What kind of fenders/flares are the non-trailered TJs running?

Jerry Bransford · #1 05-30-2008, 08:29 AM

I've got to get rid of the Bestop flares, they're barely hanging on after last weekend anyway.

Should I just go back to stock TJ flares? I'd love to go with one of the flat fender kits with something similar for the rear but those in the know advise me they can transmit too much shock to the tub. Is that really that big of a deal? I really (!) like the looks of a flat-fendered TJ.

I'm probably not going to worry too much about tire coverage since it's not driven on the street all that much now.

Joe Dillard · #2 05-30-2008, 09:38 AM

What you need Jerry is a YJ that you can beat to death & not worry about cosmetics/laws/street looks/etc.

Larry Nickell · #3 05-30-2008, 09:44 AM

If you can wait a bit, I'll have a set of Xenon flares that I'll sent you. They have been fantastic and have not broken when mashed into rocks and trees. They simply return to their original shape. They'll come with rock rash pre-installed so you won't worry about scarring them up.

Jerry Bransford · #4 05-30-2008, 09:53 AM

Well Joe the TJ is getting beat to death and I've stopped worrying about its looks, at least so far as dents and scrapes go. It's got so many miles on it that the wife has long-ago stopped worry about it which is great. I just can't get too lax about tire coverage since I don't trailer it yet and it gets driven around on the weekends on nice days.

Thank you Larry, those Xenon flares would be a good way to go if they're stock width, I'm done with a 6" flare width which snags just about everything. Thanks for the offer, and I'm certainly in no rush.

Larry Nickell · #5 05-30-2008, 09:57 AM

They are indeed 6" flares, oh well.

Jerry Bransford · #6 05-30-2008, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Nickell

They are indeed 6" flares, oh well.

Well heck, I appreciated your offer very much anyway Larry!

1BLKJP · #7 05-30-2008, 11:04 AM

Jerry, Looking at Gen Rights Flat Fender setup I think they are the best at protecting the grill and radiator also. I've seen Spyder and others take good hits and completely ravage that area. But Tony's setup is stronger in that area and seems to take the hits evenly.

Jerry Bransford · #8 05-30-2008, 01:44 PM

I've been looking at the Gen Right stuff like at http://www.genright.com/ProductInfo....ductid=TFF2000 for some time Jack, it looks good to me. Anyone else have anything good or bad to say about the Gen Right fenders? I'd go with just the basic fenders without the added flares if I went that way.

Lawrence · #9 05-30-2008, 01:53 PM

I am running the Rubi flares, a bit wider than stock but not too wide. They take the abuse really nicely and spring back into shape. Al found them for me on ROF for $10 a set. Look around, you can score a set fairly cheap. If you go with Genright, call Rick and tell him you're from BBS so he can give you a price break.

mrblaine · #10 05-30-2008, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lawrence

I am running the Rubi flares, a bit wider than stock but not too wide. They take the abuse really nicely and spring back into shape. Al found them for me on ROF for $10 a set.

I'll take five viable sets at that price.

steelman · #11 05-30-2008, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrblaine

I'll take five viable sets at that price.

No kidding! Geez!!

Lawrence · #12 05-30-2008, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrblaine

I'll take five viable sets at that price.

I did luck out on that set, they came from some guy who went with tube fenders and they had just a few scratches that added character. But, they can be found cheaper than aftermarket ones like Bushwaker, Warn, etc...

ABQ TJ · #13 06-01-2008, 11:16 AM

I like my flat fenders, personally.

I know Blaine hates them and thinks I'm a poser, but that's ok

quadna71 · #14 06-01-2008, 12:31 PM

6" bushwackers on mine and 3" OEM's on my wifes. the 6" ones aren't good for the trails (as everyone knows) but get me great coverage. i'm getting better at plus-sizing the panel washers that hold them on after every trailride. the 3" ones don't cover her 35"s very well but the DMV hasn't complained yet and we'll keep an eye out for some rubi take-offs to replace them. if you like the looks of the bushwackers but don't want 6", they also make them in 4.5" widths for TJ's. i'm sure they are still pretty rigid and tend to fade after 3 years though.
chris (yeah, i'd take two sets of rubi flares at that price!)

NikVallens · #15 07-27-2008, 10:18 AM

Ive beat on my Poison Spider tube fenders time and time again and theyve held up great. Managed to put one small dent in one at Johnson Valley but everything else has just been cosmetic. If you can weld, Sniper Fab makes some cheap DIY stuff

TObject · #16 07-27-2008, 10:49 AM

The problem with the Poison Spyder flares is not the durability of the flares themselves but the strength of the tub where the flares mount to the jeep. After a couple of Johnson Valley trips with Poison Spyder flares the hard top and full doors would no longer fit on my jeep - with the leverage the long rigid fenders exert, it is very easy to bend the jeep tub.

Further, even the version with a lip doesn?t cover the tires completely; and once you go to Poison Spyder flare type, you are screwed about going back to the stock style. I would not recommend Poison Spyder flares for TJs that are driven on-pavement a lot.

