Outer Limits 4x4 Board

My standard flares were starting to look like crushed drink cans especially after my comp last weekend, so it was time to fit the TJ flares i've had sitting in the garage. I'm not a fan of using front TJ flares on the front so i got 2 sets of rears.

Before:


Start by removing the standard guards. If yours are as crushed as mine you'll need to hammer them out to get to the brackets. There's 5-6 screws and one 10mm nut for each flare. If you're lucky the bolts will come out whole. My front flares had been lifted by the previous owner so most came out fine, i only had to drill out one rear that rounded out.


This will leave you with the flare bracket remaining. My front was tek screwed in which saved a lot of work.



Trim the back the inside of the TJ flares so they can sit flush with the body. Sit them over the flare brackets so they sit in the same position all round.



Mark the position with wax or chalk. Also mark on the flares where to cut the extra length off front and rear, and you might have to trim around the indicator if they sit over like mine.


Using an angle grinder, grind back the spot welds that attach the flare bracket until you see the outline. Then gently lever the flare using a screwdriver or chisel to break the welds.



Grind back the welds until they're flush with the panel and paint over to prevent rust. Clamp the flares back into position and mark through the flare holes onto the body for screw positions.



Drill out the holes and fit the flares with tek screws. Done!



Bushwackers might look nicer but for $50 these will do. I still need to round off the edges of the flares and trim them in the middle level with the body or sliders. They'll be resprayed when I spray my car in the next few weeks.

I always wondered what a Sierra would look like with rear TJ flares on the front. That looks 946586058405bazilliiontygazillion times better than those f$^#ing horrible TJ fronts people try and jam on the front of a sierra.

Good thread neil_se

Steve.

Would look good if you moved the side repeater to post 90 model position instead of half covering with the flare.
Jas.

Gwagensteve wrote:I always wondered what a Sierra would look like with rear TJ flares on the front. That looks 946586058405bazilliiontygazillion times better than those f$^#ing horrible TJ fronts people try and jam on the front of a sierra.

Good thread neil_se

Steve.

I was thinking this just the other day when I saw a dodgey pic of a zook with rear tj's all round in a magazine. Does look heaps better but I'm still umdercided yet...

I couldn't agree more, i hate the TJ fronts (i've got 2 sitting in the garage). There's a reason the bushwacker sets use modified rears all the way round. It would be better with the indicators moved, i might do it when i respray (and it'll be more legal rather than having them partly covered). Should i trim the flares level to the checkerplate on the side? I will be making new solid sliders someday soon.

I couldn't find any decent threads here or in the US about TJ rears all round so i thought people might want to see.

Can you take some pics from side on and from the front?

Gwagensteve wrote:I always wondered what a Sierra would look like with rear TJ flares on the front. That looks 946586058405bazilliiontygazillion times better than those f$^#ing horrible TJ fronts people try and jam on the front of a sierra.

Good thread neil_se

Steve.

dont remember my old zook?

That bottom photo is the only one I remember of your car and I hadn't made the connection.

I like the smooth look a lot more than the bushwacker pocketed style which look a lot more 1980's.

Neil_se - I do think they need a trim to make them look a it less bulky.

Steve.

I'll move the GFs car and get some more pics today. I need to get a jigsaw and file to neaten and smooth the edges. I only had a metal cutoff wheel yesterday which just melts everything.

Try a flap disc on the grinder. If you use a jigsaw you'll be up for a lot of filing/sanding to smooth out the cuts.

Steve.

Ah true true, i've got an old flap disc around here somewhere that would be perfect.

Gwagensteve wrote:I always wondered what a Sierra would look like with rear TJ flares on the front. That looks 946586058405bazilliiontygazillion times better than those f$^#ing horrible TJ fronts people try and jam on the front of a sierra.

Good thread neil_se

Steve.

breath deeply little man...breath deeply.....settle down.....

Yeah I reckon they'd look hot with a bit of a trim on the very outside vertical edge to make them look a little more "petite" so to speak. And with a bit of a paint.

Wow... how did you get that red box to fit so well? Did you have to trim the guards much? Is it held on by pop-rivets or silicon? Does it come in any other colours? Can I get a box like that for my wiper shims???

Hey Bentzook.
you just need to widen the front bar to the same width as the flares and it would almost look factory.

Bentzook wrote:

What's the point of widened flares if your tyres still stick out past them?

if someone is looking for cheap tj flares to do this then have a look here

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... :IT&ih=014

thanks

GRPABT1 wrote:

Bentzook wrote:

What's the point of widened flares if your tyres still stick out past them?

Since this photo last year, I`ve taken out the wide forerunner diff and replaced it with a Bunderra diff, bringing the overall wideth back, the tyres are now only 30mm outside the guard and will get covered by a side rail exo. The wheel spacers on the front Hilux diff will get removed aswell, bringing them into line with the rear.

Th e TJ flares were put on using Nutserts, a very easy way to install flares on thin sheet metal.

Hey Marcus, did you get those brake caliper brackets to work in the end? I cut one corner of one up here and it fitted (bracket still had 3 bolts holding it on, that's one up on a factory mount!

They were difficult but a little grinding and all 4 bolts mounted up

I used tek screws because i couldn't get behind the panel for most of the screws and i wanted them to be easily removable.

You don't need to get behind the panel to use nutserts/rivnuts.

They're grouse. My kit gets lots of use.

Steve.

maybe you should do a how to on using them?

Indeed, i've never used them before.

http://avdel-global.com/en/products/thr ... tsert.html

This shows a pneumatic installation tool. I have a manual tool that's really like a rivet gun

http://www.daggertools.com/m5_view_item ... tem=DT1440

like this. Most engineering suppliers have them. there are also lots of cheaper ways of doing it too like doing up bolts in them to close them up etc.

Steve.

Gwagensteve wrote:http://avdel-global.com/en/products/thr ... tsert.html

This shows a pneumatic installation tool. I have a manual tool that's really like a rivet gun

http://www.daggertools.com/m5_view_item ... tem=DT1440

like this. Most engineering suppliers have them. there are also lots of cheaper ways of doing it too like doing up bolts in them to close them up etc.

Steve.

Can do the bolt trick but it doesn't always work as the nutsert will spin as you try and do up the bolt thus you don't get the right clamping force. But they are a great item for this type of work

Is that the Zook that can defy gravity?

It had to be said!

DeWsE wrote:Is that the Zook that can defy gravity?

It had to be said!

Gravitron. Mark II