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Anyone Swap Black Fender Flares for Painted?

DanW

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My wife has become fixated on swapping out her black flares for painted ones on her white Rubi. I really like the black flares and think it is a more traditional Wrangler look. But we were at our son's baseball game yesterday and she kept staring at my Jeep, which has painted flares, and decided she wants my wheels (optional Rubi rims) and she wants her flares painted. She also declared that she wants the lift and 35's sooner than later. So yeah, the Jeep mod bug has bitten her all at once.

So I'm wondering if anyone has done the fender flare swap and how much it costs to do it?

Maybe I'll get lucky and find someone with white Rubi flares who wants to sell them or trade them.
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aldo98229

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I did it on my 2018 JKUR Recon.

I found a set of unpainted fenders on eBay for $400, and the local body shop charged me $600 to paint them Gobi, to match the rest of the Jeep.

I removed the black fenders and installed the painted ones myself. Aligning the panels with just a few pressure clips was a total pain in the ass. JL fenders have a lot more integrity to them, which should take more work, but at the same time make them much easier to line up and install.

This was a year before COVID hit. I’d think you’d be looking at $2,000 to have it done today, for the parts and the paint job. I’d add another $500 to have them professionally installed.

Good luck.

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DanW

DanW

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If the standard flares can be painted, I can have the high school body shop in the school district where I work paint them at cost. I'm just not sure they'd be the same. Not sure what the differences are. I'll have to take a closer look, but it seems there is more to the painted flares than just painting the standard black ones. JK is a different animal, though. I can see that the painted JK flares are the same as standard, under the paint.
 

aldo98229

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On JK, the painted and unpainted fenders were different: unpainted fenders had a textured finish to them. I’ve been told that it is the same on JL.

Further, if you have EVER applied Armor-All or 303 to the unpainted fenders, you will not be able to pain them.

The chemicals get inside the polyurethane and are impossible to remove. Repainting them seals the surface, causing the paint to bubble from underneath.

I found out all this when I went through this process myself. That’s the reason I had to get a new set of unpainted fenders.

Alternatively, you can pick up a takeoff set of painted fenders on eBay or Craigslist, and have them sanded and repainted whatever color you want.
 
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DanW

DanW

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On JK, the painted and unpainted fenders were different: unpainted fenders had a textured finish to them. I’ve been told that it is the same on JL.

Further, if you have EVER applied Armor-All or 303 to the unpainted fenders, you will not be able to pain them.

The chemicals get inside the polyurethane and are impossible to remove. Repainting them seals the surface, causing the pain to bubble from underneath.

I found out all this when I went through the process myself. That’s the reason I had to get a new set of unpainted fenders.

Alternatively, you can pick up a takeoff set of painted fenders on eBay or Craigslist, and have them sanded and repainted whatever color you want.
The flares on our JL are not textured but they also feel thinner than the painted version. I've got them side by side. The unpainted feel much more flexible. So I'd bet I'd have to buy some painted flares. But then again the paint may stiffen them a bit, so I'm not 100% sure.

I'd imagine with all the folks out there modding their JL's, it might not be terribly hard to find some painted ones. If I do, then the color won't matter, as I could get them re-painted.

Good to know on the 303 on the flares. I haven't done anything to them yet but wash tmem. Only washes.
 

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Gregj

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I just did this last weekend, I found a set of painted flares and swapped them out. It’s not very hard to do but you will break many of the clips so buy replacements before you start.

Years ago I did buy a set of paintable flares for the boss’s Jeep and had them painted but I believe they are out of stock due to the parts shortage.

Gregj

Eta. Out of stock.
https://www.quadratec.com/p/mopar/high-top-fender-flares-wrangler-jl/paintable-hightop-led
 

roaniecowpony

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Sell her your flares and get some aftermarket flares for yours...
 

sardogtella

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My wife has become fixated on swapping out her black flares for painted ones on her white Rubi. I really like the black flares and think it is a more traditional Wrangler look. But we were at our son's baseball game yesterday and she kept staring at my Jeep, which has painted flares, and decided she wants my wheels (optional Rubi rims) and she wants her flares painted. She also declared that she wants the lift and 35's sooner than later. So yeah, the Jeep mod bug has bitten her all at once.

So I'm wondering if anyone has done the fender flare swap and how much it costs to do it?

Maybe I'll get lucky and find someone with white Rubi flares who wants to sell them or trade them.
Someone just listed a set of white fender flares in the for sale forum. They are in Kentucky.
 
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DanW

DanW

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Sell her your flares and get some aftermarket flares for yours...
Lol, nope. I like my red flares. I dunno, they just have a certain flare about them! :CWL:
 
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DanW

DanW

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Gregj

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No connection to the seller but those don’t have LED’s in them. No liners either.

Gregj
 
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DanW

DanW

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No connection to the seller but those don’t have LED’s in them. No liners either.

Gregj
Yeah, they don't look like LEDs in the pics but he describes them as LEDs. Might be Kentucky LED's. (bulbs) Lol!
 

zw470

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I really didn't like how the painted flares looked on the JK, but I think they look awesome on the JL. I want to upgrade mine eventually but it's way down on my priority list.
 

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When I ordered my Jeep last year my wife said maybe she like one also.
She's driving a Grand Cherokee. 🗽🤣
 

J1337P

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I know you mean the OEM flares but another option is to find a set of aftermarket flares you like and get them color matched. Like these way more than the chunky rubicon flares.
These are Bestop and cost of flares + paint was ~1300
Jeep Wrangler JL Anyone Swap Black Fender Flares for Painted? 6927320D-797F-4D35-A459-0E53C9D4369E


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