xj fender flares

[jeepspeed1700]

I dont know if anyone has the same problem but the stock flares on my xj fall off very easy due to larger tires rubbing. Do you guys have any suggestions as to a better way to mount them.

[CanMan]

You would have better luck posting in the Modified or Stock tech section. Get rid of them, cut the fenders out, and go with some aftermarket ones. Thats what I did, but I don't have any at all.

[jdogg4]

yep just trim them.

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2107357934

[beakie]

X2 for the no flares vote.
I got tired of picking mine up, and even lost one on the highway so I took them all off, and this weekend I will be cutting about 1-2" off the wheel well and spraying some bedliner on them and the rocker panels along the side. If you looked at the webpage in the post above, where the trim came off, thats how high I am spraying and about 1-2" around the wheel wells. I'll be posting some pics and will add them on here.
However I do notice the mud n crud n water flying up besides me on the road... and it gets much dirtier without the flares... course just gives you more reason to get outside and wash it, or leave it and let everyone know how much you like your dirt.

[WA-HCXJ]

i dont have pictures, but i cut my fenders out about 3" and moved my stock flares up with machine screws/ nuts holding them on, and the abs flare as a lock washer, many roadtrips, scraping them on tree's, rocks, and tons of hiway miles, they still havent loosened.

[schmiedel]

WA-HCXJ, did it look OK with the fenders 3" moved? Aren't they short? It'll be great if you could get some pictures as I'm planning on doing the same, but I haven't because I don't want to get rid of the flares, and the aftermarket ones seem way too expensive for me.

Regards

[bean8104]

WA-HCXJ, did it look OK with the fenders 3" moved? Aren't they short? It'll be great if you could get some pictures as I'm planning on doing the same, but I haven't because I don't want to get rid of the flares, and the aftermarket ones seem way too expensive for me.

Regards

im thinking the same thing, "why cant i move my factory ones up? or does that not work? my roommate just put his cut outs on but they dont make a good set for 97+ or at least i haven't found them.

[beakie]

I just got some TJ flares that I am waiting on to arrive. I have seen a few pics of the XJ with these on them, they look pretty good when set up right. As much as I like the no flares look, it was getting awfully messy just driving around town and with this being my DD it made driving with the windows down dirty and painful at speed when a pebble or two hits your elbow resting on the door. Will post pics once I get mine on, which is hopefully soon.

[Ben H]

On the newer flares, you can cut out the under side lip of the flares, you know the part that turns toward the vehichle. So then there is less area to hit. The metal clips that hold the flares on can be bent back into shape. I used a rubber mallet, while the retaining clips were still on. Just pound them gently back in towards the body. There should be one screw that holds the flare on the body. Upgrade that screw with a self tapping screw with a large washer. On the rear flares you can fasten the aft most part of the flare to the rear bumper cap(if you still have a stock bumper), or you make a 90 degree bracket to attach the flare to the body. Get creative.

[schmiedel]

I was thinking of making two cuts; one in the middle of the upper section and another in the middle of the rear section, and adjust them to the cut fender. Once they're adjusted, I was thinking of putting them together with some metal sheet (not too thin so it has some structure), and the remaining space could be filled with fiberglass. I will try this in a few weeks, maybe up to two months when I will come to do a paintjob on my XJ.

[jdogg4]

I have my rear ones on still but plan on taking them off soon. The pics about was 3-1/2 inches taken off. I have some rear tj flairs I sanded up and color matched to the jeep. I have that nice rubber trim I put on them but that shouldn't interfear with the flairs. I need to cut them down on the back side a bit. I run 32s right now and the water and rock kick back isn't bad they only stick out like 2" at the most maybe. But the 35s and rims I'm going with will make them stick out a bit more, so A flair job would be a good thing.

I've seen moving the stock ones up and trimming the back side up a bit and that looks good. Just keep in mind they don't stick out as much as the TJ ones will and don't drill into your washer fluid bottle. I reloacted mine into the motor bay.

On a side note about the flairs. I just got back from moan and man it was nice not to listen to that rubbing sound on the trails. O SO NICE!

[schmiedel]

Well, some pictures would be great. :D I'm looking for good ideas to keep everything as stock looking as possible. As my plans are to run 32 tires at most, I don't think I'll need any extreme cutting.

[FitchVA]

people either love it or hate it, but i trimmed mine when i trimmed the fenders and just moved them up...

http://viewsfrommylens.com/Gallery/albums/album52/IMG_4044.jpg

http://viewsfrommylens.com/Gallery/albums/album52/IMG_4043.jpg

[jdogg4]

I like both looks with and with out them, but with state laws and your setup is what you really need to look into. I might work on those fender flairs this weekend.

[53guy]

fitch, how did you reattach yours?

[FitchVA]

i redrilled holes higher up and reattatched them using the OEM brackets. but i removed the crap-tastic studs and used heavy duty zip ties. haven't had a problem with them coming lose or breaking.

[Timber]

What a cromulent idea.

[53guy]

I'm looking through your picts Fitch, but I can't find any of them. Do you have any pictures of how you cut the snaps off and how you went about zip tieing them off, I'm kinda drawing a blank there.

[FitchVA]

i don't have any pictures of that stuff.

'bout > 3/4 of the studs broke off of the backing plate when i was remonving the flares in the first place. so i then broke off the remaining ones. then i drilled holes though the heads of the studs. i then lined up those holes with the ones i drilled in my fenders and ran zip ties through the holes and snugged them up.

[53guy]

Fitch, did you use the stock mounting bracket in conjunction with the flares, or did you just use zip ties to hold the flares on without the backing plate?

[FitchVA]

used the stock brackets (had to trim them also). with the new style flares, i couldn't think of any other way to mount them.

[53guy]

Took some time and did some trimming today. Did just the passanger side front and it looks pretty darned good if I do say so myself. I'll snap some picts when I do the drivers side and let you all know how they turned out. I kept the stock flares and the stock mounting hardware as well.

[53guy]

JeepSpeed, I just finished my write up on the stock flares. You can find it here http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=87959

Also, if your flares keep falling off, if you decide not to trim is to take the flares off and bend the mounting tabs slightly so that it holds the flares tighter. Mine are holding very tight right now and I'm almost considering loosening them a bit because I'm affraid they won't pop off like their designed to. =)

[jeeptrick034]

Here is an excellent write up on trimming those fenders.
http://rocklizardfabrications.com/fender_trimming.htm