4Runner on 35's...
Published by Trails Less Traveled on November 29, 2005
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We removed the fenders and the coil-overs so we could install the 35” tire and cycle it to determine where there was interference. As you can see the major problem area is the pinch-weld/firewall portion of the inner fender.
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Then we carefully cut away material with a 4” angle-grinder. Notice the metal tab on the inside of the cab, it is VERY important not to cut past this tab otherwise the interior kick-panel cannot be reinstalled.
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We reinstalled the fenders and marked them to be trimmed. Rather than cutting a bit here and bit there we scribed a line about 3/4” in from the edge all the way around the wheel opening. We did this to maintain the factory lines.
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We made patch panels for the inner fenders traced from a cardboard template onto 3/32” plate.
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To clean up the rough edge of the cut fenders we buffed them with a flap disc and then strung a bead of clear silicone along the edge to prevent rust and finally applied some universal press-on molding purchased from the local auto parts store. We also painted the front lower portion of the fenders with rubberized undercarriage spray because that part of the fenders is visible now with the Hanson bumper and painting it black makes it blend into the undercarriage better.
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Then we carefully welded in the patch-panels. Starting from one corner and tacking then hand forming as we worked around the perimiter. Then we primed the bare metal and used the same rubberized undercarriage spray to coat the patch panels. This coating is superior to regular spray paint because it is more flexible and therefore resistant to chipping and it also helps deaden road noise. It also has a nice factory look.
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We reinstalled the fenders and coil-overs and the front end was completed.
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Moving on to the rear we removed the coil-springs and bump-stops but left the shocks installed. Using a floor-jack under the rear diff. we raised the axle to full compression. We cycled the suspension both articulated and not to make sure we had proper clearance at any circumstance. Like the front, we scribed a guide mark onto the fenders about 3/4” in from stock.
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We carefully cut away the sheet-metal with an angle-grinder.
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We also cut back the rear bumper to match the new fender line.
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The rear fenders are part of the body and consist of two sandwiched layers of sheet-metal unlike the front fenders so using a press-on trim piece was not an option. After we made the cut, the two layers were no longer spot welded together. We used a 5’ length of 3/16” rod, shaped roughly to the contour of the wheelwell opening, as a filler between the two layers of the body. We started at one end and carefully tacked the rod into place. We moved along slowly tacking about once per inch on both sides of the rod.
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Then we used a flap-disc to smooth down the welds. We removed any excess material but made sure to leave the welds structurally intact.
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The 3/16” rod gives a nice rolled edge to the wheel openings and with a little bit of body filler, some sanding and a thin trim strip of semi-gloss black paint, the look will perfectly match the front fenders.
Click here to see the finished product.
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