Like the title says, I'm torn between the Rugged Ridge Hurricane Fenders and the Bushwacker Flat Fenders.

I know there was a user here up in the frozen north of Canada who reported a rock going through his Hurricanes at below freezing temperatures but that's the only personal account I've heard of people being unhappy with them. I've also read they're incompatible with AEV snorkels which isn't a problem for me as I don't have any real intentions of getting a snorkel. I'm not a hard core wheeler by any means and don't really need or want metal fenders. I also don't want to trim my factory fenders.

Thoughts?

 

Honestly, I think cutting the factory ones is a better choice unless you're going with a much sturdier fender. I run the Bushwacker (xmas gift) and I do like them, but I'm always nervous that I'll tear one off on a rock. The factory flares cut are easy to replace and flex.

EDIT - I will say that installing the Bushwackers was very straight forward and fit great.

 

I have had the Bushwacker flares for about three years. They have stood up really well, and are a lot more durable than expected from a plastic fender. I can almost put my full body weight on them, 195 lbs, without them moving. Not the best looking fender, but functional and affordable.

My friend had the Hurricanes for about six months and got rid of them. Not sure why, I think the bolts rusted and he got tired of the look.

 

No contest. Bushwackers.

 

I'll 2nd that.

 

Bushwackers are tough. Bounced mine off a few trees even in minus temperatures.

 

I had Bushwacker flats for close to 2 years. In that time I bent the rear driver side a bit backing by a tree, I rubbed the rear passenger side by a tree and it pushed in my rear quarter panel from the pressure....not to mention I had to pull the flare off and remount cuz it snapped a couple of the plastic connectors, I accidentally caught the front passenger side on a tree and bent it up 45 degrees or so putting a nice crease in it and requiring re-mounting, and then I completely ripped off the rear passenger. That was that.....I pulled em off after the last incident and considered the fact that I wasted $600. Others note having luck wheelin with them, but I can't suggest it. Maybe I'm just reckless . One of the very few things I regret doing to my jeep. I think that the Bushwackers are just too rigid due to the tube on the end of them. Once bent out of shape, they don't want to go back. If you are dead set on plastic, and you wheel around rocks or trees, you might want to consider something a bit more flexible.

 

I don't tend to operate in such confined areas to be quite honest. My primary goal is increasing the wheel well size so I can mount 35" tires. I know a lot of people love metal ones, but that's out of my budget and I've heard reports of people tearing up their quarter panels as the force is transferred to the body from the fenders.

 

You can run 35s with a 2.5" spacer lift and stock flares. If you're not crawling rocks, you won't need all the articulation. Trim the stock flares or wait till you rip a stock one off, then replace them.

As for metal flares, the stories you are hearing are likely from people who bough the wrong flares. The Poison Spyder crusher flares and the JCR Offroad flares both come with brackets that transfer the force from the flare to the structural part of the Jeep. There may be other makes, but these are the two that come to mind. PS also includes a bracket for the rear flare, where the JCR version does not. I'm not sure it's really needed on the rear. But definitely for the front. There are a number of flare manufacturers that are attaching metal flares to the front sheet metal and this just isn't strong enough.

In any case, I have beat up my Bushwackers and they still look good. Although I have recently removed them and replaced them with JCR steel flares.

 

While I can not speak to the Bushwacker flares, I can tell you that the Hurricane can just hold 210 lbs of drunk American if the weight is applied to the inside edges of the plastic flare near the steel fender. I was impressed that they held my fat ass!