I REALLY REALLY Need to trim my fenders, but i dont want to just go ape crazy with the sawzall... Anyone have a good way to do the triming or know a tool that will make it clean? I just dont want to do it then regret it after. I dont mind the jeep getting banged up etc but i still like it to look halfway decent. thanks guys
-Allen

i used a grinder with a cut off wheel, its a pita. good luck///Kevin

^ haha thats what i was afraid of, i was hoping someone would tell me an easy way haha but whats ever easy?! haha Thanks Kevin, just a 4.5" grinder?

one of my friends just trimmed the fenders on his xj, also said it was a pita but it worked fine :)

Thanks for the input guys, i got to finish remodiling our second bathroom tomorrow and hopefyll ill have time to start that. anyone know how much you can trim on the rear fenders? i imagine just trum off the stock fender flares... Worst comes to worse, ill just get some bushwhacker flares (like evry other XJ out there) thanks again!

Jig saw might be cleaner, sawsall will be quicker. I used tin snips for mine, that was a pain in the ass

plasma gun and a 12 pack. be sure to do it at night with no light source. it makes the plasma gun look more cool!

^ If only i had a plasma gun, that would be nice... haha

Jig saw, fine tooth Bosch blade, ZZZZZZZZZZ

What about black and deckers? will those work? hahaha

I've cut a lot of steel plate with my trusty jig saw and found that the Bosch blades hold up the best - less clean up than a plasma too

hmm... good thing i work at a hardware store! haha thanks man...

Do you have access to air and air tools? If so I'd try to use an air saw...it's like a sawz-all but much smaller and they really kick butt. I've got a Cornwell Tools one and have used it to cut anything form plastic to steel plate. The blades are thin, jig saw blades work well in them and they don't vibrate like a jig saw.

Sweet actually at work i think i do, i could go in on a day off and work on it, i think they might have an air saw there too... Ill find out tomorrow.

Ya so you gave me a good idea about gaining more tire clearance. So I decided to cut my fenders. Well, only one turned out decent. I tell you what, if you don't have lots of time and patience you'll get frustraited quickly.

haha thats wht i dont want to happen to me... i want them all to come out good. i havent done it yet cause the jeep is out o comission for a while. its got to get a new clutch, fix the stuck heater door, and some other little noises and such.post pics of how it came out...

Make a template before you fire up the saw.

I know this is for tube fenders, but it gives you the general idea.

http://www.myjeeprocks.com/forums/gallery/files/5/0/3/card_thumb.jpg (http://www.myjeeprocks.com/forums/gallery/showimage.php?i=2720)

click for bigger view

Yeah i was gonna do that, and just grind whats excess of the template that way they come out uniform and not crappy. thanks for the tip though

Well i finally started on it today... My roommate and I did the front two fenders. I used, an air cut off wheel on one side and a grinder on ther other. I just cut along the "fender flare line" with the cut off wheel and then grinded the edges smooth, and the other side we took of the flare first and grinded the exess till it matched the same line... It looks pretty good, we didnt have time to do the rears but theyll be done hopefully on friday. Ill put some pics of it up later when theyre done. Thanks for all your tips guys.

If you haven't already started on the rear... be carefull, if you cut too high you'll have to weld the inner well to the body (fender). I'm going to take pics today (12-18-06) of all the stuff I've meant to and post them.

I cut way in to my inners too, i just left it.

allen mask the area you want to cut and use a small grinder to trim the extra off. Let me check the shop there is a tool that will re-roll a lip after you cut it. We may have one. Also I am still trying to get an answer from Randy's about your gears if you haven't got them ordered yet.



ps I have a plasma.

Well my fenders have been all chopped up for a while now, you should have seen them Tim! haha nope havent ordered the gears yet, im waiting till after the holiday season. Thanks man.

I thought they looked cut came out pretty good too.