Trimming fenders on your Jeep

Wanting larger tires on your Jeep comes with certain realities. Just like you may need larger axles to handle those tires, you will probably need larger wheel-well openings to keep those bigger tires from rubbing on body-work. And let's be real for a moment here - we don't give a damn about the body work, we only care about the $1000 we just spent on our new sneakers!

Some rides, like CJs, YJs and TJs are a very straight-forward affair. Vehicles like Cherokees get a bit more complicated. Overall, it's all completely do-able by your average owner with basic tools. The better the tools, the better the results.

All Jeeps require the same basic starting points:

• Disconnect your swaybars
  
• Fully articulate the axle, and in the front, turn the steering lock to lock
  
• Note where in each wheel-well the tire makes contact with bodywork
  
• Grab some tape, and your courage, because we're about to remove metal

• With a unibody construction, many parts of the body are structural, so think carefully before you start to cut. If it looks structural, don’t cut it. Check in behnd to make sure, too.
• You can re-use the fender flares to cover up any uglies you may have caused when cutting sheetmetal. Take your time, plan it out and use the best tool available to ensure a clean job.
• The plastic inner fender wells are usually one of the first things to get thrown out when trimming, but they keep dirt, mud, and water out of areas where rust could start and off engine components, so if you remove them use some plastic or sheetmetal and some silicone to seal off areas you want to protect. You'd be surpised the force water enters the engine compartment under when you hit it at speed in your Jeep.
• If you come across another chop-job, check it out. Just remember - just because that guy cut that part out doesn’t mean he should have. Remember that plastic inner fender liner...?
• The outer front fender on your rig is basically for looks, so this area can be cut wherever the tires rub.
• Use a hammer to fold pinch welds over on themselves as opposed to cutting them off whenever possible. They are structural, and thus important, but if you don’t fold them over they can slice and dice tires on the trail.
• The rear pinch weld can be trimmed a little bit. Just look for the spot-welds indented into the metal, and cut below them. If you need to remove the pinch weld, you'll have to replace the missing metal not just to fill the hole, but to ensure the structural integrity of this area remains intact.
• If you have to weld in a wheelwell, be forewarned - it’s not easy. The metal is thin and zinc-coated to prevent corrosion so clean the sheetmetal thoroughly before you weld. Use the lowest setting on your welder and turn it up in small amounts if needed.
• Remember to bring a good heavy hammer and some metal snips on offroad trips. Heavy loads and extra flexy trails may cause more tire shredding than you expected. Check things often just to be sure.
• To reattach rear fender flares, you can use 90-degree aluminum and some aluminum pop rivets. The front fender flares are mounted with rivets that attach to portions of the fender you should have bent up level with the ground. Don't sweat it if you missed this step - the front flares are way easier than the rears to remount - heck, lots of folks use plastic zip-ties - just remember, they must stay in place on the highway a speed.
• Naturally, Grand Cherokees will need some extra attention to detail with their plastic cladding. Planning is critical and you must realize you'll be trimming twice - plastic first, then sheet metal. The good news is that Grands came from the factory with much larger wheel openings than Cherokees and Comanches - so unless you're going larger than 33" on a Grand, you'll really only be into trimming plastic.

Aftermarket Solutions

If you're trimming fenders, you're stuffing bigger tires under your Jeep. There comes a point, in many areas, where the only way to stay legal is to put on a set of aftermarket fender flares.

Bushwacker has made a name for itself with tough fender flares that look great on many different makes and models.

You'll have to enjoy the exposed bolts, though they do make smaller units with hidden mounts.

Rusty's offers up fibreglass fenders with built in flares. While expensive, they are a great way to stand out form the crowd.

These would work well on pre-runner style rigs, though you'd better be careful on the rocks and in the trees - fibreglass is simple to repair, but it's really simple to destroy, too.

Other makers offer similar products, but not many - check out Jeepspeed suppliers - they can point you in the right direction.