Question before the jeep goes under the knife

Tomarrow, weather permitting, I'm going to install TJ flares I just got and trim the rear quarter panels. My question is on trimming the rear fenders. The cut and fold method, how high can I cut? I would like to fold it so the lip around the fender doesn't stick out past the body. I've searched and couldn't find too many good pictures of how high people cut. the other question is since I'm picking up a rivet gun for the rear quarters would it be a good Idea to rivet the folds to the inner fender? Or is that over kill?

Thanks in advance
Damien

You trim up as high as just below the spot welds. Then make a couple of cuts in between the welds & bend it in. It will bend and follow the natural curve of the fender shape.

I got the front two flares and the back pass. flare off and the front bumper off today. I trimmed the front pass fender and mounted the first flare. Between snapping bolts and my crying daughter it was a pain.
Another question I have is do you guys use the existing holes on the fares or drill new ones? I was trying to drill new ones and rivet them in, I think the rivets would pull out quicker if I rubbed them up against something. That was a pain because I couldn't get the holes in the fender i drilled to match up with the holes i drilled in the flare. It would probably work better with an extra set of hands too. If any one is interested I'll post pics when I'm finished.

Damien

If you can get an extra set of hands it would be much easier, personally I used the holes that were in the flares to start with, I probably should have made more...but if you can get something short and sharp or a short sharpie mark your holes onto your XJ, I used a short screw and scratched an X where the holes in the flare were.
I can't really help you much with the rear flares I think I personally did a terrible job, but I would like to see pics of it when your done.

The holes I drilled were 3/8" for the rivets. The marker didn't fit in the hole so i scratched into the flare where the hole should be. when i went to put the rivets in they were off by just a little but enough to make me mad. I ended up using two screws i took out from the air dam just because the riveting was annoying.

Todays progress. Got both front flares done. I used the stock holes in the flare for the driver side and that worked better. I ended up running over to ace and getting sheet metal screws and I gave up on the rivets. I under coated the front wheel wells since the liners are no longer there, I figure I drive a lot of gravel roads so better safe then sorry. and I mounted fog lights and the plastic bumper things from my 89 on the 93. I still have to do the rear flares but with my 8 month old its a little at a time.

I can't get the pics to work so heres the album
http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?folder_id=1857624

I have to say that cutting my nice clean fenders was the scaryest thing I've done.