Anyone done tube fenders like this???

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JEEParon

New member
Ive searched all over but couldnt find a tube fender done the way i have thought out. I want to do a tube fender that is shaped and looks similar to stock flares. The first tube flush with the cut out fender and a second placed a few inches out and down at a 45 degree angle, with some sheet metal to cover up the gaps. All painted black. Heres what im talking about. Sorry for the quick pos MsPaint job.
black is the tube, grey is the sheetmetal. the front view is just to show the angle between the tubing



I still havent gone through and figured out how everything will be braced up to the unibody, but i know i will tie them into the tube rockrails and tube front bumper i will eventually have. So give any thoughts or if you know anyone has done anything similar.
 
dgrigorenko

dgrigorenko

New member
have you seen EricsXJ cage build? if not head over to adfab and check out his flares that are tied into the exo...
 
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jonnyghost

New member
Following the body might be tricky on the inboard tube. Most that I've seen just do the outboard tube and fill in between the tube and the body with sheet metal. You could put it at any angle you want. Once the tube is in place it's probably not that hard to make some templates out of cardboard. If you're good with body work it shouldn't be that bad.
 
J

JEEParon

New member
dgrigorenko said:
have you seen EricsXJ cage build? if not head over to adfab and check out his flares that are tied into the exo...
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Ya ive seen that. I dont want to take away my whole fenders. Awesome build though.



jonnyghost said:
Following the body might be tricky on the inboard tube. Most that I've seen just do the outboard tube and fill in between the tube and the body with sheet metal. You could put it at any angle you want. Once the tube is in place it's probably not that hard to make some templates out of cardboard. If you're good with body work it shouldn't be that bad.
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you know of any pics or build links?
 
C

Captain Ruggy

New member
I'm working on a set right now similiar to the ones in some of those pics. Mine are going to be bolt on. I only have a few cell phone pics of them so far. But here's what I have.
















 
X

xjnuttier

New member
Captain Ruggy said:
I'm working on a set right now similiar to the ones in some of those pics. Mine are going to be bolt on. I only have a few cell phone pics of them so far. But here's what I have.

















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They look excellent man, and exactly what I was considering doing, after seeing how well they are turning out. I think I need to get some steel.. Keep us posted on the project and you move forward with pics..
 
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Captain Ruggy

New member
Will do. They are a real pain in the but. I think If I was welding them onto the jeep it would be much easier. This way there is a lot of taking them off and putting them back on. It would be nice to be able to just take them onto the jeep and go from there, but I want to be able to take them off easily if I need to.

I am also bracing them from behind to make the whole fender stronger. I don't want them to get ripped off.

Also I am only going to the lower body line which makes it a little easier and I think it looks better too.

I think my issue will be where they meet up to the body isn't perfect. I need to find something to fill in little gaps here and there. I cut the sheetmetal with a jigsaw and the cuts weren't perfectly straight.
 
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Captain Ruggy

New member
Here's a little update on my flares. I had a chance to work on them today. three are finished, other then bedlining. I just sprayed them with flat black until I can bedline them. I am happy with them so far. Here's a few pics. Enjoy.













This is my 14 year old son standing on the front flare he is 125 pounds, so I think they are fairly strong.



And the back one.



 
IllianaXJ

IllianaXJ

Support Your Local Trails
NAXJA Member
Not exactly what you're looking for, but here's something close. They're tied into the ARB and my rock rails.



 
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Captain Ruggy

New member
IllianaXJ said:
Not exactly what you're looking for, but here's something close. They're tied into the ARB and my rock rails.
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The only thing I would worry about with that, would be if you get any frame flex then the welds where they meet the bumper and rock rails would be put under a lot of stress. I do like your design though.
 
FlexdXJ

FlexdXJ

Gone but not forgotten...
Captain Ruggy said:
The only thing I would worry about with that, would be if you get any frame flex then the welds where they meet the bumper and rock rails would be put under a lot of stress. I do like your design though.
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How do you figure that? Look at all the hybrid and exo cages. They run tubes like that all the time and the welds don't crack. Frame stiffeners would help get rid of the frame flex if you're worried about that.
 
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Captain Ruggy

New member
I understand that, but not everyone is running stiffeners or cages.

If i'm wrong then fine, but the jeep pictured looks like it's welded to the rock slider and then to the bumper. I don't know if he has any other structure to the frame or anything else that would stop it from flexing. But if he doesn't, then I would be worried about the welds cracking the sliders or the bumper.

A stock xj frame flexes alot.
 
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