So after driving my new to me Mini through the normal Erie, PA snowy winters, I have noticed one really annoying problem with the car. Snow tends to build up in the wheel wells very quickly and then it blocks the front wheels from steering and it also tends to lock the rear suspension such that it can't move. It would appear that the wheel liners which are made of some sort of felt!.? material is allowing the snow to grab hold of the liner surface and stick. I have never seen a material used like this in a wheel liner.

Is there some sort of plastic liner upgrade avaliable? Something that would allow the snow to slide off like a normal wheel liner?

 

I moved from Western PA to Northern California in 1986, and totally forgot about ice and snow buildup in wheel wells. Now in Southern Cali, and I live on a dirt road that turns to muck and mud when it rains. I get some buildup of mud in my fenderwells, not to the point where yours seem to be, but it IS a PITA to clean those "fuzzy" inner fender wells, for sure! I think the "fuzzy" inner fenders were meant to decrease interior road noise, which they probably do. I am with you on some kind of plastic that would be smooth, and allow the snow/ice/mud to fall off easily, or at least be easier to clean with a garden hose. I really don't care about road noise. My exhaust, intake, and BOV will mask most of that. Maybe there is some kind of coating that can be applied to the "fuzzy" inner fender liners to make them shed snow/ice/mud much better? No idea. I may just have to try some things....

 

I wonder what the utility of some hydrophobic spray on treatment would be here, like NeverWet. Or maybe even a heavy coat of Plasti-Dip?

For part of it at least you could get Rally Armor generic mudflaps, which would cover a large portion of the rear of the fender well.

 

I just knock it out if it builds up. I tried some spray but the snow pack will stick after a while. The rally armor can help a little bit as its pretty slick from the factory and you have to mounts them a little higher up and inward against the wheel well. I take a snow brush edge and poke it up and push it out after a drive.

https://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2007-Cooper-R56-S-Coupe-L4_1.6L_N14B16A/Exterior/Body/Splash_Guard/

 

The mud flaps are a bit of an option. Doesn't really solve the problem of the snow sticking though.

I do knock it out, however the issue is that my brother, whom drives the car every other day has a 100 mile round trip commute along Lake Erie and into the Southern Tier of NY right in lake effect snow country. He frequently has to stop half way to work to knock the snow out of the wheel wells. It isn't a particularly pleasant thing to have to do on a snowy blowy day.

 

You need to get to a local wand wash and blast the snow out of there; go right around the inside of the wheel well.... while you're at it get down and do the undercarriage. I kneel on a wood block to facilitate this. Do it religiously and your car will love you--part of winter driving fun!


Gary

 

I actually built a tool exactly for that. When the weather breaks and it is warm enough I will wash the undercarriage with nice hot water. Helps get the mud from the wheel wells and such out.
The tool is nothing more than some 1/2 inch copper pipe with an elbow at the end and a ball valve with a hose hookup on the other end.