Fender Triming- the body shop or myself ??? HELP!!

[kurant045]

Guys,

I just got my 33x12.50 Bfg's. They look awesome and really stabilize my truck a lot better after my 3" body lift. Unfortunately what I assumed would happen did. THEY RUB! Damn it, I had the same problem when I got the 2" Suspension lift and my 31's. This is a perfect example of how all explorers especially 90-94 are different. I hear how some people are able to run 31's w/o a lift. Maybe its because of my 15x10 rims but either way, I need some tips from those of you who have trimmed your fenders after tire rub. These suckers are rubbing up on the metal fender, not only the plastic wheel well. So I have to hack at the metal before they tear up my brand new tires. I went to a local body shop for a quote and they are going to charge me $150.00 to cut my fenders, this is going to leave my fenders looking unpleasent. In order for them to give it the same appearence as now ( with the folded lip ) it will cost me twice as much. So finally on to my question: Have any of you done the fender trimming yourselves? If so what is involved? What tools? Also, where you happy the way it came out? Same questions to those of you who had a shop do it.

Help me out on this before I dish out Unplanned cash,
Thanks,
Robert

 

[Char]

Robert,
I can't exactly give you advice, but many people on this page have said numerous times, "The sawzall is your friend, the sawzall is your friend, the sawzall is your friend."

Good luck!

 

[Perry]

Fender cutting

Robert,
I have a 94 and we had to cut the fenders on mine. It isn't finished yet, because I want to make sure they don't rub on our CCR2000 trip. What we did is figure how far back we needed it, then we used a wheel grinder and just cut a groove into the fender. Then we pushed back the original end of the fender so the original edge is still there. We still need to weld up the seam and do some body work. I suggest you take it to a body shop since you will have to do some painting before it is finished. We also had to do some cutting behind the black wheelwell on the body itself.
I have flares that we are going to put on but that will be after the trip also since they will need to be reformed to fit.
You can check out my web page and see how it looks now. I don't think it took away from the original look to much. I wished I had the time to have it finished before our trip, but then if it hit I didn't want to start all over.
Good Luck!!!!

[Edited by Perry on 08-27-2000 at 07:31 AM]

 

[Isles4evr]

I had hit a cement pillar with the passenger side wheel well/fender/door (nice size dent on the door) when I did some minor wheelin through mud and weeds while I was still stock. It pushed the bottom edge of the wheel well/fender inward. When I put my 32x11.50's on with my 3" lift they only rubbed of the drivers side. I thought about it and then realized that it was because of the dent I have on the passenger side. So I guess I suggest that you go slam into a cement pillar to fix your problem. Just kidding . The best thing to do would be to take of the wheel well and see what is behind it... I havn't hit that project on my never ending list yet... to see what is behind it and if you could cut some of the stuff out and then push the wheel well in. I guess if you can't do that, then your best bet would be to go with Perry and take it to a shop to have it done.

Hope this helps
Chris

 

[rpenner54]

Originally posted by Char
Robert,
I can't exactly give you advice, but many people on this page have said numerous times, "The sawzall is your friend, the sawzall is your friend, the sawzall is your friend."

Good luck!

AGREED!!!! The sawzall is my friend!!!