'98 Sport Fender Trim

[JetTech582]

Hey all! Just bought my first car Saturday, and I was planning on replacing the front fender as the previous owner said he hit a deer while driving and it's all sorts of banged up. There's apparently two different kinds of fenders, small lip mouldings and large lip mouldings. I was just wondering which one I have so I can properly replace it. Thanks in advance!

 

[DintDobbs]

Welcome to this forum! Nice Sport, good pick for a first car, or any number of car for that matter.

Yours is the 3" wide flare, used on 2nd-gen Eddie Bauers and Sports until 1998. After 1998, it was only used on Sport models, as the Eddie Bauer and Limited began to use the new style, which has an extended lip around the inside of the arch (see my profile banner for a comparison between the two styles).

I'd check out junk yards, as some of them will undoubtedly have the piece you're looking for.

On that note, it might not be a bad idea to pick up the entire fender, if you can find one in decent shape in the right color. Replacing a fender isn't a difficult job, just takes a bit of time and attention to detail.

 

[JetTech582]

Welcome to this forum! Nice Sport, good pick for a first car, or any number of car for that matter.

Yours is the 3" wide flare, used on 2nd-gen Eddie Bauers and Sports until 1998. After 1998, it was only used on Sport models, as the Eddie Bauer and Limited began to use the new style, which has an extended lip around the inside of the arch (see my profile banner for a comparison between the two styles).

I'd check out junk yards, as some of them will undoubtedly have the piece you're looking for.

On that note, it might not be a bad idea to pick up the entire fender, if you can find one in decent shape in the right color. Replacing a fender isn't a difficult job, just takes a bit of time and attention to detail.

Will this work? 1998 FORD EXPLORER 4.0L V6 SOHC Fender | Shop Now at RockAuto I planned on having it painted by someone to make it match.

 

[DintDobbs]

That fender will fit, but it does not appear that either option available from Rock Auto will have the wide fender flare in question. These wide flares are hard to come by, so take your time scouring parts sources. I personally have never found one anywhere other than a junk yard. Sadly, I have needed to replace two of these flares, both on the passenger fender, like yours.

 

[HeyNiceSporty]

I had a 98 Sport that must have had an elderly original owner who drove by braille. Three of four flares were gouged up, even though the rest of the truck was clean. Patience and junkyard shopping got them replaced, but this was 15 years ago....

 

[JetTech582]

I had a 98 Sport that must have had an elderly original owner who drove by braille. Three of four flares were gouged up, even though the rest of the truck was clean. Patience and junkyard shopping got them replaced, but this was 15 years ago....

Yeah I've looked at a few junkyards around where I live and I think one guy said he thought that he had a few and would call me of he did.

 

[HeyNiceSporty]

I seem to recall the wide ones usually were the grey color like yours. My 98 was Denim Blue. I think the thinner flares came black or grey. You could find the wide ones on some four doors and I believe they are the same.

If you want to paint yours, know that trim like this needs a flex agent in the paint to really do well. Most car dealerships hire Dent Wizard or a similar company to refinish all the plastic trim and they do good work usually. All the trim on my icon truck was reshot.

 

[410Fortune]

It is also missing thr air dam and fog lights that went below that front bumper

Have you tried eBay?

 

[410Fortune]

Is this what you need?

We have a 97 sport here for parts,
My stepson is parting this sucker out
Rwd ohv stick 3.55 open has a good flare! Or two

 

[DintDobbs]

410, that is definitely the part he's after. Wait for confirmation from him, but if the truck in his pics is his truck, that is both the right part and in the right color.

He's got some pretty serious rocker rust going on there too, might need the skirt pieces as well.

@JetTech582 Do you have the passenger side skirts that run between the fender flares? I see both pieces on your driver side, but both have been removed from your passenger side.

 

[410Fortune]

Well this sport is here for parts so I could pull the pieces and ship them cheap

The drivers side on this truck the flare has some cracking and chipping
The pass side is in great shape