trimming the fenders

[89eddie89]

so im runnin 35s on my 4" lift. im thinking about trimming the fenders. any suggestions how much to cut?? and what can i use to cover over the fresh cut fender???

 

[Justshootme84]

Good question!!! Check where the tires rub, like just the front corners or in a couple places. IF the tires only rub the front edge of the rear quarter panel wheel opening when the suspension is flexxed, you might want to cut a "wedge" out of the front part of the opening only. Maybe 2" at the bottom, angled up about 10" up. IF you want to cut 3" all the way around, you can often follow the boldy line of the fender to make your cut. On the 87-91 Bronco, the fender openings have an outward flare along the edges. you can cut the flared area off, and leave the flat part of the fender. That will remove about an inch or two all the way around. The rear panel sheetmetal is dounble-layered, so you can cut the inner layer a bit more than the outer. Then make cuts in the outer layer and roll the lip under the cover the gap. While a Sawz-All or reciprocating saw will work, it will vibrate like mad and be hard to cut thru two layers. A cut-off wheel works much better. SCribe your line with a marker or chalk, even tape. You can also use a piece of the door moulding/ weatherstrip to cover the cut edges. Just snip off the soft rubber part, and use the metal section. I did that on my 78 Bronco, and it came out awesome. Might have a thread on that in the 78/79 forum, JSM84

http://broncozone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11781

 

[Broncobill78]

I've been looking into this myself because I'd like to run a set of 36's on mine. I'm very impressed with the tool that The Eastwood Company recently introduced for just this purpose and I've been tucking away a few $$$ every month to get it. If you get/use this one you won't need to do very much else, you could easily hide the cut with some generic trim from someplace like AutoZone or you could run a set of flares that would not only cover the cut but add to the appearance. The Bushwacker cut-out flares are made specificall for doing this but they may be larger than what you're looking for, there are several types of flares available so just look around at them and see what you like best.

http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?itemID=...=140&KICKER

 

[89eddie89]

yeah basically i am just wanting to trim the bottom of the flares so the tire has room to flex. cause of right now with 35s on a 4" lift. i have hardly any flex. haha

 

[Broncobill78]

It's an easy enough job, you really just need to decide which way you want to go. I've been looking at the Eastwood tool because I'm pretty sure I'd get my money's worth out of it. I have my current project that I'd use it on but I also have 3 kids who will be wanting rides of their own and none of them want anything to do with a stock vehicle so I figure I'll definately be using it on other trucks down the road & it would be a killer tool for flaring out the rear quarters of a Mustang or Tbird so I feel confident enough that it wil see enough use to justify the cost, on the other hand the tool itself & the truck accessory together still cost less than what a set of Bushwacker cut-out flares do so even if it were only for a single project I'd give it serious thought.

On the other hand the route JSM mentioned has the clear advantage of being dirt cheap and fairly easy. You can pull it off in an afternoon and be done with it. A cut-off (pneumatic or electric, doesn't really matter) wheel & a few rolls of generic edge trim and you're done it. I'd also second his advise against using a recip saw on this, *way* too much flex to make cuttin a neat line very easy.

 

[89eddie89]

ok cool. so where can i find some trim that come stock on a bronco, that have more length to them??

 

[Justshootme84]

BB78, that's a cool tool from Eastman, and they definitely have the stuff to do great bodywork.

89e, any type of door moulding or weatherstrip will work, doesn't have to be from a Bronco. It's the type with a soft rubber half and a metal half that clips onto the body. Look at the weatherstrip on the cab of your Bronco that runs all around the door opening, and you'll see what type you need to look for. Maybe I'll find a pic, too. JSM84

OK, on the stock Bronco trim, all you need to do is cut off the soft rubber part, leaving the stiff, metal section. Here's a pic from JC Whitney of some universal trim without the soft rubber. It's basically a double strip of thin metal with rubber or vinyl covering. The trim can easily be bent to fit the contour of the fender, and will hold. I use some type of adhesive to secure it, since any mud or dirt that gets in there could push it out.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/wcsstore/jcwhitne...497406_CL_1.jpg

 

[89eddie89]

thank you for the information

i am trying to stick with the same kinda trim i have on there now... but it doesnt really matter as long as it has chrome or metal on it...

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[Broncobill78]

Just take a stroll thru your local AutoZone, Napa, PartsPlus, even a Wal-Mart. Really, this stuff is not hard to find. They all carry some sort of generic auto trim and if you look at them you can usually find something with a small U-channel in it and you're off to the races.

You're going to be looking for something like this:

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Product...0003824/c-10101

 

[89eddie89]

Thanks bill.

I think I may end up running all black trim around the fenders.

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