Ideas for TJ fender trimming

linvillegorge

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2005
Location
Morganton
Alright, I have a '97 4 banger TJ. I currently have a 2" coil spacer lift and 32's. I'm selling the 32's and going to 33x13.50 LTB's. I've head from some people that Rubicon springs will give 4 banger TJ's up to 1" of lift and I've heard from others that this is complete BS. Well, the Jeep has 100k on it and has been wheeled hard, so the springs are bound to have sagged some and I got ahold of some Rubi springs for next to nothing, so I'm gonna throw them on there and hope for the best. But, even if that gives me 1", that still only gets me to 3", so I'm gonna have to do some cutting one way or the other.

I'd like to see some pics of some people who have flat fendered the front of their TJ. How'd you do it? What'd you use? Dremel tool, sawzall? Did you use anything to reinforce them after you trimmed them?

Also, I'd like to see any pics of anyone who has trimmed their rear fenders.

Just looking for some ideas. :beer:
 
here is a close up of mine. cut with a sawzaw and touched the rough edges with a grinder...

ill snap more pics in the morn

p418-1125459914.jpg
 
That looks pretty nice man! Where did you find that brace that you used? I like that. I didn't want to chop my fenders off and then have them just floppin' around. I also like the trim you used around the edge, that gives it a cleaner look. Can you find that type of trim at an auto shop?

Thanks man!
 
(greg)Bigwaylon's:
DSC00366.JPG


you can find that edging at Advance/AZ, door edging, its about 5-6ft. worth. you can get it in chrome or gold if you really need the bling. if you need more, JCWhitney used to sell it by the role.
 
anyone have any better pics of the rear fenders? particularly the jeep you posted bigassredjeep. I'd like to do something similar to that on the rear. Was any bracing or trussing used on that jeep or was it just hacked off? My biggest concern is to preserve as much of the structural integrity of the body that I can. I don't want them to be flimsy.
 
linvillegorge said:
anyone have any better pics of the rear fenders? particularly the jeep you posted bigassredjeep. I'd like to do something similar to that on the rear. Was any bracing or trussing used on that jeep or was it just hacked off? My biggest concern is to preserve as much of the structural integrity of the body that I can. I don't want them to be flimsy.
Click to expand...

can't find any of the rear right now, i'm sure he'll post up when he finds this thread. i don't know if he did any bracing but here's a thread about relocating the filler neck:
http://www.nckrawlers.com/forums/album_pic.php?pic_id=441
 
linvillegorge said:
anyone have any better pics of the rear fenders? particularly the jeep you posted bigassredjeep. I'd like to do something similar to that on the rear. Was any bracing or trussing used on that jeep or was it just hacked off? My biggest concern is to preserve as much of the structural integrity of the body that I can. I don't want them to be flimsy.
Click to expand...


It was just "hacked off" if you'd like to call it that...

there wasn't much left to have to support...

I don't have any real good pics...my camera has been sent off 3 times now under the Best Buy warranty, so I got some taken from somebody else on a wheelin' trip, but that's all I have...hopefully it's at home when I get back on Friday and I can get you some more...

Greg
 
That's cool, I was just wondering if the rear fenders would still be fairly rigid after trimming or if I would need to rig up some kind of support. I guess I'll just trim 'em up and check them out and if they need some more support, I'll figure out something.
 
I have a few pics of Greg's Jeep from Crackers Neck last month if you want to take a look at those. The full size version of them is up there so click the thumbnail to get the sized version, then click the sized version to get the full size pic. The full size pics will be ginormous. HTH

http://wrangler.rutgers.edu/gallery/ccn9-10-05
 
linvillegorge said:
That's cool, I was just wondering if the rear fenders would still be fairly rigid after trimming or if I would need to rig up some kind of support. I guess I'll just trim 'em up and check them out and if they need some more support, I'll figure out something.
Click to expand...


I'd actually be more concerned with buckling the front fenders (assuming you don't tube them out) than I would the rear...

I trimmed the rear near where the pinch seam welds (or whatever the technical term is) join the fenders to the wheel wells...there's not much left "hanging" at all, unlike the front...

BTW...in case you haven't looked, yet...I never said the other side was "pretty" with the filler neck relocation...but it works for me...and I'll take function over form any day...


Greg
 
You can always beat a flange into the fenders to strengthen them up. 1/2" should do pretty well. I'll take those flares off your hands when you're done with them!
 
Looks fine to me bigwaylon! Yeah, I am more worried about the front. I'm probably going to leave a 3/4" lip around the edge to give it some support, then rig up some kind of bracing kind of like the yellow jeep earlier in the thread. I really like the looks of your rig though! I don't think I'm going to go quite as drastic as you did on the rear. I'll probably just go up to the filler neck. If I need to trim some more, then I'll go further. Where did you relocate the filler neck? Reroute it to the rear?
 
On second thought, after looking at some more pics, I think I'm gonna do something pretty similar to yours in the rear. I'm gonna do the front flatty-style though.
 
linvillegorge said:
Where did you relocate the filler neck? Reroute it to the rear?
Click to expand...

some go straight up to the wheel well...but I run a Duster cover year round and didn't want to do that...

I basically pivoted it 90-degrees and ran it out the rear using the exact same mounting piece...

Greg
 
linvillegorge said:
That looks pretty nice man! Where did you find that brace that you used? I like that. I didn't want to chop my fenders off and then have them just floppin' around. I also like the trim you used around the edge, that gives it a cleaner look. Can you find that type of trim at an auto shop?

Thanks man!
Click to expand...

here is a close up...
p418-1129168087.jpg


side view...
p418-1129168192.jpg


front...
p418-1129168248.jpg


that black stuff on the edge is called "door edge molding" i picked it up and advance for a few bucks.
 
linvillegorge said:
How about the braces that you used underneath the fenders? Where'd you find them?
Click to expand...

they come like that from the factory, u just cut them down some...

you can kinda see here...

ai16.photobucket.com_albums_b7_PolarisJeep_DSCN1275.jpg
 
Technically, if the tires protrude from the fenders in NC, then you're illegal. However, with that said, I've never had a problem. I had a CJ-7 with fullwidth axles and 3/4 of the tires were outside the fender wells. On my current TJ, nearly 1/2 the tires are outside the fender wells. Never really heard of anyone else having a problem either.
 
Back
Top