fender, mudflap, mudguard (vehicle)

[ElBandido]

Hello all,
I'm translating a technical document of automotive accessories from English to Spanish, and I need to be precise. The problem is that I see conflicting vocabulary for these items in Spanish, and they seem to be used interchangeably AND vary by country.
In English, the fender is the integral metal part of the vehicle above and around the wheel while a mudflap or mudguard is an accessory which is a square piece of rubber that attaches inside and on the rear of the fender, directly behind the wheel.
I see guardafangos, guardabarros, and salpicaderas all used. Guardafangos seems to be used more in South America, meaning fender. I've seen salpicaderas used as "fender flare" and more often as a piece used above the tire on a motorbike to prevent splashing.
Any suggestions? Especially from those who are native to American Spanish (if there is such a thing).
Thanks, El Bandido

 

[Tadeo]

Hi, well here in Mexico we call the the integral metal or plastic part above the and around the wheel salpicaderas. Although someones may call it guardafangos but that is most common in Spain and other countries.

Mudflaps are commonly called loderas. You attach them behind the wheel to prevent splahing.Truck drivers used to call them pantaletas(panties).

Many people can use both therms indistinctly to refer both things(someone may call loderas to the fender or salpicaderas to the mudflaps)

But someone who knows about cars will know wich one is each.

My suggestion: go to google Mexico and serach images for loderas and salpicaderas.

 

[HolaATodos]

Yo, en español de España distingo guardabarros (mudguard) de aleta (fender skirt) como distintas partes identificables. Al final has mezclado otra parte salpicadero. El salpicadero no está alrededor de la rueda, está dentro del coche.
(La palabra salpicadero no se corresponde con su significado. Es una antigua herencia de los carros de caballos. En los carros antiguos protegía al conductor de las salpicaduras de las ruedas)

 

[Tadeo]

So briefing the information above:

fender: salpicaderas.
mudflaps: loderas.

Careful: Most mexican english learners translate fender as: defensa ó parachoques (bumper).

 

[Tadeo]

You' re right HolaATodos, but in Mexico salpicadero has another meaning, the part of the car you call salpicadero in Spain is called tablero in Mexico or Dashboard in the US

The word for aleta in Mexico would be salpicadera. Aleta in a car is a completely different part.

 

[ElBandido]

Gracias a Uds. También veo "salipicaderas" como "fender flares", o sea accesorios que se montan como extensiones alredador de la parte metal sobre la rueda. Serían "extensiones de salpicaderas"? o se puede decir simplemente "salpicaderas" para los Fender Flares?

 

[Tadeo]

The thing is that most of the cars already have fenders when they come out of the factory, and only a few need fender flares so i guess you could translate fender flares as "salpicaderas" or for example if you change the original fender in a Jeep for wider fender flares you could say "I bought my Jeep salpicaderas anchas". I hope you undertand this.

 

[lforestier]

In Puerto Rico, fender is called guardalodo and mudflaps are called loderas.

 

[Lex]

Stumbled across this old post. A mudguard is not the same thing as a fender unless perhaps you are talking about a bicycle. The usual meaning of mudguard applies to trucks and refers to a rectangle of rubber or similar device which hangs down behind the rear tires and thus prevents them from spattering mud on vehicles traveling behind.