Fitting 35's with BL and fiberglass....

[Buckshot]

This was going to be a PM to Skier - but I thought that there were many others who might learn and comment also - so I'm making this a regular post instead.

Ok, so I tried to go the route Skier did with 3"BL, torsion twist, and fiberglass fenders for 35" tires.

First - they're on and look GREAT! (pics coming of a lot once I get the camera's card reader from my office tomorrow)

Second, where Skier didn't get rubbing, my 35's are TrXus MT's at a true 35" rather than the 34+ from the BFGMTs. May be a difference in the tires, or between the Sport and my XLT ...or any of the other Ford differences in tolerances from one vehicle to the next that we all love so much. So now I'm rubbing a bit at full turn and flex. I'm trying to figure out how to cut away more inner sheet metal to allow a full turn at full stuff without hitting the tire. I'm getting a rub on the metal that's left where the pinch weld USED to be. (I cut all the way back to the inner panel - no more pinch weld.) It looks to me like I'm going to cut into the shaped panel and have to weld a new shape back in. Or have some fun with the 3lb hammer....

Third, I need to find some way to put an inner fenderwell back in. There's a gap of about 3-4 inches vertically as well as horizontally out to the new bubbled shape the fiberglass fenders have. I'm kicking mud into my door hinges badly. Thinking about using a F150 fenderwell and cutting to fit. Which means I'll have to cut even more metal than I thought from the panel to just to the rear of the wheel well as discussed above to allow no rubbing on whatever I put in for an inner fenderwell liner.

#1 - Skier - How did you overcome these things?
#2 - anyone else have ideas? I know - tough to visualize without pics - I promise, they'll be up tomorrow....

Thanks guys!

 

[ExplorerSportNu]

 

[Buckshot]

Gee thx Ryan. Come back tomorrow then.

Are you on 35's yet?

 

[ExplorerSportNu]

Not yet but hopefully with in the next month or two, can't wait to see the pics of your beast

 

[bmxking5]

So where are those pics?

 

[ExplorerDMB]

Pictures?

 

[Buckshot]

You guys are killing me! They are being uploaded now.....

 

[Buckshot]

Ok - here are the pics!

 

[bmxking5]

That thing looks great! I love that tire/wheel combo.

 

[Buckshot]

As you can see (finally) in the very last photo, the sheet metal needs to be beat back some more - or cut further and re-welded to cover the hole that is opening up since I cut past the entire pinch weld already.

No rubbing on the street....but this is no street queen. At 20" of flex I can't get a full turn of the wheel. I need about 1" more clearance to feel comfortable with nearly $2000 of wheels and tires that close to jagged sheet metal. (yes I know I need to grind it smooth and paint it still....)

I also need to clean out the mud that is coating my door hinges and figure some kind of inner fender well to keep the mud on the outside of the door panels....where it looks MUCH better anyway!

 

[Co&Ca]

*drooling* Awesome job man!

 

[ExplorerSportNu]

F/king bada@@ that thing is night and day compared to the last time I saw it, I LOVE those rims, what kind are those they look exactly like the new ones I have, those 15x10's ? Got a do something about those black fenders though

 

[Premier]

Very nice!

 

[Buckshot]

hahaha....yes - major changes....

Procomp 1079 rims 15x10, Super Swamper TrXus MT 35" tires with only a torsion twist suspension. Can you say "center of gravity"?

 

[snowburns]

that's damn sweet, the black fenders don't even look bad

 

[dman726749]

have you looked into creating some kind of inner fender out of the pond lining from like home depot or anything like that?

Looks Great, cant wait to see it in person

 

[jwrezz]

For inner fenders I just found this company "Alasco Rubber & Plastics." They have a web site www.alasco.com. I bought 16 sq ft of 1/8" rubber mat. It was 1.16 per sq ft, but w/ $13 in shipping it came to $30. So far I've only cut out the drivers side inner fender. I'm gonna make some gap guards for the rear (caused by the B/L). Good stuff tho. I'm happy.

 

[jwrezz]

And no, this is not an add. I'm on the east coast. I did a search and this is what I found. There's also this stuff for bathroom construction called tub liner that you can get at Home Depot, but it's not as durable IMHO.

 

[quiksilverdh]

damn... and I was considering throwing on some 35's with just a BL, TT, shackles, and AAL's... Then just hack away at the front fender with a sawzall... maybe I should reconsider..

nice truck!

 

[Buckshot]

Go with the fiberglass fenders. The Sawzall will work, but there is a LOT of fender to cut away for 35's with such a small lift.

Thanks dman! But I have to finish cutting the inner section this week or I won't make it to rock rash in Attica this weekend. No sense in tearing up my tires on sheet metal when I can do it on rocks later.

And yes - I have looked at the pool liner idea, but I'm having a tough time visualizing how to fasten it to the lip on the fiberglass without showing much. The lip is small and, well, fiberglass.

The rubber idea will work great for gap guards, but I think I'll need something stronger right behind the wheel in front of the door hinges. It'll have to stand up to high speed mud, snow, rocks, etc. So unless I find a perfect plastic piece like the f150 fender lining ($140!!!) I may be bending and welding sheet metal. Or maybe Taxx will be welding while I supply beer???