flap to a mounting structure on the vehicle by way of a first set of mounting orifices;
• and,
• the mounting section further including a second set of mounting features configured to facilitate attachment of the mud flap to the mounting structure or to another mounting structure on the vehicle by way of a second set of mounting orifices,
• the mud flap being a single wide mud flap configured to extend across a substantial width of a single wide tire, the single wide mud flap including the first set of mounting features, each mounting feature of the first set of mounting features forming the recess or the aperture, the first set of mounting features in quantity being less than the first set of mounting orifices arranged along the mounting structure;
• attaching the single wide mud flap to the mounting structure by extending a fastening member through each mounting feature of the first set of mounting features, where the single wide mud flap is installed behind the single wide tire installed on the vehicle, where the outer widthwise extent of the barrier section is aligned with the outer, widthwise extent of the single wide tire, such that the barrier section of the single wide mud flap does not substantially extend outwardly from the widthwise extent of the single wide tire on an exterior side of the single wide tire installed on the vehicle.