Cut fenders?

[Tubesoc]

I was thinking about trimming my rear fenders the way you had done. I used the MetalCloak kit for the front which stiffins up the front fenders well. However there doesn't seem to be anything out there for stiffining up the rears. Do you feel like they were stiff enough with the guts removed, or are they loose/flemsy?

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[jl_misfit]

I was thinking about trimming my rear fenders the way you had done. I used the MetalCloak kit for the front which stiffins up the front fenders well. However there doesn't seem to be anything out there for stiffining up the rears. Do you feel like they were stiff enough with the guts removed, or are they loose/flemsy?

I cut front and rear and have the Quake LED braces/lights. The rears are still stiffer than the fronts, even without a brace.

 

[Dr3wDrop]

I was thinking about trimming my rear fenders the way you had done. I used the MetalCloak kit for the front which stiffins up the front fenders well. However there doesn't seem to be anything out there for stiffining up the rears. Do you feel like they were stiff enough with the guts removed, or are they loose/flemsy?

Can you post pics of the metalcloak brace/lights?

 

[nathan909]

Quake LED also makes a fender chop bracket with a larger drl/turn signal. They don’t do RGB lights like the AAL ones do but I think they look great.

Do you have any more pic of your X-liner fenders and how have they help up over the past year?

Thanks!

 

[Black Jeep Convertible]

RR sells complete rubicon fenders already cut with leds installed for 600, I think this is the route I'm going to go if I ever get 35's https://amzn.to/2T8OK9M

 

[rkwfxd]

OK so I read this entire thread with one question in mind... Can I run 37s on a Rubicon with no lift and a fender chop and NOT rub?

From what I am seeing the answer appears to be NO. It appears I can install 35s on my Rubi with no other mods and wheel it just fine with no rubbing. But when it comes to 37's and one more inch of radius on the tire size, I will need a 2.5" lift whether or not I have a fender chop.

Is this correct?

TIA

 

[Toycrusher]

OK so I read this entire thread with one question in mind... Can I run 37s on a Rubicon with no lift and a fender chop and NOT rub?

From what I am seeing the answer appears to be NO. It appears I can install 35s on my Rubi with no other mods and wheel it just fine with no rubbing. But when it comes to 37's and one more inch of radius on the tire size, I will need a 2.5" lift whether or not I have a fender chop.

Is this correct?

TIA

It depends...

I don't have heavy bumpers or a winch and don't carry a lot of gear. I run slightly smaller 37" KO2s on stock wheels with 2" wheel spacers, no fender chop. I get no rubbing except when fully flexed out with swaybar disconnected. The rubbing is enough to gouge the inner fender liners, but not enough to pop off my fenders.

With different wheels, and a larger 37, you may get enough pressure to pop off a fender. If you mod your fenders, you probably won't have any trouble at all. When the sofa cushions collect enough spare change I plan to mod my fenders and move to 38x15.5 swampers. I'm hoping I can get away with no lift, or just a 1.5" level up front. But I won't know till I know

 

[Bocephus]

OK so I read this entire thread with one question in mind... Can I run 37s on a Rubicon with no lift and a fender chop and NOT rub?

From what I am seeing the answer appears to be NO. It appears I can install 35s on my Rubi with no other mods and wheel it just fine with no rubbing. But when it comes to 37's and one more inch of radius on the tire size, I will

You'll get poor performance for anything off-road with 37's on stock lift. In my experience, even 2.5" lift (full blown Evo/King short arm kit) with full fender chop and AAL inner-fenders was shy of optimal (bumpers, rails, and winch weight included). With 2.5" of lift, I was constantly in my bump stops. 3.5" so far feels the sweet spot. Please do ignore if you're just doing highway miles. But for off-road, you definitely benefit by having as much up/down travel as possible.

 

[Toycrusher]

You'll get poor performance for anything off-road with 37's on stock lift. In my experience, even 2.5" lift (full blown Evo/King short arm kit) with full fender chop and AAL inner-fenders was shy of optimal (bumpers, rails, and winch weight included). With 2.5" of lift, I was constantly in my bump stops. 3.5" so far feels the sweet spot. Please do ignore if you're just doing highway miles. But for off-road, you definitely benefit by having as much up/down travel as possible.

The particulars of your typical off-highway adventures also have a lot to do with what's "better". Personally, having suffered a quite unpleasant rollover off-road in the past, I prefer to sacrifice some up-travel for a lower center of gravity in off-camber situations. I wheel on the conservative side and don't mind dragging a skid plate. Others absolutely hate a scratch anywhere on their Jeep, and others just wheel more extreme than I do and that lift might not be optional

 

[Bocephus]

The particulars of your typical off-highway adventures also have a lot to do with what's "better". Personally, having suffered a quite unpleasant rollover off-road in the past, I prefer to sacrifice some up-travel for a lower center of gravity in off-camber situations. I wheel on the conservative side and don't mind dragging a skid plate. Others absolutely hate a scratch anywhere on their Jeep, and others just wheel more extreme than I do and that lift might not be optional

good points! Roll overs are quite the thing, glad you made it out!!

