Blizzaks finally on - Trimming questions

Boiler · **Posted:** Sun Dec 20, 2009 12:56 am

Well after an eon of staring at them in my garage, I finally put my blizzaks on. There was a lot of interference with the left pinch weld and the rubbed (read: smashed into) the front of the front wheel wells. I pounded the pinches (ugly but did the job) and trimmed off the air dam in the wheel well region. I've still got a pretty hefty interference in front on both sides. My steering wheel turns about 1.75 rotations before it is at lock, and I can only turn it about 1.25 rotations before I'm in the wheel well.

What is the best way to gain 3/4" clearance in the front without hacking it completely apart? I really don't like how cut plastic parts look if you can see them front the exterior. Don't mind it too much in the wells.

Here are the pics of how they look.

vintageroy13 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 20, 2009 3:05 am

are you running wheel spacer or not? i run 245 75 16 kumho road venture at kl78's without spacers and can almost max out my steering wheel before i rub---an it really only does it in reverse. i know i am rubbing on the inside but hey it might help.

Boiler · **Posted:** Sun Dec 20, 2009 3:23 am

I'm running soft 8's that come with 4" backspacing. So I think they stick out 1.5" more than the stock ones I took off.

vintageroy13 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 20, 2009 3:34 am

yup that makes sense. i tend to space out my wheels after the winter. cant wait to see what the wife says with all the cutting and banging in the garage when that happens

501 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 20, 2009 3:39 am

Boiler wrote:

I'm running soft 8's that come with 4" backspacing. So I think they stick out 1.5" more than the stock ones I took off.

I'm running 255-70-16's with soft 8's and had to cut the crap out of my fender well to get them to stop rubbing most of the time. I still get some at full lock.

You might consider making or buying a metal bumper.

tommudd · **Posted:** Sun Dec 20, 2009 10:45 am

Heat the plastic up and bend out of the way, or cut off whatever is in the road. Thats what most do. Any action you take on a vehicle there is a reaction. For example, Sean150 still has rubbing somewhat at times due to not cutting the bumper of fully.
Plus should of let us go another ring , would of helped a smidgeon!

Or like 501 stated get a metal bumper, Rock Lizard has a nice looking one out :wink:

265-75s on mine with 8 inch wide wheels and 5 inches of back spacing and not a problem

2006 KJ · **Posted:** Sun Dec 20, 2009 5:43 pm

265/75/16's with 1.25in spacers..(same as 4in BS with the soft 8's) and after doing this i had no rubbing at all.

i'm sure you know this.. but finish the edges of your trimmed plastic with some sand paper and it'll look factory.

but then i eventually just went with this because i think it looks a lot better

03CDKJ · **Posted:** Sun Dec 20, 2009 7:06 pm

Chip, are those 245/75's??? I can't believe those are rubbing!

and why do you have one round light on the roof rack? :lol:

1996xj · **Posted:** Mon Dec 21, 2009 12:04 am

Chip, Towstrap has a 05 Renagade, we cut the bottem of the front bumper !! His turned out GREAT !! He gained ground clearnce and tire clearance and look's better. there is a pic. in the OHIO section under TOWSTRAP's NEW MOD !!

Boiler · **Posted:** Mon Dec 21, 2009 2:34 am

tommudd wrote:

Heat the plastic up and bend out of the way, or cut off whatever is in the road. Thats what most do. Any action you take on a vehicle there is a reaction. For example, Sean150 still has rubbing somewhat at times due to not cutting the bumper of fully.
Plus should of let us go another ring , would of helped a smidgeon!

Or like 501 stated get a metal bumper, Rock Lizard has a nice looking one out :wink: :wink:

265-75s on mine with 8 inch wide wheels and 5 inches of back spacing and not a problem

Item 1: yeah, I'm thinking maybe next week I should toss 3 conduit nuts in there, and THEN see what I need to trim. I'll need to trim some regardless, it hits a LOT.

Item 2: This is a joke right?

2006 KJ: I'll probably have to do half of the cutting you did.

1996xj wrote:

Chip, Towstrap has a 05 Renagade, we cut the bottem of the front bumper !! His turned out GREAT !! He gained ground clearnce and tire clearance and look's better. there is a pic. in the OHIO section under TOWSTRAP's NEW MOD !!

