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Bumpstops limit the up travel, therefore if you add bump stop to a system without changing shocks or their mounting location you will in term reduce your overall suspension travel.
Most lift kits will give you a generic amount of bump stop equal to the amount of lift you get and will also give you longer travel shocks by roughly the same amount increasing over all suspension travel and allowing you to run taller tires. Trimming frnders or running flat fenders will also give you the extra room needed for taller tires without added bump stop or a lift.
Great research! (Same size tires, same year JK & same color paint even!) Thanks! Please post a photo when you do whatever you're going to go about those flares.
I don't see a rock, so maybe the other rear wheel on this axle is in a hole?
Good point. I can understand that taller bump stops prevent excess wheel up-travel so the tire wouldn't hit the fender flare. While still allowing wheel droop to stay in contact with the ground. What's the downside to taller bumpstops?
What's the deal about bump stops vs lift? Can we talk about that?
My front, passenger tire is climbing up about a 2' tall rock. The rear passenger tire is still contacting the ground, and I did not air down. I inched up a bit, checked clearance, inched up more, checked clearance, inched up more and "crack". It didn't break though. There is more articulation left in the shock's stroke in both up and down directions, but the fender flare is limiting it. I almost grabbed the flare and tore it off right there like on an old XJ I had on the trail, but remembered it's my wife's Jeep and wanted to give her the opportunity to have a glass of whiskey, put on gloves, and tear them off herself. Ripping rear flares off a JK is very satisfying.
My kit came with extended rear bump stops but rather than install them, I flexed it out with the 33's and was able to take it all the way to the stock bump stops. Rather than limiting up travel, I did not install them at all. The instructions specifically said the extended bump stops were for fitting 35's. Like Dirtman said, what is the point of upgrading your suspension if you have to limit the travel anyway and negate a large part of the benefits?
Anyway, I am probably going to install some Fishbone flares and liners, but waiting to see what kind of black Friday deals are coming out.
I looked up those Fishbone Fenders & Flares. They look good. All metal.
Based on what I did to my TJ fenders & how well they took the damage year after year, it seems like flexible plastic or tupperware style flares are the way to go.
Strong metal fenders are going to transmit any impact force to the sheet metal probably causing much worse damage than just bending a soft plastic flare.
Surprisingly I got out of this with hardly any damage.
BTW: those are 32" tires & a Currie Johnny Joint 3-4" Lift. JKS swaybar quick disconnects in front. Or maybe this was the 4" TerraFlex lift that broke all to quickly.
I looked up those Fishbone Fenders & Flares. They look good. All metal.
Based on what I did to my TJ fenders & how well they took the damage year after year, it seems like flexible plastic or tupperware style flares are the way to go.
Strong metal fenders are going to transmit any impact force to the sheet metal probably causing much worse damage than just bending a soft plastic flare.
Surprisingly I got out of this with hardly any damage.
BTW: those are 32" tires & a Currie Johnny Joint 3-4" Lift. JKS swaybar quick disconnects in front. Or maybe this was the 4" TerraFlex lift that broke all to quickly.
Good point. I was juggling between those and the cheepo Paramount ABS plastic ones and basically call them sacrificial for less than half the price. That, and I am near the gulf coast, so everything rusts if the powder coat isn't perfect. Also, also, weight is always a factor on Wranglers, why my belly plates are aluminum, and I haven't added heavy steel bumpers. The Fishbone aluminum flairs are pricy.
Strong metal fenders are going to transmit any impact force to the sheet metal probably causing much worse damage than just bending a soft plastic flare.
Surprisingly I got out of this with hardly any damage.
I've seen this go both ways. It's hard to make a blanket statement either direction. I can tell you that thanks to shitty Bushwacker flares I damaged my rear quarter panels simply by rubbing past a tree (they pushed the sheet metal in due to how they mount and where pressure is applied to the body), and I damaged all four flares to some extent at one time or another. I've also see quality metal flares get banged around hard and do no damage to the body at all.
I've seen this go both ways. It's hard to make a blanket statement either direction. I can tell you that thanks to shitty Bushwacker flares I damaged my rear quarter panels simply by rubbing past a tree (they pushed the sheet metal in due to how they mount and where pressure is applied to the body), and I damaged all four flares to some extent at one time or another. I've also see quality metal flares get banged around hard and do no damage to the body at all.
I think it's probably situational. Where a tree or rock hits on more of a front to back motion, I'd rather have a cheap plastic as it's likely to just rip off. A metal might rip out as well, but it seems more likely to bend or take sheet metal with it.
Sliding sideways into an obstacle, I'd lean toward a quality metal flare being better, which would spread the load over more of the sheet metal.
Great research! (Same size tires, same year JK & same color paint even!) Thanks! Please post a photo when you do whatever you're going to go about those flares.
I don't see a rock, so maybe the other rear wheel on this axle is in a hole?
Good point. I can understand that taller bump stops prevent excess wheel up-travel so the tire wouldn't hit the fender flare. While still allowing wheel droop to stay in contact with the ground. What's the downside to taller bumpstops?
What's the deal about bump stops vs lift? Can we talk about that?
I have decided to try my hand at cutting the rear flairs before replacing them. If I mess them up, then I will replace them with aftermarket ones. If it works, it is a free mod for now.
I have decided to try my hand at cutting the rear flairs before replacing them. If I mess them up, then I will replace them with aftermarket ones. If it works, it is a free mod for now.
Given your market in the houston area, I'd imagine you could find some factory flares for next to nothing even if you goofed. I've seen some folks cut them and actually look pretty decent. I think leaving a bit of the curved edge over the side really helps with both looks and rigidity. Lot of folks seem to cut that part off and then they look a bit more hacked IMO.
My son has just installed 35" tires on 15" rims with 4" BS and we went out wheeling and it was not good as his tires rubbed on the fenders over almost every bump simply because of the backspacing and tire width. We marked it with tape and saw where the issue is and have since taken the fenders off and cut the fronts like what Resharp just mentioned. He is waiting for his 2.5-3" MC lift and LCA kit but shipping is slow but has the 2" TF puck kit in there. He gets my extended Bilsteins as I get Rocksports in same shipment.
But - to the OP - you can relieve some of your problems by cutting the stocker flares but the rear bumper poses a problem too. And 34" tires reuire a height ratio of 80 not 70 or 75. Am looking into these for myself as they are narrow at 275.
11-22-2021, 08:58 AM
