Tire awning or tire shade assemblies, components thereof, and methods for making and using the tire awning assemblies are disclosed. Exemplary awning assemblies include a cassette having a plurality of panels, a tube received in the cassette, a shade wound around the tube having a free end extending out a bottom panel of the cassette in a deployed position to provide shades from UV rays, and optional weight coupled to the free end of the shade to assist with retracting the shade.

A wheel well/fender guard comprising a flat, curved, narrow rectangular panel secured in parallel spaced relationship to the outer edge of a vehicle wheel well, to protect the outer edge. The guard has flat upper and lower surfaces that are generally perpendicular to the plane of the vehicle body panel around the wheel well, and is spaced from the wheel well outer edge by a plurality of spacers secured at intervals along the upper surface of the guard. The spacers are substantially narrower than the guard, which is itself substantially narrower than the width of the wheel well as a whole.

A fender assembly for an agricultural tractor including a carrier bracket which supports a wheel fender adjacent to a vehicle wheel. A steering mechanism is provided as part of the fender assembly, such that the wheel fender can be rotated relative to the carrier bracket. Accordingly, the rotation of the wheel fender can be controlled based on a steering signal generated by the vehicle steering system, to ensure that the wheel fender accurately follows the movement of the adjacent tractor wheel.

A splashguard device (1) for a wheeled vehicle has at least one wheel (30) resting on the ground. The device (1) has a splashguard (2) to the rear of the wheel (30) and a supporting structure (3) supporting the guard (2). The guard (2) has an upper edge (4), a lower edge (5) and two lateral edges (6). This guard (2) has a face (7) able to face towards the wheel that is to be protected and an opposite face (8). The guard (2) is mounted with the ability to move relative to the supporting structure (3) so that when the device (1) is coupled to the vehicle, the guard (2) can be moved between a raised position away from the ground and a lowered position. The guard (2) has at least a deformable flexible water-permeable part (9) formed of a collection of discrete elongate flexible elements (10) arranged side-by-side in the manner of a brush, each discrete element having a free end (11), at least some of the discrete elements (10) forming, via a free end (11), the lower edge (5) of the guard (2) and extending towards the upper edge (4) of the guard (2). The splashguard device (1) has a shaper (12) at least partially surrounding the guard (2) and configured to deform the guard (2) in the direction that moves the lateral edges (6) and/or the faces (7, 8) of the guard (2) closer together as the guard (2) moves from the lowered position to the raised position.

A system for protecting the body and frame of a vehicle from flying debris, particularly during a tire blowout includes a mounting apparatus configured to secure a protective shield, which may be a protective plate and/or fender, to an axle of a vehicle. In embodiments, the protective plate may be mounted to the axel via a mounting apparatus, and the fender may further be mounted to the mounting apparatus and/or protective plate. In some embodiments, the protective plate may be mounted directly to the axel, and the fender may further be mounted to the protective plate, whereby the plate may serve as the mounting apparatus.

A weight is provided for a mud flap with the mud flap having an upper end, a lower end, a first side, a second side, a front side and a rear side. The weight of this invention is comprised of a first support member and a second support member. The first support member is positioned at the rearward side of the lower end of the mud flap and the second support member is positioned at the front side of the mud flap at the lower end thereof. Bolts extend through the first support member, the mud flap and the second support member to secure the weight to the lower end of the mud flap.

The retractable mud flap system comprises two tracks, a chute, and a flap carrier. The invention is used to retract and extend a mud flap on a truck and is commonly used in pairs of two so that a mud flap on each side of the truck may be retracted. The retractable mud flap system attaches to the underside of a truck's dump bed or to extensions of the truck frame above the rear wheel. The flap carrier comprises two roller assemblies and a flap clip. A mud flap is coupled to the flap clip and passes through the chute. The roller assemblies move on the tracks with the flap clip mounted between them. A control located within the cab activates a motor on one roller assembly, moving the roller assemblies and the mud flap. A remote control embodiment is also described.

A fender assembly for a tractor, as well as a tractor having such a fender assembly. The fender assembly is constructed as first and second fender parts, connected via a rail. The rail has a partial spiral or helical shape. As a result, the second fender part is moveable on the rail along a path substantially parallel to a portion of the circumference of a wheel of the tractor, in a direction downwardly and outwardly relative to the first fender part. This provides a fender assembly allowing for improved access to tractor components located inboard of the fender assembly, as well as allowing for ease of access to the second fender part for an operator standing on the ground adjacent the tractor.

A mud flap system provides a quick and convenient way to install and reinstall mud flaps. It includes a mud flap with a wedged top that slides into a lockable mud flap mount. It pulls away from the mount if hit with enough force before the mount bends or breaks. This eliminates the need for tools and complicated instructions to replace damaged mud flaps.

An apparatus is configured such that the outer shape of a shape memory material is transformed or changed to be enlarged or decreased in conjunction with vehicle speed and at that time a deflector 30 is actuated to move up and down to actively improve aerodynamic performance of a vehicle.