Jerry Bransford · #17 07-27-2008, 01:14 PM

Do you know of any tube fenders that don't do that Sergey? My fenders keep getting partially pulled off, and the last time it pulled the threaded inserts out of the steel fender which required spot-welding them back into place. So I need to do something, and I like the looks of flat tube fenders. Are there any flat tube fenders that don't cause the problem you mentioned?

TObject · #18 07-27-2008, 02:58 PM

If your sheet-metal fenders are not mangled beyond hope, then try a set of Rubicon flares; see how they work for you.

mrblaine · #19 07-27-2008, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry Bransford

Do you know of any tube fenders that don't do that Sergey? My fenders keep getting partially pulled off, and the last time it pulled the threaded inserts out of the steel fender which required spot-welding them back into place. So I need to do something, and I like the looks of flat tube fenders. Are there any flat tube fenders that don't cause the problem you mentioned?

Are you talking flares or fenders getting pulled off?

If it's flares pulling the nutserts out of the sheetmetal, instead of welding, that would have been the perfect time to buy a nutsert installation tool. Probably could have used it somewhere else as well.

BTW- there are no nutserts that you compression set that are made of brass.

Jerry Bransford · #20 07-27-2008, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrblaine

Are you talking flares or fenders getting pulled off?

If it's flares pulling the nutserts out of the sheetmetal, instead of welding, that would have been the perfect time to buy a nutsert installation tool. Probably could have used it somewhere else as well.

BTW- there are no nutserts that you compression set that are made of brass.

It was my flares getting pulled out of the fenders, I was drawing a blank when I was trying to think of the word 'flare'. Old age is a *****.

Yeah now that you bring it up, I guess those inserts I was setting from the Poison Spyder kit were actually anodized aluminum, they looked like brass from their color. Now that I think about it, they had to be aluminum since I couldn't have set them if they were brass. I'm just glad that job (thread on JF) is over.

mrblaine · #21 07-27-2008, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry Bransford

It was my flares getting pulled out of the fenders, I was drawing a blank when I was trying to think of the word 'flare'. Old age is a *****.

Yeah now that you bring it up, I guess those inserts I was setting from the Poison Spyder kit were actually anodized aluminum, they looked like brass from their color. Now that I think about it, they had to be aluminum since I couldn't have set them if they were brass. I'm just glad that job (thread on JF) is over.

If they were brass colored, they were zinc plated steel. They likely looked like these.

http://www.allensfasteners.com/detai...+SERT+(METRIC)

Jerry Bransford · #22 07-27-2008, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrblaine

If they were brass colored, they were zinc plated steel. They likely looked like these.

http://www.allensfasteners.com/detai...+SERT+(METRIC)

That's them exactly Blaine, those are the little buggers that gave me so much grief. From my experience, they're ok until you have to remove and reinsert the bolts into them more than once. That's where my problems started with them.

Heck if I had known they were steel, I would have tack welded the couple that were giving me problems.

mrblaine · #23 07-27-2008, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry Bransford

That's them exactly Blaine, those are the little buggers that gave me so much grief. From my experience, they're ok until you have to remove and reinsert the bolts into them more than once. That's where my problems started with them.

Heck if I had known they were steel, I would have tack welded the couple that were giving me problems.

Got magnet?

Jerry Bransford · #24 07-27-2008, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrblaine

Got magnet?

Yep that was a good idea in hindsight. I use a magnet for that purpose but I never even considered that they might have been steel. Well, I continue to learn something every day of my life.

Allen · #25 07-27-2008, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry Bransford

Heck if I had known they were steel, I would have tack welded the couple that were giving me problems.

Don't even bother.

Jerry Bransford · #26 07-28-2008, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Allen

Don't even bother.

I had to do it on my TJ last month when my flares pulled them free Allen, why not? Since the metal surrounding them was too far gone, setting new inserts wouldn't have worked.

Paradiddle · #27 07-28-2008, 11:34 AM

Jerry - I have a set of stock TJ fenders in perfect shape. They are white but you could paint them.

I have new flares as well - let me know if you are interested.

I would also advise against any type of tube fender for the reasons Sergey stated - I think it's better to smash up a fender and nothing more then to potentially hammer the tub badly.

Jeff

Jerry Bransford · #28 07-28-2008, 03:45 PM

The stock flares are tempting Jeff but I've had two sets of them on the TJ and I hate to go back to them. Is there another choice besides tube fenders or going back to the OE flares? I just want something different looking from what I have that won't snag the rocks like the present Bestop flares do so badly. Coverage isn't the big issue it used to be since the TJ is mostly a trail/weekend Jeep now.

Joel77 · #29 07-28-2008, 05:27 PM

I like the Chris Durham hi hood. But if you want steel go with genright hi line flat fenders.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=693322
http://www.genright.com/ProductInfo....ductid=TFFXXXX

Allen · #30 07-29-2008, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry Bransford

I had to do it on my TJ last month when my flares pulled them free Allen, why not? Since the metal surrounding them was too far gone, setting new inserts wouldn't have worked.

They never weld easily. They tend to burn away instantly leaving a tack weld on the mating surface, and a void where the nutsert once was.