Front fender flares for a Flatty?

I am wondering if anyone has any ideas to add fender flares for the front fenders on their flatty? I have a pair of CJ5 flares for the back wheel openings but I need a solution for some flares on the front fenders. I have seen pictures of flattys with flares on the front and was told that they made aftermarket flares for them that kind of matched the later cj5 style years ago. I am not sure if that is true or not. I kind of wondered if what I have seen is just the bulk rubber flare installed on the fenders. Does that stuff work OK on the front fender? I could just not put flares on the front fenders at all but with the Dana 30 front end the tires stick out a fare bit and I am quite sure it will not pass a vehicle inspection. I would like to see a flare that matches the CJ5 rear ones well.
Greg

 

Years ago Bushwacker made flares for the flatty's. Not sure if they still do but worth checking out. Used to be able to buy the rubber flare material in bulk from big truck suppliers for use on trailers and such. Might still be able to.

 

It doesn't look like Bushwacker makes them any more. I would like to see what some of the bulk rubber style ones look like. I am assuming they will end up with a kink at the bend in the fender. Anyone have any pictures of this flare material on the front of a flatty?
Greg

 

Here ya go. A.E. Miller Manufacturing makes a set of fender flares for Flatties

http://www.qualitycraftcorp.com/aem/products.htm

 

Awesome. Those look pretty good. I will have to order a set. They seem pretty cheap as well. I found them at Carparts.com for $29.99. I wish someone had a pictures of a set of these installed. I think I am going to order up a set and I will post some pictures installed when I get them. Thanks for showing them.
Greg

 

I ordered a pair from carparts.com and they were hard plastic.
I sent them back.
I did email quality craft to see if the ones they have are rubber and not as brittle.
I really need some flairs but not ones that are gonna crack the first tree i brush against.

 

Same boat here. I have been using the bulk rubber flare material for 25 years but it does kink at the corner and droops along both the back edge and the front (just where you need it the most) even with a spring steel backer at the bottom.


I am not sure I want hard plastic on these as they are subjected to tree limbs a lot.

 

:drool:
your the one with the side muffler guards!
I found your picture somewhere and saved it. I like those.
Here is some flair pics from Ewillys

 

Well that sucks. I am not too sure if I am liking either of those options anymore. I might just use my tube bender and fab up some metal flares with some 1" tubing and some sheet metal. I was really hoping for some flares that are made like the AMC era CJ flares. I have a pair for the back that I will use. It may be a while but I will try to post what I come up with.
Greg

PS.
That is a sweet 3B there Duffer.

 

My appologies, avmechanic-but here are those exhaust skids-probably wrong spot to post

 

well maybe the ones from
http://www.qualitycraftcorp.com/aem/products.htm
for a lot more ($96.55) are the rubber ones.
Well see after I receive an email from them.
UPDATE:Our fenders are ABS plastic. Trees not recommended.



Thanks for the guard pics!
Ive been wanting that pic of them for so long, I just never knew who's flatty it was.

 

I was pondering this same question the other day for my 3a, and then a friend of mine drove up in a YJ. I was looking at the factory flares on it, and the front fender lines look very similar to my 3a, maybe with a little modification, these could work. I haven't taken any measurements, but I'll try to tomorrow and get back to you.

Anyone ever experimented with this before?

 

ABS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylonitrile_butadiene_styrene - styrene is a hard, rigid plastic. You want something more like polypropylene (Tupperware).

 

http://www.quadratec.com/products/product_search.php?kw=Flexy+Flares&submit=Go

 

OK, I whipped up these tubular steel flares to see if I like them. I only managed to get the tubing roughed in and I still need to ad the sheetmetal to them. I just have them hanging in place with some duck tape while I am thinking about whether I like them or not. They will be tough, that's for sure. I think they might look OK when done.







What do you think? I really like the look of no flare at all on a stock fender but I really need the tire coverage. I will try to finish them up when I get a chance to work on them again in a couple of weeks. They might look good with a black bedliner finish. Should I finish them or go for the bulk rubber like Pacer Performance flares.
Greg

 

No strength is what I see, and very bent fenders.
The idea is good but I believe that a tube fender like that needs to be connected to something solid. Min. maybe a piece of plate matching the fender contour that can spread the stress of an impact better than sheetmetal. Depending on how radical you wheel, putting a fender next to a tree isn't uncommon, with wider fenders it will be easier.



You can sort of see in the picture above, the black bars running from the front loop around the fenders. These were added because he got tired of fixing the fenders, which are fiberglass and 2" wider. The bars come off the front loop and are welded to the frame. Not wild about welding to the frame but could easily be bolted on both ends for removal. These could also be bolt/welded to rock slides.

 

I think that once I fill in the sheetmetal to the fender, that will have a broken edge against the fender, and the load will be spread over a large part of the fender. The very bottom is the only place I see as being somewhat weak. I haven't drilled into the fenders yet as I am not sure if I like them or not.
Greg