 

[Toycrusher]

good points! Roll overs are quite the thing, glad you made it out!!

Thanks. It was in an old Ranger, I'd fabbed up some support tubes that kept the roof from totally collapsing, but it could have been much worse.

 

[Bocephus]

Thanks. It was in an old Ranger, I'd fabbed up some support tubes that kept the roof from totally collapsing, but it could have been much worse.

Thank God !
for some reason, the fact that it was a Ford Ranger (F’ing Ford Ranger !!) makes it slightly more bad ass.

 

[Headbarcode]

OK so I read this entire thread with one question in mind... Can I run 37s on a Rubicon with no lift and a fender chop and NOT rub?

From what I am seeing the answer appears to be NO. It appears I can install 35s on my Rubi with no other mods and wheel it just fine with no rubbing. But when it comes to 37's and one more inch of radius on the tire size, I will need a 2.5" lift whether or not I have a fender chop.

Is this correct?

TIA

Chopping the front fenders gains about 3.5" of clearance. And 2" after a rear fender chop.

 

[rkwfxd]

Disclaimer: This will probably be too long but I don't care because it is about jeeps and I cant wait until mine gets here.

It depends...

I don't have heavy bumpers or a winch and don't carry a lot of gear. I run slightly smaller 37" KO2s on stock wheels with 2" wheel spacers, no fender chop. I get no rubbing except when fully flexed out with swaybar disconnected. The rubbing is enough to gouge the inner fender liners, but not enough to pop off my fenders.

With different wheels, and a larger 37, you may get enough pressure to pop off a fender. If you mod your fenders, you probably won't have any trouble at all. When the sofa cushions collect enough spare change I plan to mod my fenders and move to 38x15.5 swampers. I'm hoping I can get away with no lift, or just a 1.5" level up front. But I won't know till I know

Your current set up is pretty much exactly what I would like to do. I believe I will be fine with a small amount of rubbing in extreme situations.

You'll get poor performance for anything off-road with 37's on stock lift. In my experience, even 2.5" lift (full blown Evo/King short arm kit) with full fender chop and AAL inner-fenders was shy of optimal (bumpers, rails, and winch weight included). With 2.5" of lift, I was constantly in my bump stops. 3.5" so far feels the sweet spot. Please do ignore if you're just doing highway miles. But for off-road, you definitely benefit by having as much up/down travel as possible.

All valid points but I should probably share where I am coming from.

I had a TJ and built it up with 4.5" lift, 35s, 4.88s, locked F&R, cage, tummy tuck, SYE, yada yada yada. It worked pretty darn well in the most extreme rock crawling situations. Sucked everywhere else. Total PITA to even get in and out of. Felt tippy all the time, bouncy ride and just plain unfun. Got to the point that I didn't even want to jump in it to go to the store. Scared my wife on one trip, scared myself on another and it basically sat for two years before I sold it and bought a Porsche.

But I missed my jeep so now I have a TWO DOOR Rubicon on order. I have already ordered armor and bumpers and a few other things for it. I think my rear bumper choice is a good reflection of what I want to do overall with this jeep.

I ordered the Rock Hard Patriot rear bumper in aluminum. The difference between the aluminum and the steel is that of course the steel is heavier and cost less, but the steel raises the tow hitch receiver up and out of the way. It gives you at least one, maybe two inches more clearance under the center of the rear bumper. BUT, in order to have that clearance, you have to drag around an extra 58 pounds, every day, every trip, every travel. The suspension has to support that extra 58 pounds 24/7 forever, whether you are driving or not, just sitting the rear springs have to support that extra weight.

The lower hitch receiver on the aluminum version? Well, it might MIGHT scrape on a small 2 foot length of trail somewhere at some time. Maybe. That is a trade I am willing to take.

Same with the no lift and 37s. Gives me factory ride, factory DS angles, factory CA angles, factory steering angles. I basically changes nothing that makes the jeep decent and safe on the road. The larger tires (with 4.88s) give me slightly lower than stock gearing and roughly another two inches of ground clearance and they make it easier to climb up obstacles, they roll over rocks better and they are less likely to drop down in between rocks. A set of wheel spacers or rims with 4.5" of back-spacing will give me a more stable stance as well. Of course they are heavier and will probably suck down a bit more gas.

They also might MIGHT rub on my fenders at full flex on that one rock on that one trail. I already have aluminum skids and steel sliders ordered and I expect to scrape those. That is what they are made for.

In the end, as I type this and reflect on what has been said here and in other threads, I am thinking there is a really good chance I can run 37's with spacers or wheels and be OK. Not perfect but OK. If I rub too much, I could do a fender chop. If I am STILL unhappy I could then look at a lift.

Thank you to all that have responded. As I said above, all great points and gives me much to think about while I wait.

 

[JARHEAD-JL]

Does anyone know if there is a bracket for the lower portion of the chopped front fender? To give it more stability to fender itself!

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