Fender Trimming! So many people, so little info.

Anyone have a measurement for this part? How much flat part did you leave? I have an arb that I need to trim up too. But trying to make it be even with the other side before I hack up the fender flares

 

I am working on my ARB now.... Currently I drew a line 1.5in from the top rear corner of the ARB to 1in from the bottom rear corner on the ARB. The pic is when it was just 1in.

I'm also working on massage the sheet metal fender only where I need to....doesn't seem like you have to trim the same amount from the entire fender.

 

This is where I'm at. I did the fenders and the inner already. I did the inner all they way to the clips. Buy new clips they are cheap and a life saver. I used 3m window weld down at the bottom to fill in the gap where you cut at the bottom so wind doesn't pull them apart. I think I'm going with the most cut off of the three tape lines

 

What wheel/tire/spacers are you running?

 

Method 701 17x9 -12
315-70-17 ko2
1.5 spidertrax

 

Also I should say most of the reason for the spacers are the rear Chevy 63 swap with long travel shock relocation in the rear, under full flex the stuffed tire would rub the shock

 

Yeah I've read that you'd need spacers for the rear when you've relocated the rear shocks.
Thanks for the specific info on your wheel/tire and offset info. I have on a relatively stock rear setup. I may do a relocation and hanger change down the road. I've trimmed my front fenders and am in the process of figuring out liners now. I wasnt planning on doing them but after a couple camping trips I've noticed gravel and mud in places that would be an issue in the future. Nice build!

 

I'm jealous you guys can just trim the fenders and be done. I had to cut the floor apart haha






And then I still had to trim the bumper and fenders (even the fiberglass ones).

 

Go to 35's it'll be fun they said.

Pffftt.. I have done so many other supporting mods, all cause I did the 63swap and hated the amount of gap... I sometimes wish I was stock again

 

Shameless self plug here but I replaced those garbage blue and orange plastic clips with bolts. If you are interested in my method, you can check it out over here.

-J

 

I think of those clips as fuses..

 

what did you end up using and doing for fender liners? I’m in a similar position as I’m finding gravel and dust everywhere and SoCal has been a little more wet than usual which isn’t great for an exposed intake.


Yes I know I should go snorkel or cowl intake but we aren’t there just yet…

 

Also curious what folks did for fender liners..
Cheers

 

My liners are a job in progress.. I never left any bent tabs on the sheet metal fender when I trimmed.

I'm planning on epoxying some clips I made onto the flares. The clips are 2"x2"x1/8" angle. One side is will be glued/epoxy to the flare. The other side has a rivnut. I'm going to make cardboard templates and transfer the measurements to some plastic that I can mold with a heat gun..

There's a lot more I want to do before I button all that up. Mostly hammering the pinch weld, Seam sealing, and painting. Then, there's also the cab mount that still needs a chop.

Like I said job in progress.. haha

 

I'm planning on another coilovers rebuild as my DSC adjusters are malfunctioning. They are stuck in the firmest high speed setting. When I get that working I'll get them back on the truck with the coil spring off. Then I can check that I have full clearance in the wheel wells when fully compressed lock to lock.

 

I’ve got some fairly thick rubber matting I think I can wedge, clip using the OEM style clips and holes in the fender, and use self tapping screws to at least shield the intake which is my main concern.

I didn’t leave any clips on my fenders and should have kept the original liners and just trimmed them but it was a long day of cutting and saving them became an after thought.

will report back with photos of how it goes this weekend.

 

Appreciate it! Seems like you could make your own liner and save some $$

 

Impressive work here!
This seems like a lot to trim, how much lift do you have?
I also have a 96 Tacoma and I'm contemplating going up to 34s (though a narrower tire that's only 10.5" wide) on wheels with wider stance (~1.25 inches each side).

 

Thanks! You have to take a lot out on a 1st Gen Tacoma to fit 35s. I have a friend running 10.5 wides, unfortunately it doesn't help much on the cutting, but it does let you turn farther before touching the frame. This is one of those things where it doesn't matter how much lift you have, it only matters if you have a body lift, can cut a bit less with a modest 1" body lift. But I sit about 2" over stock height suspension wise.

If you want to see the whole process I have an album detailing it start to finish...
https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAfa7Z

Can't even tell it is modified from a glance anymore, even in the cab.

 

Thanks for the quick response. I found a few of your other posts in the meantime - really excellent photos and documentation effort!
Right now I have a 3" lift and 33s (actual diameter is 32.5. The tire's I'd like to get are MT 255/85s and their stated diameter is closer to 34.
When I articulate, it seems like I have good clearance, but I just need to mount the new tires to really find out.
I suppose on the plus side I have the short wheelbase regular cab so I could sacrifice a bit of turning radius?
Will follow up when I find out more!

Very thorough video of a dude installing these tires on an FJ (same 17x7 wheels I have). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keTaWTVdPFA