1997
XJ -
Light Fender and Flare Whacking
After
installing my
Rocky Road
Outfitters budget boost and new wheel/tire
combo, I immediately ran into
problems due to the low backspacing I choose (3.75")...I began to have
problems with rubbing. Just going in and out of my driveway the tires
would rub on the front bumper guards.
The
methods I used are what I like to
call "Redneck Engineering". There are better tools for the job than the
ones I used. These methods will work though. Before I started this is
what the XJ looked like.
As
I
was installing a front hitch receiver to
establish a tow point up
front, my first step was to eliminate the front valance/spoiler. This
was done by removing the factory fog lights/housings and then drilling
out the 4 rivets that hold the valance to the bumper. Then I moved on
to the bumper guards themselves.
First
I marked where I wanted
to cut them with a
white sharpie. I then
removed the bumper guards and scored the markings with a utility knife.
Then I just used a coping saw and followed the groove (this was done
prior to my acquiring a Dremel). The end result is shown in the
following pics (click for larger images):
This
eliminated all rubbing on road (I still have to finish it off by
getting some sheet metal and making some splash guards to protect the
horns...which, as you can see in the 2nd image, sit inside the bumper
guards and are now completely exposed. Either that or just relocate the
horns...)
The
first time it went off road was a whole different story. It rubbed all
over the place. On top of the wheel wells, on the fenders, I even
knocked loose two of the fender flares.
To
fix this,
I
simply removed the
flares. Okay, not so simple. I used lots of
PB Blaster and I still broke bolts. The flares snap onto a metal flange
which bolts to the fender. I broke like four of the studs on the
flanges. No real problem, just drilled them out and used nuts and bolts
to reattach. Anyway, once the flares were off I took a hacksaw and made
small 1" cuts every 2" or so in the fenders. I then bent back each
section with channel locks and applied some black rustoleum to keep it
from rusting.
I
then used
the tire marks on the flares as a guide to determine where
they needed to be cut back. I cut them using the same method that I
used to cut the bumper guards (again...pre-Dremel). I re-attached the
flares to the mounting flanges and re-installed the flares to the body.
This
eliminated all rubbing
except at the top of the wheel wells, but
that is because my bump stops were not long enough. Stay tuned...that
(albeit brief) writeup is coming.
;)
;)
;)
;)