Rock chips are one of the most common complaints on Sasquatch Broncos. The tires are part of the story. Wheel offset, tire poke, and how much of the tread the flares cover decide where those rocks land. Below is how each piece works and what fixes it.
In This Guide
Why Sasquatch Tires Throw Rocks
Mud-Terrain Tread Is Built to Clean Itself Out
On Base, Big Bend, Outer Banks, and Badlands trims, the Sasquatch Package comes with LT315/70R17 mud-terrain tires. Other Sasquatch trims get rugged-terrain tires. Mud-terrain tread has wide gaps between the lugs so mud can push out as the tire spins. On a gravel road, those same gaps grab small stones and fling them.
Gravel Mileage Matters Most
How bad the chips get depends on how much gravel you drive. A Bronco that sees a few gravel miles a month may barely show it. One that drives a gravel road every day needs flaps and rocker protection early.
How Wheel Offset Pushes the Tire Out
What Offset Measures
Offset is the distance in millimeters from the center line of the wheel to the face that bolts to the hub. A higher positive number tucks the tire in toward the body. A lower or negative number pushes the tire out. Popular aftermarket Bronco wheels come in 0mm and negative offsets.
The Factory Sasquatch Wheel Number
ICON lists the factory Sasquatch wheel as 17x8.5 with a +30mm offset. Other sources list it as +33 or +35, so the numbers don't fully agree. ICON says one of its 0mm wheels puts the outside of the tire about 1-1/4 inches wider than the Sasquatch wheel, on each side.
Wheel Spacers Do the Same Thing
A wheel spacer moves the whole wheel out by its thickness. A 1-inch spacer on a factory wheel pushes the tire out 1 inch, the same as dropping about 25mm of offset. Spacers and low-offset wheels both widen the stance. They also both move the tread closer to the edge of the flare.
Tire Poke and Fender Coverage
What Tire Poke Means
Tire poke is how far the tread sticks out past the edge of the fender flare. Some builds want it for the look. A little poke looks aggressive. It also means part of the tread spins with nothing above it.
Why Poke Throws More Debris
A flare catches most of what the tread throws up and back. When the tread sits past the flare, stones and mud leave that part of the tire with nothing to stop them. They land on the rockers, the lower doors, the rear flares, and the cars behind you.
Tube Flares and Flare Deletes Cover Less
Tube flares and flare deletes trade coverage for clearance. Bronco Forge sells the DV8 Offroad Tube Fender Flares for 4-door Broncos at $999.99 and the DV8 Offroad Fender Flare Deletes for 4-door Broncos at $349.99. Both open up room for suspension travel. Both leave more tread exposed, so plan on mud flaps with either one.
Steel Flares Keep More Coverage
The Turn Offroad Steel Fender Flares Kit costs $649.99 and fits 2-door and 4-door Broncos. It's a full flare with a narrow profile and marker lights. Narrow means it won't cover a tire pushed far out on spacers, so measure your poke before you pick flares.
Where the Paint Chips Show Up
The Rockers Take Most of the Hits
Most chips land under the curve of the rocker. The lower doors and the front edge of the rear flares take hits too. Those spots sit right in the path of what the front tires throw back.
Rock Rails and Sliders Block Part of It
A slider or rock rail sits in front of the rocker and takes hits the paint would have taken. Bronco Forge carries rock sliders for the Ford Bronco for 2-door and 4-door trucks.
Paint Protection Film Covers What's Left
Ford lists paint protection film as a factory option on some trims, including the 2025 Outer Banks. Chips can land above the lower body line, so a low strip alone misses some of them. Take the film high enough to cover the lower doors.
Mud Flaps on a Bronco
Ford's Splash Guards Don't Fit Sasquatch
Ford's molded front and rear splash guards fit only the Base, Big Bend, and Outer Banks without the Sasquatch Package. Ford says they don't fit with running boards, side steps, rock rails, step bars, optional flares, or Sasquatch flares. That leaves out the Broncos with the most rock-throwing tires.
Aftermarket Flaps Built for Sasquatch Flares
Several companies make flaps sized for Sasquatch flares, and some adjust side to side to fit wider setups. Before you buy, check that the listing names your flare type and your rocker setup. Rock rails and side steps change where a flap can mount.
Front Flaps and Rear Flaps Do Different Jobs
Front flaps block what the front tires throw at your own doors and rockers. Rear flaps block what hits the car behind you. If paint chips are the problem, the front pair matters most.
Some Owners Skip Flaps on Purpose
Some owners don't like how flaps look, and some worry about tearing them off on the trail. Rocky crawling trails are where flaps get torn, not gravel roads. If you skip flaps, pick stones out of the tread after gravel drives so they don't fly out on the highway.
Fender Coverage and the Law
California Requires Tread Coverage
California Vehicle Code 27600 says fenders, flares, or flaps must be at least as wide as the tire tread. They also have to cut down spray to the rear. A Bronco with poke and no flaps doesn't meet that rule. Our post on California laws every modified Bronco owner should know covers the rest.
Pick Wheels First, Then Coverage
Offset decides where the tread sits, so choose wheels before flares or flaps. Our list of fender flare mistakes Bronco owners make covers ordering them backward. If you're headed to 37s, our 37-inch tire guide walks through every upgrade that size brings.
What Cuts Down the Spray
Start With Coverage
Mud flaps are the cheapest fix and the one that does the most. Wider flares help when the tire sits too far out for flaps alone. Both keep you on the right side of coverage laws.
Then Protect the Paint
Sliders or rock rails take the hits under the doors. Paint protection film handles the chips that get past them. An all-terrain tire with tighter tread gaps throws fewer stones, but a new set of tires is the costliest fix on the list.
FAQ
Why do Bronco Sasquatch tires throw so many rocks?
On several trims, the Sasquatch Package comes with mud-terrain tires. Their wide tread gaps grab small stones on gravel and fling them as the tire spins.
Does a lower wheel offset make a Bronco throw more rocks?
It can. Lower offset pushes the tire out. If the tread sits past the flare, stones leave that part of the tire with nothing to stop them.
Do Ford's factory mud flaps fit a Sasquatch Bronco?
No. Ford's molded splash guards fit only the Base, Big Bend, and Outer Banks without Sasquatch. They also don't work with rock rails, steps, or optional flares.
Are mud flaps required on a lifted Bronco in California?
California Vehicle Code 27600 requires fenders, flares, or flaps at least as wide as the tire tread. If your tread sticks out past the flares, flaps or wider flares keep you legal.
Do rock sliders help with paint chips?
Yes. Most chips land under the rocker. A slider or rock rail sits in front of that area and takes hits the paint would have taken.
About This Quick Read
This was put together by the team at Bronco Forge. Our founder spent time as a Ford salesman before launching Bronco Forge, giving us firsthand knowledge of how Broncos are sold, what buyers get wrong, and what dealers don't always tell you. We sell aftermarket parts exclusively for the Ford Bronco and spend time in Bronco owner communities tracking what owners experience. Questions about fitment or anything Bronco-related? Reach out at contact@broncoforge.com or (909) 772-8050.