I've been leery of cutting the bottom of my bumper off because I'm concerned the bumper will be loose / flapping in the breeze. For some reason I was thinking I'd seen someone with one cut off and it was pretty floppy. Will I lose much structurally if I cut the bottom?

I was kind of hoping to not tear up my bumper too much before I build one of my own, guess I won't have a choice. I can't design and build a nice one before I get sick of only turning half way....

nightdrv · **Posted:** Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:19 am

03CDKJ wrote:

...and why do you have one round light on the roof rack? :lol:

Looks like a snowflake on the lens to me. Just happens to be perfectly aligned with the overhead lights when the shot was taken. Same on the rear shot.

2006 KJ · **Posted:** Mon Dec 21, 2009 1:23 pm

it wont be flapping in the wind. it is a little bit less secured but you would never notice it unless you physically go up to it and grab it with both hands and jump up and down on it. or you could just put 2 screws in it and it would be just as secure.

Neatus · **Posted:** Tue Dec 22, 2009 2:49 pm

Boiler...it is the wheels...I ran my 265 75 16s with very little rubbing and I ha 245 75 16s with no rubbing but when I added wheel spacers I got so much rubbing I took them off. I think it just changes the geometry under there. I did heat up my front fender wells and bent them in but it only helped a little. I think you will have to do some more cutting or go to a more factory backspacing.

Boiler · **Posted:** Tue Dec 22, 2009 3:58 pm

Neatus wrote:

Boiler...it is the wheels...I ran my 265 75 16s with very little rubbing and I ha 245 75 16s with no rubbing but when I added wheel spacers I got so much rubbing I took them off. I think it just changes the geometry under there. I did heat up my front fender wells and bent them in but it only helped a little. I think you will have to do some more cutting or go to a more factory backspacing.

Yep, I'll be cutting. Love the wheels and wide stance. I've received several comments on how "Bad @ss" it looks now with the black soft 8's. I really like the look too. And I like the wider stance to counter the height increase. I like the idea of minimizing the propensity to roll.

I need to trim it asap. I've already generated some gnarly sounds by steering too much in reverse. I try to remember to count my turns of the wheel but it is not exactly 2nd nature. I could just remove the bumper but it might be as long as 3-4 months before I have something to replace it.

Boiler · **Posted:** Wed Dec 23, 2009 2:54 am

Well, I've been getting lots of positive feedback from people saying my new wheels & tires make the jeep look "mean" etc.

The one negative comment was from my wife, go figure. The one person that can be honest, who hates my jeep (pretty sure she's jealous), and has no taste :twisted:

She said it looks like someone stole my hubcaps. I think she'd like it better with 20" spinner bling...

Neatus · **Posted:** Wed Dec 23, 2009 1:06 pm

Boiler wrote:

Well, I've been getting lots of positive feedback from people saying my new wheels & tires make the jeep look "mean" etc.

The one negative comment was from my wife, go figure. The one person that can be honest, who hates my jeep (pretty sure she's jealous), and has no taste :twisted:

She said it looks like someone stole my hubcaps. I think she'd like it better with 20" spinner bling...

Tell her it is supposed to look like it has no hub caps....bare bones to go wheelin with.

03CDKJ · **Posted:** Wed Dec 23, 2009 1:17 pm

STATE POOPER!!!! :-)r

2006 KJ · **Posted:** Fri Jan 01, 2010 9:56 pm

03CDKJ wrote:

STATE POOPER!!!! :-)r

hahahahaha you would notice that chris! hahahah i forgot that was there

dgeist · **Posted:** Sat Jan 02, 2010 9:47 am

Neatus wrote:

Boiler wrote:

She said it looks like someone stole my hubcaps. I think she'd like it better with 20" spinner bling...

Tell her it is supposed to look like it has no hub caps....bare bones to go wheelin with.

A rattle-can of black satin rustoleum on the "rust-caps" will go a long way to mitigate the "wife-approval" issues :wink:

Dan

Boiler · **Posted:** Sat Jan 02, 2010 1:40 pm

1996xj shot some paint on them last week, they look tons better.

Blizzaks finally on - Trimming questions

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