Fender Trim Questions

[xl4runner]

Hey guysI was wondering about fender trimming. How much has everyone done?? I just got a nice Sawzall from Milwaukee (sp? sorry its early here), and I want to trim up my fenders a little when i put on my lift. The lift I am gonna put on is 4" plus I am going to go with a 1" body lift. I wanna fit 35's is this possible with trimming and what do i have to do to trim the fenders?

[GJC]

I trimmed mine with a sawzall. I used the torch blades by Milwakee. Just take your time and go slow. Use masking tape to keep from scratching the paint. You can also use a 4 1/2" grinder with a cutting blade. ;)

[illiand]

mock up the shape you want before you cut, sketch it out with marker or something over the masking tape GJC mentioned. You could use cardboard to transfer the shape of the opening over to the other side as well if you are concerned about symmetry.

just remember its way cheaper to use a whole bunch of masking tape and markers to get it right rather than butchering your fenders!

What kind of toy do you have?

[Oatmeal]

I run 35" TrXus M/Ts with about a 4" lift (axle moved forward 2" by way of hybrid rear spring pack up front) and a 2" body lift on my 85' S/B and have no clearance problems at all and, yes, I wheel my truck pretty hard and have plenty of wheel travel so why hack up your truck if you don't need too? When you start going bigger than that, then, maybe you'll have to break out the Sawzall. I wheeled with a guy that had an early (79'-83') truck with no lift and running 35" MTRs and he had no clearance issues either (?) don't know how he acomplished that but, his truck sure was clean and he was running a 4.3 Chevy Vortec motor to boot! So, don't cut, if you don't have too! Just my opinion, though, It's your truck..........Hans:D

[jvmin]

84 truck with 35's and a combo lift of 3inch suspesion that's sagged to about 2 inch and a 2. 5 inch bodylift. total of about 4.5 inches of lift with no hacking at all at full stuff I get the slightest bit of scrub at the front fender when I have it turned in either direction. but not enough to hack the fenders and my 35's are 15.5 inch wide and I run 1.5 wheel spacers as well. you could probably hack it up and clear 35 inch tires with out a lift.

I had 33 inchers with no lift for a long time.
They scrubbed but I lived with it for about three months like that.
here is a pic of the truck with no lift and 33 inch tires

[jvmin]

and here's another of the same truck 19 years later with the 3 inch downey lift and a 2.5 inch body lift and 34 inch tires

[leorn]

HAD A BUDDY THAT CUT HIS 85 4RUNNER AND FIT 35 BFGS WHICH TEND TO REALLY BE 34'S OBVIOUSLY HIS STOCK SUSPENSION DIDN'T FLEX MUCH BUT THAT OUGHT TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA