The terms fender and bumper are often used interchangeably to describe the car’s front and rear end. However, this is incorrect as fenders and bumpers are two entirely different body panels.
Bumpers are located at the very front and the rear of a car, while the fenders are positioned on the sides, above the wheels.
In this article, we’ll focus on the differences between the fenders and the bumpers, how the misconceptions first started and why these parts are important for both safety and functional reasons.
Once you learn how to differentiate between fenders and bumpers, you’ll never get confused by the two terms again.
The front of the car has the following exterior parts:
When you take a look at your car from the front, the bumper will always be positioned below the hood and span towards both sides of the car. The headlights and fog lights can be contained within the bumper, but they’re sometimes in between the bumper and the hood.
The fenders can be seen from the front on the sides, widening the body to accommodate wheels. From the side, their shape is more obvious – the front fender spans from the front door to the bumper and merges with the hood on the top.
Some fenders overflow towards the front and encapsulate the bumpers, while on other vehicles the bumper is the more prominent part that forms a “U” shape and encroaches on the area typically covered by a fender.
Regardless of the design, the boundaries between the two fenders and bumper are clearly visible. The rear of the car has the following exterior parts:
At the back of the car, the bumper is the rearmost part, located between the two fenders and the trunk. The towing hook either comes out through the bumper or bends around it.
However, the rear fenders are rarely an independent part of the modern unibody design and are merged with the body. This doesn’t change their role, but they’re not replaceable and are sometimes referred to as quarter panels.
The first bumpers appeared in the late 19th century and served a decorative, rather than a practical purpose. In 1901, the first bumper practical bumper was created out of rubber, followed by the metal bumpers in the 1910s.
The purpose of the bumper is to absorb impact, reduce damage to the vehicle, protect pedestrians and look good.
By being the first line of defense, the bumper will absorb the brunt of the impact. In a low-speed collision, the bumper will be the only part to break which is especially important in protecting the radiator and the engine bay.
In a case of a high-speed collision, the metal reinforcement of the bumper absorbs as much of the impact as possible before the body begins to crumble.
In the past few decades, car manufacturers had to take pedestrian safety more seriously. Bumper and hoods have been redesigned to reduce injury to the pedestrian in case of an impact. With it came the drastic design change and a more streamlined design of the front fascia.
Off-road and bull bars are a variation of the standard bumpers that utilize heavy-gauge steel and are generally unfit for driving in urban areas.
The off-road bumpers improve ride clearance and protect the vehicle from damage caused by impact with trees, ground, or rocks.
Bullbars were originally designed for vehicles used in rural areas, where impacts with large animals could cause significant damage to the car and injury to its driver and passengers
While bumpers have been around since the first automobiles, fenders existed for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Dirt, mud, and water kicking up from the wheel have been a problem even for the horse-drawn carts, and fenders were invented to address the problem.
Fenders, otherwise known as wings or mudguards used to come in a variety of designs, but are now more streamlined with the unibody construction.
The wheel well may be covered by an extremely durable fabric that improves soundproofing and prevents the kicked-up dirt from damaging the undercarriage.
Bumpers used to be this inexpensive part that could be replaced with a couple of bolts and a screwdriver. However, the safety and technological improvements have made it into one of the most expensive parts to replace in case of an accident.
Why is this the case? On an older vehicle, the bumper was a piece of plastic or metal that covers the reinforced bar and protects the radiator. When it broke, replacing it was a simple matter of finding another bumper in matching color.
Modern bumpers house advanced, but also very expensive safety systems with cameras and sensors. While the cost of the bumper itself hasn’t changed a lot when these systems break you’re looking at thousands of dollars in repairs.
Fenders had a fairly consistent price through their use. As an independent piece, they could be removed from the car, ironed out, or replaced with a new fender. Replacement fenders can be bought used in the matching color, or brand new, but unpainted.
Modern fenders have never been cheaper, as car manufacturers moved from using steel to plastic. Plastic fenders have better elastic properties and when they break, they’re much cheaper to replace than steel fenders, especially if they’re already painted.
I won’t give you any figures, as the cost varies drastically depending on the make and model of your car. Some bumpers and fenders can be bought for as little as $50, while others cost up to a thousand.
Replacing a conventional bumper or fender is a fairly quick job for a mechanic, so you shouldn’t expect a high labor cost.
Fender as a term is primarily used in America, but in British English, it’s known as a wing. In some parts of the world, you’ll also hear mudguard used to describe fenders.
The fender liner is the shroud that protects the inside of the vehicle from splashing water, mud, and dirt. It can be made of metal, but it’s generally covered by plastic or a fabric liner to prevent corrosion and reduce wheel noise.
First and foremost, fenders are a mandatory part of any vehicle and have to cover the entire width of the tire, as required by law. Fenders are needed to avoid damage to the vehicle’s paint and windows, as well as to protect the drivers behind you.
The interior part of the fender keeps the road dirt away from the trunk and the engine bay. Without it, cables and hoses could get damaged, and the parts would start to corrode.
Fenders can be repaired, but it depends on the degree of damage. Minor scratches and dents can be easily buffed out, but you might have to repaint the panel.
Front fenders are independent and can be cheaper to replace than they are to repair. The rear fenders of a car are now merged with the rear quarter-panel and are very difficult to replace, requiring precise cutting and welding to hide the seams.
The answer varies depending on the vehicle. On some cars, it’s a 1-hour job at most, and on others, it can take up to 5 hours.
Yes, cars still have fenders, and they’ll continue to use them for as long as they have wheels. The fender’s design has changed significantly since its first iterations and will continue to improve.
The front fenders remain a separate panel but are more streamlined with the body, while the rear fenders are now integrated into the unibody, forming the rear quarter panels.
In British English, fenders are called wings, while the word fender refers to a low metal frame that confines falling coals to the hearth.
When rear fenders are merged with the body, they form a panel – a quarter panel to be precise. It covers the area between the rear door, trunk, and the roof, wrapping around the wheel well. Replacing the quarter panel requires major cutting and welding, so repairing it is preferred.
Nothing is going to stop you from driving without fender liners, but I strongly advise against it. Liners are important to keep the wheel wells protected from corrosion and damage caused by dirt and water spun up by the wheels.
Without them, your vehicle is at risk of serious damage, so consider fender liners a necessary part of your vehicle.
The fender flares for a Jeep are not very expensive – a set four will cost between $100 and $180. The premium options will cost more, up to $300 for a set.
The differences between bumpers and fenders are quite clear. Bumpers are located at the front and the back of the vehicle and have several safety roles.
The flares are positioned above each wheel and keep the dirt and water from splashing up into the body of the car and towards other vehicles on the road.
If you’ve learned something new by reading this article, I strongly recommend checking out other auto guides and tips on VehicleFreak.
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