Cut the rear fenders apart

[NCCherokee]

Originally when I first lifted I did the old cut and fold. Looked ok if you didn't look close. Decided that in anticipation of moving up to 37s from 33s in the next year, is like to widen the rears and clean it up a bit. Looked at a bunch of threads, T&Ts low cog XJ build, Goldrush on Pirate, stumpxj on here. All went about it a bit different but ended with basically the same result.

I have a rigidco rear bumper with end caps for my cut n fold lower rear quarters, so they extend up to the wheel well. This limited how much I could cut back. However I'm trying to keep the interior as in tact as possible, so I didn't want to section and widen the inner wheel wells, because I wanted the trim to fit back correctly.

I used a combo of an angle grinder and a jigsaw to separate the body from the wheel well. The wheel well consists of an inner piece and an outer piece. I left about a 1" lip of the outer sheet metal all the way around so that I can use that as my base to weld onto when I patch it. I can't weld, so I'll meet up with a buddy in a few weeks to do that.

Still trying to decide if I want to use 1/4" rod or brake line like T&T or just weld the two pieces of sheet back together. The eventual plan is for JCR rear quarter armor/light boxes, so I know I'll have to trim those. Depending on if they would fit, I'm considering Napier flares vs jeeptubes tube flares welded onto the JCR armor.

Onto the pics

I'll get more pictures once we start working on putting it all back together.

 

[dfjeepster]

I plan on doing this in the spring, can't wait to see how you go about joining it up.

 

[whitexj98]

I did the same, very thin metal, weld carefully!

 

[John D]

I used 3/16 rod I picked up at the hardware store, it was easy to form the way I needed. And yes, go slow, it's a PITA to weld the sheetmetal.

 

[G2WANIT]

I followed the BS Fab method of joining the thin pieces of sheet metal together with basically a continuous line of tacks. Then clean-up and seal from the inside.

 

[NCCherokee]

I'm trying to decide if I want to cut an inch or two further back. This would require me to split the inner wheel well, graft in a filler. Also would be coming close to the filler neck, which I don't want to F with. Still looking for a 37" to mock up and see how much it gets into the existing fender well.

 

[ROBZ95Xj]

you will be fine with the filler neck, with the rear axle pushed back a inch and 42's i was no where close to it

 

[Destroyer]

I would definitely use some solid rod around the outer seam to strengthen the area and allow more weld surface. Stump did his cut to the rear of mine and the outer skin has separated from the inner patch panel almost all the way around on both sides. Granted mine has not been treated nicely with a few good hard hits to the rear wrap around bumper and a roll thrown in for good measure...

 

[iluv83vettes]

It's gonna fold like a taco now.

:anon:

 

[NCCherokee]

I'm not worried about the filler neck itself, more all the structure an other crap seam sealed around it.

I'm thinking the steel rod will be a good idea for strength and ease of welding. A buddy is bringing a spare 37" over this week for me to stuff and see what hits.

I think at the minimum I'll need to section the inner wells and widen them with a filler piece to make welding the inner and outer panels together easier

 

[dfjeepster]

I don't know if you have seen this build http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/jeep-cherokee/1116731-project-goldrush.html but its one of my favorites and he did a really nice job on the rear quarters. I think there's some good pics on page 4 or so of how he did it.

 

[NCCherokee]

Yep, saved a bunch of his pictures

 

[NCCherokee]

Well my friend lent me a 37" krawler to mock up the fenders. We decided to cut a little further and section the inner wheel well. I drilled out all the spot welds on the lower part of the fender then cleaned up the seam sealer. Cut down the middle, and pulled it apart. I'm going to widen about 2", which will make welding in the filler a lot easier.

I have a rigidco rear bumper with swing arm, and the cut n fold lower quarter panels, so I'll have to take all that off to finish my fender cut, as the end caps are presently interfering. The end caps themselves will be cut about an inch shorter, and will make the angle match that of the fender better. Then I'll be able to cut out the floor a little bit and be ready for cleaning up cuts and welding.

Then repeat in the driver side, where there is more 'stuff' to deal with, like the metal support structure of the filler neck.

I'll get some pictures after dinner.

 

[NCCherokee]

Blue tape is the cut line. You can see the inner panel drilled for spot welds and cut apart, it's sitting on the trunk floor in its approximate final position.

Close up of my cut, not finished, and the cut of the end caps. I left them in place initially so that I could make my tape line up with the angle I wanted on the end caps. Now that it's all taped off and initial cuts done, I'll take the end caps off and finish. The tube will be capped off again.

Just for shits and giggles, I rolled the 37" krawler up to the front, this is on about 5" lift

Size comparison. Those are worn out 33" trxus MTs

I finished mocking and bending up the pass side 1/4" steel rod that will r used as filler to weld the two sheet metal panels together, and to stiffen the fender a bit. It's a real bitch because there are 5 bends, two of them compound, the curve of my cut, and the body of the XJ curves a little bit from bottom to top. Took me about 2 hours. I'll get a picture tomorrow when it is light. It's not 100% perfect, but close enough so that when we tack it on we can hold it in place to get it closer to the actual cut lines.

 

[kmanxj5050]

Is that a 30 in the front still?

 

[NCCherokee]

Yep, on 33" tires, open.

That will not be present when 37s happen. But 37s aren't gonna happen for a while. New job, house, and kid this summer. In the next 1-2 years I'll start a true buildup with tons and 37s. This thread is to document the fender cut that is designed around 37s.

 

[kmanxj5050]

Gotchya. I was going to say my 30, well at least u joints and my 35" krawlers don't get along well.

 

[NCCherokee]

. This is the 1/4" steel rod, sitting on the 37. If you look close you can see all the bends to match the body lines. Looks like a 37 should stuff pretty well.

 

[John D]

Blue tape is the cut line. You can see the inner panel drilled for spot welds and cut apart, it's sitting on the trunk floor in its approximate final position.




I finished mocking and bending up the pass side 1/4" steel rod that will r used as filler to weld the two sheet metal panels together, and to stiffen the fender a bit. It's a real bitch because there are 5 bends, two of them compound, the curve of my cut, and the body of the XJ curves a little bit from bottom to top. Took me about 2 hours. I'll get a picture tomorrow when it is light. It's not 100% perfect, but close enough so that when we tack it on we can hold it in place to get it closer to the actual cut lines.

I would definately cut more if it were me, it's the same amount of work to cut another inch or so. I'm thinking of how pissed I would be to do all that work and find it wasn't enough.

 

[NCCherokee]

I would definately cut more if it were me, it's the same amount of work to cut another inch or so. I'm thinking of how pissed I would be to do all that work and find it wasn't enough.

we considered going further, but I really have no plans on moving the gas tank, or going larger than 37", since this is going to be a family rig. We have one, with another on the way, and plan to have 4 kids total, so I'll need as much interior space as possible. Thus I don't really plan on stretching it much, if at all, especially if/when I go to tons. At that point the tank becomes more of a limiting factor than the fender.

But if plans change, i can always suck up my pride and say "I wish I listened to John D", and I'll do it over. It might suck, but I don't mind cutting and drilling, takes my mind off my day job.

I haven't measured, but I think it is already opened up about two inches front and rear, and maybe one inch at the top over what the traditional cut n fold gives you. Over stock, that might be more like 3" front/rear and 2" at the top, maybe more.

edit: and i'm not being sarcastic, I appreciate the input, and went back and forth over even going this far or further, but in the end I think this will fit best for what I want it to do.