Fender Trimming on a 88-98 - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

Jeepocabra · 11-02-2007, 07:11 PM

Ok I probably will get burned for this, but I did search.

How much can I cut off the back side of my fenders w/o getting into the body. I need some more clearence. It looks to me like I can only get about a half inch, but I could be wrong, I hope.

Pics greatly apreciated.

89_chevy_diesel · 11-02-2007, 08:32 PM

how much do you care about how it looks? if your really couldnt care less. you cant cut it all the way to the cab. but you would only gain about 1.5-2" of clearance. or are you talking about on the front of the fender? if so, at the bottom they have a little plastic piece that comes off. and then you just need to trim your bumper a lil' bit.

Jeepocabra · 11-02-2007, 08:37 PM

Im thinking of the rear of the front fenders, specificaly on the inside of the fender about two inces from the outside on.

Grumpy_old_fart · 11-02-2007, 08:50 PM

the easy way would be to take the fender off, and CHECK.

Kilborg · 11-03-2007, 03:46 AM

As grumpy said, take the fender off, check clearences, make your marks..cut it right.

Spend some time on it and it can look pretty good and not hackish. I ran 38x14.5 sx's on my old 97 1 ton with only a 3" bodylift and some good trimwork in the front. It took quite a bit of measuring and finding rims, but it fit pretty nice and only rubbed the inside of the frame a little at full lock bouncing around through the muck.

That said, you dont gain more then i think 2.5 inches. I would have to go through some of my notes (If you dont take notes on your projects then you should! it comes in handy) since i have been running 73-87 trucks the past couple years, but it wasnt that much. Its not like a 73-87 where you can clear 44's on a 4"lift and sawzall work....but you can gain enough clearence to fit a little more meat. One of the things about IFS is the wheel travel is pretty low from ride height to bottoming out.

Im guessing you still run IFS...if you had a SFA swapped in already you probably wouldnt be asking the pirates about trimming.

The bushwacker cutouts are a option too if you have money to spend. They gain you some space and cover up hamfisted cutting errors.

Jeepocabra · 11-03-2007, 02:26 PM

I have the cut outs already. Where I am talking about isnt really the fender, but more into the very bottom of the cab, I think it is just a hollow spot that I can cut into with no prob. I think I will just take a fair sized drill to it and have someone watch my inside floor, If I get a hole into the cab out comes the silicone. If not Im set to cut off some and then patch it back up so I dont have a bathtub under my truck, but still have the clearance. SAS is comming probably this summer, Still cant find a decent priced dana 60 all the yards here want about 1200 for one. Now I am starting to concider a hp 44 or even a dana 50, not sure yet.

11-02-2007, 07:11 PM	#1 (permalink)
Jeepocabra Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Member # 94930 Posts: 86	Fender Trimming on a 88-98 Ok I probably will get burned for this, but I did search. How much can I cut off the back side of my fenders w/o getting into the body. I need some more clearence. It looks to me like I can only get about a half inch, but I could be wrong, I hope. Pics greatly apreciated. Last edited by Jeepocabra; 11-02-2007 at 07:11 PM.

11-02-2007, 08:32 PM	#2 (permalink)
89_chevy_diesel Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Member # 92720 Location: in a padded room Posts: 320	how much do you care about how it looks? if your really couldnt care less. you cant cut it all the way to the cab. but you would only gain about 1.5-2" of clearance. or are you talking about on the front of the fender? if so, at the bottom they have a little plastic piece that comes off. and then you just need to trim your bumper a lil' bit. __________________ Whoever invented Tuesdays should be made into a god of the PBB Last edited by 89_chevy_diesel; 11-02-2007 at 08:33 PM.

11-02-2007, 08:50 PM	#4 (permalink)
Grumpy_old_fart Devout Newbie Hater Join Date: Jun 2003 Member # 20147 Location: Oakland Orygun Posts: 6,456	the easy way would be to take the fender off, and CHECK. __________________ sympathy, empathy and apathy... i dont know which one is which.... But i know you can find sympathy between shit and syphilis in the dictionary. Win this car for a whole BUCK!

11-03-2007, 03:46 AM	#5 (permalink)
Kilborg Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Member # 21453 Location: Southern NH Posts: 369	As grumpy said, take the fender off, check clearences, make your marks..cut it right. Spend some time on it and it can look pretty good and not hackish. I ran 38x14.5 sx's on my old 97 1 ton with only a 3" bodylift and some good trimwork in the front. It took quite a bit of measuring and finding rims, but it fit pretty nice and only rubbed the inside of the frame a little at full lock bouncing around through the muck. That said, you dont gain more then i think 2.5 inches. I would have to go through some of my notes (If you dont take notes on your projects then you should! it comes in handy) since i have been running 73-87 trucks the past couple years, but it wasnt that much. Its not like a 73-87 where you can clear 44's on a 4"lift and sawzall work....but you can gain enough clearence to fit a little more meat. One of the things about IFS is the wheel travel is pretty low from ride height to bottoming out. Im guessing you still run IFS...if you had a SFA swapped in already you probably wouldnt be asking the pirates about trimming. The bushwacker cutouts are a option too if you have money to spend. They gain you some space and cover up hamfisted cutting errors. Last edited by Kilborg; 11-03-2007 at 03:56 AM.

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11-02-2007, 08:37 PM	#3 (permalink)
Jeepocabra Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Member # 94930 Posts: 86	Im thinking of the rear of the front fenders, specificaly on the inside of the fender about two inces from the outside on.

11-03-2007, 02:26 PM	#6 (permalink)
Jeepocabra Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Member # 94930 Posts: 86	I have the cut outs already. Where I am talking about isnt really the fender, but more into the very bottom of the cab, I think it is just a hollow spot that I can cut into with no prob. I think I will just take a fair sized drill to it and have someone watch my inside floor, If I get a hole into the cab out comes the silicone. If not Im set to cut off some and then patch it back up so I dont have a bathtub under my truck, but still have the clearance. SAS is comming probably this summer, Still cant find a decent priced dana 60 all the yards here want about 1200 for one. Now I am starting to concider a hp 44 or even a dana 50, not sure yet.