Yeti836

Hi JKF
I'm brand spanking new to posting here, but have been an avid reader for about a year. Had a Black YJ, Black TJ and now on to a once beautiful '12 all white JK Rubicon which is mostly stock still besides some smittybilt side steps so my short wife can get in, and 360 tints.. so pretty much all cosmetic at this point (although the side steps have saved me from some trees).

**EDIT** Great way to start off by misspelling the subject.. haha! I don't think I can change it... so before I get harassed: *Fender Guidance*

I finally have a little scratch to play with that the wife is ok with me sinking in my other love- and not her, the new baby or the house... working with a $2500 budget for now. I have a busted windshield, front left fender, front left A-Pillar damage, and bumper cover has seen better days- but not horrible.

I think I have most of it figured out... But I'm struggling with the fenders. I live in Illinois, which to the best of my research doesn't have fender restrictions.. but I'm close to Wisconsin which says my wheel can't stick out more than 2" past the fender (thanks JKF for guiding me to find this info out on liftlaws.com). Was looking at the Smittybilt XRC Armor.. but they offer virtually no wheel coverage and the rep said the extensions aren't out yet... So not street legal for my typical daily use (WI anyway)... great for the trails, but I drive this every day as well.
Any suggestions? I'd like something metal, Midwest street legal.. and hopefully a set of 4 for under $600... but I do realize that that combo might be a pipe dream. Considering I was willing to shell out $1000+ for the XRC Armor.. I guess my fender budget is a little bigger- but I can't find anything nearly as cool as those to justify that type of expense... I'd rather save it towards the lift/wheels.

If anyone's interested in what else I'm looking at, see the links below and I'm certainly open for input! Pretty disappointed that the XRC Armor isn't going to be street legal for Wisconsin ... they're pretty bad arse!
BTW.. 35"'s and a 3" lift on the horizon.. but not very soon.

Thanks!! Pictures and/or web links would be great too.

PPG Glass from shopjeepparts.com (anyone know how I can get decals to make it look OEM?) 3068003460 - Windshield Glass 07-13 Wranglers

JCR Offroad Front Stubby Pre-Runner Winch Bumper (Half-Sunk) JcrOffroad, Inc. JK Wrangler Front Stubby Pre-Runner Winch Bumper (Half-Sunk)

A-Pillar guards (anyone use these?).. Only thing I can really find to cover the A-Pillar.. Mine is pretty chewed up... I found them from a posting here on JKF... TrailSkinz | Skin it - Trail it - Protect it

Teraflex Leveling Kit (assuming I'll need this with the new bumper & winch) Teraflex 1155200 - Teraflex Leveling Kit for 07-14 Jeep® Wrangler & Wrangler Unlimited JK - Quadratec

Oh.. I guess I'll need a winch to go with this too. Any recommendations that would fit the budget and still have good functionality are very welcome. Likely won't be very heavy use... At least until she's paid off.

BigRed0625

Welcome to the forum...

To get a good set of Tube fenders I.e. poison Spyder, river raider, etc it's going to be upwards of $1000+ unless you can find a set used....I am going with the the poison Spyder crusher flares for my next build...but either type are great flares...

I'm from MN...lived right across the river from LaCrosse WI....

completenoob

I wouldn't worry about the Wisconsin fender law as long as your Jeep has Illinois plates.

karls

That depends on WI's laws. VA is similar- we have laws and by operating your vehicle in our state you become subject to our laws. Tint, tires, lift, etc all fall into this category regardless of where your vehicle is titled. I was going to do NC plates but researched that piece of info and found out it would be pointless to make the change.


To the topic of fenders, GenRight also offers a set around the same price as the competition....$1200 for all aluminum (no rust!) or less for steel.

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 4

Yeti836

Agreed... I know Illinois laws apply to all the guys coming down from Wisconsin that don't need trailer registration and some other different 'street laws' that I'm jealous of. Not worth the risk considering I hear the XRC Armor is a HUGE pain to install and is somewhat "permanent" since you likely have to drill holes in the body... not an easy thing to take off, put other stuff on and show the courts.

Any thoughts about Ace flares? http://www.northridge4x4.com/shop/ac...-fenders-all-4

karls

I'll tell you something, but it'll be a very unpopular opinion- so take it with a grain of salt. All of the smitty/ rugged ridge/ omix ada stuff I've bought has all had the same sloppy fit and finish to it. So- if I were to put something on the jeep like flares that required drilling, I would make sure that the fit and finish is where and how you want it to be.


Ace has a nice product, but it comes down to personal preference. I don't care for how well (or lack thereof) they fit the lines of the jeep. There is a user on one of the forums, 616jeep, or something like that who has all ace products and it looks good, but you can see the gap between the curvature of the flare and the dimple in the body. The aces are a little flatter on top and the jk has a roll to the flare arch.

That's my 2 cents, take it for what it's worth.

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 4

RoysRig

And that is the very reason why Im not looking at ace for fenders. They look like they were made for a different vehicle and some one said oh these will fit good enough.

Yeti836

Ok.. so I think I'm down to these:

Bushwacker Flat style flare set: Plastic-ish (not ideal), black, comes with LED side signals, factory wheel width.. VERY cheap at $521.99.
Bushwacker Part 10919-07 - Flat Style JK Wrangler Fender Flare Set


ACE tube flares.. Metal, unfinished which means I can paint to match it white.. metal is cooler and better for wheelin'. Bad part is it says lead time for shipping is 4-6 weeks. Ouch! I sent them an email asking to confirm that and also about if they think my wheel will stick out more than 2" if I go with the narrow ones... We'll see what they say.
ACE JK Narrow Tubular Fenders ($605 unfinished)
or
ACE JK Wide Tubular Fenders ($685 unfinished)

Or door #3.. Warrior... $760-$780.. not sure on the finish yet. Considering unfinished and painting white.. or going plain ol' black.
Warrior Products Tube Flare Kit for 07-13 Jeep® Wrangler JK 2 Door - Quadratec


Good news is either way- this creates a little more room in the budget.. and drum roll please... .. . State farm came through in the clutch with the homeowners insurance for some wind damage.. Stuff I can fix myself, but they helped my JK budget grow another $1k.. like a good neighbor? So... Maybe I have room to get some 17" wheels, 35" tires and if I'm lucky- even a budget winch.... Any suggestions on any of the above? By my estimations, I have about $2200-ish to do fenders, wheels, and winch.