XJ Fender Flares

E

elCapitan

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Utah
I got so tired of rubbing tires and popping my stock flares off, but I really didn't want bushwackers. I don't like the big, black, bolted look.

So I just finished installing these X-Max fender flares I got from Notch Customs.

It was a bit of a job to install them, but totally worth the work. I think they look sweet, and there's enough clearance now I could go from 32's to 35's and still not rub.

So I guess another company used to sell these, but stopped. The guys at Notch acquired the molds, so they're making them and have them in stock now.

I'm thinking bumpers next.

23rr1pv.jpg

2i1lhmx.jpg
 
Yeah, that's the company that used to sell them, but like I said, Notch Customs has the molds now.

They're super sturdy, so Notch is using a good fiberglass company. And they actually have them in stock. I'm really happy with them.

I'm already running JCR's stage 2 sliders, and JCR was another good company to work with, with some pretty cool products. I'm thinking I might do their weld-it-yourself bumper kit.
 
Best looking flares I've seen.

I've done the cut and fold rear quarters though. I noticed this picture on the Notch website. If you look closely, I think that XJ has had the cut and fold. I wonder if that is an option or if they just hacked the bottom part off the flare... guess I'll have to contact them to find out.

MVI_5851.MOV.Still0011.jpg
 
They Look good! From what I saw in person when I was wheeling with the "Notch customs crew" In Oct these things are clean and a lot stronger then one would think with a fiberglass flare. They sure seamed to be more tough then my bushwhackers IMO, they would even cover any holes or cut parts of the fender I made mounting my BW's... and they are repairable.

There a great group of guys from what I saw. I do know they changed a few things but over all its close to the same Mold and design.
 
What kind of tire clearance would these offer a 2" lifted rig? (like mine :) )

I don't know that I want to go higher lift-wise, so these would actually provide quite a bit of space to run a bigger tire.

Seeing as how I could probably run a 31" tire easily without rubbing, I'm thinking that something like a large/full 33-34" tire would be no problem.

Thoughts?
 
SanDiegoOverland said:
What kind of tire clearance would these offer a 2" lifted rig? (like mine :) )

I don't know that I want to go higher lift-wise, so these would actually provide quite a bit of space to run a bigger tire.

Seeing as how I could probably run a 31" tire easily without rubbing, I'm thinking that something like a large/full 33-34" tire would be no problem.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

I would agree with that. But it really depends on your suspension setup and over all movement that would determine the biggest tire they could allow. with the right bump stops a 33" tire seams about right. maybe a 34, Give them a call, I am sure they could give you more info and a better idea!
 
I would like to see photos of how these actually attach. I find it interesting that their step by step install does not actually cover mounting the flares and is instead a walkthrough on how to cut out the body for them. They say not to over tighten the nuts as you could pull the stud from the flare. It doesn't matter how solid the flare is if you can just rip it from the body. Why can't someone duplicate the factory mount brackets on these larger flares? Seems like a no brainer to me but it has yet to be done. I should be able to stand on top of that flare when it is mounted to the Jeep and not be concerned that I am stressing it.
 
It would be awesome if they could be mounted with 3M double sided trim tape like the side moldings on my Silverado. That stuff is tough as nails, yet flexible and designed for that purpose.
 
Kittrell said:
. Why can't someone duplicate the factory mount brackets on these larger flares?
Click to expand...

Because people want to keep their flares attached.

If the factory design was that good I would get a dozen calls a month from people looking for factory flares.

Agree on the 3m tape along with other mounts. The new flat bushwackers are mounted with screws, studs and 3M tape. That stuff is pretty awesome if you apply it right.
 
DrMoab said:
Did they figure out a better way to hold the mounting studs or are they still just epoxied on like Iceland did?
Click to expand...

I can't speak to how IceLand did it back in the day, but as I bought a set this spring and tried to "unattach" them against a boulder in Colorado, I can tell you how notch is doing it now. It's basically a series of long M6 (or maybe it was english threads, 1/4-20, I forget which wrench I used) zinc hex head bolts buried in a glob of epoxy or fiberglass resin or something. It would be nice if they could layer the head into a few of the layers of the base material or maybe go with a larger head or different profile other then the standard hex head that has more bearing surface for the epoxy to grab onto.

But I really can't complain. I ran into a boulder and it was big enough that it stopped the truck and it only popped one of the three bolts on that part of the flare. As others have said, it's a really good product, the glass mat is nice and thick and they are really robust from what I have seen thus far. I was wheeling with a couple other XJ and ZJ guys that were glad to see the old molds were back in production.

As fas as the other guys raving about how good factory flares are installed. "count your blessings" It's been my experience that OEM flares are installed with the cheapest means possible using as few fasteners as possible. The tape is a crap shoot and usually a band aid for poor fit and finish when the preferred attachment methods fail. The emphasis is on making the plastic surface look pretty without gaps, attaching to the vehicle is almost secondary.
 
These are sweeeet. But, unless I'm mistaken, they're out of stock on the XMax's. That's NOT sweet. Anyone heard when they might be back in business?
 
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