Replacing fenders

[RyleyF]

Hey guys, I screwed up my right hand side fender pretty hardcore by driving into a tree out in some woods behind work, and so I'm going to be picking up a new one from a boneyard in about a week. I already tried taking it off before I left (i'm on vacation in jersey till saturday), but there's a few hidden torx screws. My question is do I have to take off the front fascia/lights to get to them? I saw a couple down in the engine bay that might be for the front of the fender, but I'm just wondering if there's any more I missed. Thanks!

[ECU88XJ]

what year is your xj? I can attest that on 84-96 ( i have experience with 86-89's) you will have to pull the header panel ( front fascia) to pull the front fender.

p.s.
Who vacations in NJ when you live in NC? :dunno: Having lived inb both, the south is as good as it gets... :D

[dizzymac]

I had to pull the header on my '90 to change the fenders(damn deer), not a big job and gives you a chance to look around at parts you normally can't see, found a vac. leak on mine at the vac. bottle.

[Rocketman]

You dont have to remove the header, but it sure makes it easier. You have to get creative with your socket set!

You do have to remove the headight frames and all lighting however.

[RyleyF]

Damn, thats what I was afraid of. I'll just do it when I install my lift, so I can take everything apart at once.

Next comes paint, I'm thinking of going with Tractor Enamel, but which color? It's dark blue, so I don't want to do too much work... But John Deere green is so awesome :(

[dizzymac]

Its not really a big deal, not that time consuming..removed it on mine cause flanges inside were bent.

[xjj33p3r]

Yea it really doesn't take that long at all. I've taken mine off in under 15 minutes.

[92xjer]

I sell tractor enamel paint and trust me Massey Ferguson Grey looks good, then again so does Kubota Orange! If you want to stick close to the original color check out the Truck and Trailer Dark Blue at Tractor Supply Co.

[RyleyF]

Grey would be fantastic, but I don't think I could really pull off a color change, especially light on dark. How hard is it to remove the cargo area windows and the liftgate window?

[johnnyc]

It's very easy to remove the cargo area windows. It helps to have a friend help you.

From the inside, start pushing out from the lower rearmost corner. And continue around the window, pushing out slowly. Your helper on the outside can also pull from their side.

Putting them back in is a little tougher. You'll need a piece of cord to help get the seals in place.

[RyleyF]

Okay, so I finally started removing the fender because I just bought a new one from a Junkyard. How exactly do I go about removing the header panel? I can't seem to see any more screws (that I can get to anyway) that'll take it off.

[old_man]

You do not have to remove the header to change the fender. there are a couple of screws that are accessible from the wheel well that are all the way to the front.