wayoflife

When I was out on the Rubicon Trail with the Jeepers Jamboree a few weeks back, I leaned up against a large boulder and completely smooshed my passenger side rear fender as you can see below....

Shot up front...


and from the rear...


Fortunately for me, the fenders absorbed the entire impact, caused no body damage what so ever and was left with little more than the corners of the flare being smooshed in. While this was a bummer, I figured that a replacement fender was only about $40 and so I just wrote it off. Now, what I didn't realize that after the sun came out and warmed things up, the front smoosh simply popped back out and into shape all on its own. Seeing this, I took a long pry bar that I had and inserted the handle end up into the rear part of the fender and gave it a slight push just to see what would happen and what do you know, it popped right back out as well leaving just a bit of rock rash and nothing more.

This is a shot of what it looks like now...


While I had been thinking about picking up a set of aftermarket plastic or aluminum fenders like the kind Xenon or Smittybilt make, I have actually seen both take hits on the trail and instead of bending or crumpling as I would have expected, they ended up keeping their shape and delivered body damage instead. Needless to say, after this experience, I think I'll just stick with my factory flares and replace them as needed or if it's ever needed at all.

serveapurpose

Glad to hear that you had no body damage! The only thing about our fenders I can not stand are the clips, little boogers come undone with minor stuff factor. They break easy too..................

p.s. the EVO system rocks!!!

wayoflife

oh, i totally agree on the clips and if someone can develop a better bolt on system, i'd pick it up in a heart beat.

aldaman

That's great..Good to know...Thanks for the info...I wonder if we should thank DC for this ingenuity? or maybe DC picking this fender material was just a coincidence

Sgt P

WoL,
Based on this picture, and your obvious advise to test our fender flares, I took a BALL PEEN HAMMER, and dented the "corners" of my Sahara's fender flares.

At what temperature does the cracked and chipped paint "pop" back??

I would have never thought to test this on my own!
Thanks for showing us the way Eddie!!!

kidjeep

Use a torch, but easy on the paint!

BTW, I'm a witness to the above and the pics are good. It was pretty will indented. It started making want the black flares myself.

casaintsfan

this is why i went with the xenon, i want the flare to give befor the sheet metal of the jeep does.

wayoflife

most likely a coincidence but i'm glad just the same

i forgot about you sahara guys
for you, it's called a trip to your dealer to pickup a set of basic black flares

oh, i'm sure they are in your future whether you like it or not

you know, that's what i would have thought too but i have seen xenon's get hit and rather than giving, they actually ended up holding their shape and damaging the paper thin sheet metal instead

NC08JK

This is so sweet. I was about to order fenders until I read this post. I was thinking of Poison Spyder or Smittybilt. This is way awesome! the sad things is I got to wait so long to even get to try to bend mine. Oh well all in due time. Thanks for the post.

SSG FABRIGUZE
IRAQ

wayoflife

be safe, come home as soon as you can and give this a test for yourself

actually, i had the evo lever done at the same time. regarding coilovers, i broke down and bought kings. as far as your re kit goes, yup, it will work and will help it out a lot.