It's a "dont wanna ruin my paint" thing, they keep the nasty ass road salt off of everything. They're like a condom, you hate them but the side of effects of not having them can be harsh.
ONLY reason I bought my flares...I really don't like how they look, but I was sick of all the half circle rock scratches across my door
blown transmissions are about as useful as 97% of the guys on this forum