Question on Bushwackers

[Ray Lobato]

Well, in order to get the 35's to fit on my truck, I will need to trim the bottom portion of my fender about 2" and go up towards the top of the curve in decreasing the amount of forming up to the top. So what I plan to do since the bushwackers need a inside lip, I'm going to cut into the fender and peel back the fender so I still have a lip to connect them to. My question is will the Bushwackers be flexable enough to allow this without buckling out away from the fender when I try to spread it out to connect it to where I had cut and peeled the fender back?
Would appreciate a speedy answer, since this is going to happen very soon.

 

[wabbit]

Educated guess...

Ray,
I don't have bushwhacker flares but I have seen them and the material they are made of. I think if you have to pull or stretch the shape you will have to deal with buckling or bowing out.
As a suggestion, a heat gun may be of use in forming the flares to fit your application.
Good luck...

 

[Perry]

Ray,
When you get it done, I would like to see some pictures. I just got a set of flares and I have my fenders cut back about two inches already.
If I get mine done first, I will let you know how they turned out.

 

[Ray Lobato]

Wabbit, Perry,
Thanks for the speedy reply. The heat gun will probably be used to help form it. The only other thing is that when you spread it back the very bottom of the flare will also rise up about 1/4". I might be wrong on this but I stands to reason the you are actually stretching the length when you cut it back. Thoughts?

 

[Gofast]

Ray, I don't think they'll work. I just put them on my truck and the plastic is thin but hard. If you don't keep the same radius pattern as the orginal wheel opening I don't think these things are flexible enough to cover this up.

I was thinking about doing the same thing with mine, but I'm Hoping the Body Lift will cure that annoying little rub.

Good Luck

 

[GJarrett]

Ray,

I played a little with Gofast's Bushwhackers before he installed them, trying to see if they would do this exact same thing you are contemplating. Whenever I would spread the flares apart just a little they would end up with buckling lines. The heat gun may be an interesting fix, though I don't know how you would be able to keep the heat accurate enough across the entire area of the flare as you walked the gun around it to accomplish your goal without a lot of practice beforehand (in other words, I think it may be possible, but only after you screwed up a couple of sets of flares first. Maybe on the third set you'd get the technique down).

Good luck. Let us know how you get it done.

 

[Perry]

I think GJarrett is right, once you start pulling you loose the shape. Our thinking is to cut the flare a little and add to it. They make a lot of different fillers and repair apoxy's so I figure I will have to do that. We have fixed a lot of bumpers with this type of stuff and it works really well. Have to get creative I guess.
If you can go from what we started with, then we should be able to come up with something.

Before and after sight of our truck!!
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=17595

 

[GJarrett]

Now there's an idea for you. Perry, we seem to be collectively brainstorming to jog an inspirational idea out.

What if you cut radial slits in the flares so that you could spread them out to make them fit? You'd end up with lots of little overlapping pieces of the flare, much like an old chinese hand fan. The material is thin though.

Then, leaving the flare on the vehicle, mask off the paint and surrounding areas. Take a single layer of fiberglas cut to shape and epoxy the fiberglas onto the flare to cover all the little radial cuts / overlapping sections. Sand to smooth and viola!

If you've never worked with fiberglas this may sound intimidating, but if you have you will realize it would be a slam-dunk simple job, MUCH simpler than the other projects Ray is having to deal with. If we weren't 1500+ miles away, I'd do it for Ray on a Saturday and have the job completely finished ready for him to have painted.

Ray, talk to some local fiberglas people; maybe a boat repair shop. They could do this in their sleep. Or, even better -- look up your local EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) chapter and see who would want to do it. I bet the airplane guys would be interested in doing it for you for freebies just out of curiosity and learning about another "outdoorsy" hobby like what they enjoy.

 

[Ray Lobato]

Perry,
I was thinking about that. Do you have any preferances on epoxies? Also I think we will only need one cut on the flare.
Gerald, those things are expensive. Someone had this on their signature "measure twice, cut once" I will definately take their advice.

 

[GJarrett]

Ray, we cross-posted two minutes apart. Check out my message directly above your last one between your's and Perry's post and give it some consideration. I knew good and well it would be fruitless to waste money practicing a heat gun on Bushwhackers -- that's why I wanted to steer you away from that idea.

 

[Ray Lobato]

Gerald,
Actually what Perry is saying is you cut small v shaped wedges in the flare, as you spread the flare the v shaped wedges will come together and then you can use a filler to basicly glue them together at the seams. Then you could sand them down and paint them. No one would know that they were modified. I really hadn't intended to paint the flares, because I wanted them black, but I might have to so you can't see the marks. I could paint them metalic gray like the OEM flares.

 

[Perry]

I just e-mailed Bushwacker to see if they know of a apoxy or glue that will work with there product. My dad and I glued a quarter panel on a suburban and they guaranteed it to hold as well as a weld and if not they pay to have it redone, so I know there is something out there, just not sure what yet.
Something else to consider is when you pull it back it will get shorter.
Since we are going to the tupperware it might not show up that bad. I hope to work on it this weekend if my dad doesn't have other things for us to do.

 

[RangerX]

Ray and guys,
I don't want to sound negative, but have you considered, if the flares are THAT inflexible, they will crunch easily off-road? I've always like the look of Bushwacker flares, but never bought them for that reason. My stock (Ranger) flares have survived much damaged sheet metal, including two rollovers, with only scratched paint to show for it. Even with the fender mashed in 4-5", after pounding out the metal, the flare returns perfectly to its original shape. What could be better for off-roading? Why can't the aftermarket make these, only wider?

 

[Ray Lobato]

Hi Bill,
It's not that they are inflexable. It is the fact that I am trying to stretch it in a direction that it's not molded to go. It will stretch that way, but it won't conform to the sides of the truck without deforming somewhat. I want it to look good and the only way to cover up the cutting is to put flares on it.

 

[Perry]

Ray have you cut your fenders yet????
If not, then I have a suggestion that we did and the only thing you have to do is weld up the edge and you won't be able to tell you cut it.

http://bigfordtoys.homestead.com/lift.html

This has a picture of what we did. I wished I would have taken more. Only thing we have to do is weld up the one edge, do a little grinding and repaint it. It was still rubbing after our CCR2000 trip, so that is why I didn't finish it yet. Want to make sure it won't rub.

 

[Ray Lobato]

Perry,
We like the way you cut your fenders and think that is the way to go. We're still toying with the idea of cutting the fender flares, but will seriously look at it after we cut the fenders. Keep me posted on your progress and I'll do the same.

Do you buy any chance know if the Ranger cut-out flares from Bushwacker will fit my 97? Maybe that is the way to go instead of trying to modify the Explorer extend-a-fender.

[Edited by Ray Lobato on 09-25-2000 at 05:46 PM]

 

[Perry]

No i have no idea.
Maybe try and email them and see what they say. I know with working with cars, some things will fit other cars even though the books don't say they will. Especially with part numbers from the factory. They change one thing, then put a new part number on it yet they will still work.
I will keep you in touch. I hope to work on them in the next couple of weeks.
With the way we cut our fenders, you still have the factory lip and you just have to weld up the edge and then grind that.
Good luck!!

 

[Paul Gagnon]

I love this picture! Does that ever bring back memories. My camera was stolen shortly after my truck looked like this so I will just have to pretend.

 

[pmassche]

Any one know where to get fender flares for a 2 door?

 

[tdavis]

Originally posted by pmassche
Any one know where to get fender flares for a 2 door?

The only ones I know of - warn - was discontinued.