Most of the rocks hit the under side of the running boards. Never had one go through the holes yet, but that is always a possibility .No mudflaps on mine.
They are excellent. I have had them on for 4 months and they look great and work as they should. Easy to install as well. I get compliments all of the time on how they look.
just go with a badlands so you get the upgraded suspension, front and rear locker with sway bar disconnect. Then you don't have to upgrade the suspension if you don't want to. This is the best value IMO now. Soft top, high package and you are set.
Best I have gotten is 19.2mpg. I do drive 80mph on the freeway. City I get 15.5, but I am also into the turbos quite often. When I drive conservative I can get over 17mpg in the city.
That sounds like normal operation while breaking in the vehicle. After 1000 miles it smooths out. The smells are normal and will go away after 200miles or so.