stumpXJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Atlanta, Georgia
I posted this in my chapter forum and wanted to post it up here as well for others to see.
So, right before I left Germany I cut the front fenders to clear my tires, and really like not having to worry about ripping them off when wheeling, and I liked the way it looked.
I knew I would do the rear eventually, but it would have to wait until after the move and we got settled. Fast forward a few months, and I was tired of driving around with rear fender flares, and nothing on the front. Looked kind of silly to me.
I was not excited about doing the 'cut and fold' method since it rarely looks good, and you dont really gain that much clearance.
While I was at the 2009 Cherokee Crawl, I saw what I wanted to do. It was on Jaun's awesome burgundy colored XJ from Florida. I dont have a picture of it, (perhaps someone else does), but he did a nice job of truly trimming his rear fenders. Of course, he was stuffing 38 inche tires, and had much more need for it than I currently do, but I am planning for the future. This way netted be a full 3 inches all the way around the opening.
When you trim this much, obviously you have to go back in a weld in new inner fender material to re-connect it to the outer body. At this stage, all I did was cut the line I wanted, and get everything smoothed and ready for the rest of the work. My pops owns a Hot Rod Fabrication shop, and I will be at his place next week for a few days, so I am saving the welding, grinding and finishing for when I am there incase I need his professional help.
Anyway, I will update when its finished. Here is the progress after a little cutoff wheel love.
Look way better in my opinion already. Luckily I have an underbody/bedliner type coating on the Jeep, so it will be easier to touch up when we are finished.
~James
So, right before I left Germany I cut the front fenders to clear my tires, and really like not having to worry about ripping them off when wheeling, and I liked the way it looked.
I knew I would do the rear eventually, but it would have to wait until after the move and we got settled. Fast forward a few months, and I was tired of driving around with rear fender flares, and nothing on the front. Looked kind of silly to me.
I was not excited about doing the 'cut and fold' method since it rarely looks good, and you dont really gain that much clearance.
While I was at the 2009 Cherokee Crawl, I saw what I wanted to do. It was on Jaun's awesome burgundy colored XJ from Florida. I dont have a picture of it, (perhaps someone else does), but he did a nice job of truly trimming his rear fenders. Of course, he was stuffing 38 inche tires, and had much more need for it than I currently do, but I am planning for the future. This way netted be a full 3 inches all the way around the opening.
When you trim this much, obviously you have to go back in a weld in new inner fender material to re-connect it to the outer body. At this stage, all I did was cut the line I wanted, and get everything smoothed and ready for the rest of the work. My pops owns a Hot Rod Fabrication shop, and I will be at his place next week for a few days, so I am saving the welding, grinding and finishing for when I am there incase I need his professional help.
Anyway, I will update when its finished. Here is the progress after a little cutoff wheel love.
Look way better in my opinion already. Luckily I have an underbody/bedliner type coating on the Jeep, so it will be easier to touch up when we are finished.
~James
