TJ Front Fenders - Metal Cloak vs High Line's

DSM Turbos

DSM Turbos

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2006
Location
Raleigh, NC
Trying to decide what fenders to do on my TJ since I recently picked up a set of 35s to run on the trail. Currently sits with 2.5" OME lift with a 1.25" body lift on it. Its hard to tell online how much clearance will really be gained doing a High Line Hood vs the Metal Cloak Fenders. Several things I have read seem to make it look like you don't gain much due to the lip on most of the high line fenders. Anybody ideas on the clearance difference? Or suggestions.

They are about the same price when looking at PSC High Lines vs Metal Cloaks, and then I don't have to worry about cutting the hood (which I don't know If I want to do myself), so Metal Cloaks seem like they are easier in the end with having to cut the hood, but I don't want to sacrifice much clearance to do so.

http://shop.poisonspyder.com/TJ-DeFender-XC-3-Tapered-Flares-Steel-p/14-02-093.htm

http://www.metalcloak.com/Jeep-Wrangler-TJ-LJ-Arched-Tube-Fender-p/2210.htm
 
Cutting the hood is easy, don't let that intimidate you. The clearance gain is HUGE! Here's a couple pics of a hi-line I did on the red TJ with 3.5" springs, 1" body, 35's, sitting beside my yellow TJ with 4.5" springs, 2" body 38.5's (and Bestop 6" flares). If I remember right, I cut 3-1/4" off the hood, and used 1.5" tubing for the edge of the fender/flare. So compared to stock, you would gain at least 2-2.5" of clearance.
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Metal Cloaks give 2 5/8" above the typical tube fender (non highline), so it is very close to the same gain that you got, with no cutting needed.

How did you cut the stock hood? I have never had the most steady hand to so that kind of stuff. Come build me a set like that!
 
DSM Turbos said:
Metal Cloaks give 2 5/8" above the typical tube fender (non highline), so it is very close to the same gain that you got, with no cutting needed.

How did you cut the stock hood? I have never had the most steady hand to so that kind of stuff. Come build me a set like that!
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The Metalcloak ones definitely are better than a standard flatfender, as you really don't gain any clearance with a standard flatfender. But they are more limited when compared to a highline because the seam gets raised 3" also with a hi-line, not just the outer flare. They even kind of show it in their diagram (2nd yellow circle):
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I personally don't like the look of the Metalcloak's, but if you like them, they are definitely an easy way to go that provides good clearance.

I cut the stock hood with a 3" air powered Harbor Freight cutoff wheel, but it could easily be done with a 4.5" angle grinder too. The keys to success were pretty simple: 1. Don't cut too much, you can always cut more. 2. Mask off the surrounding paint so when the tool chatters or slips, you don't mess up anything else. 3. Slow and steady, a little bit at a time.

Basically, I measured how much I wanted to move the inner fender up, then traced a line that high off the bottom of the hood. Then I cut along that line, test fit, cut a little more, test fit, etc. I think it was 3 passes on the first side and 2 on the second. Next take a sander or flapdisc and knock down any burrs. Then I spray painted the bare edge with a touch up spray can from auto parts store, and put some type of door jamb trim or something over it, also from auto parts store. Honestly that part was pretty easy, relocating stuff under the hood was pretty easy, but the difficulty was moving the fenders up, and only because I was overly particular about how it was done.
 
shawn said:
Metal Cloak's fenders are ugly.

/thread.
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I don't actually hate the look of them. The idea of having to do a different intake, moving all the other crap around like evap, horn, intake, etc on a 04 makes the uglier fenders more attractive though and they actually wind up cheaper then Poison Spyder (I know you can do them cheaper but then you normally don't get inner fenders, etc)

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f9/poison-spyder-defender-xc-install-2119161/

Who knows what I will do though, probably wait for a sale on something that I like and base it off that.
 
Is it worth the time and money to have someone build you a custom set? A 20 ft stick of DOM can cost $100+ and sure, labor cost but custom will always be the ultimate problem solver.
 
If any of the vendors on here can make highlines and inner fenders with them for a good price, feel free to PM. Most of the custom ones I have seen really don't wind up cheaper or easier.
 
Do a hi-line plus ^, then you can run like 42's at stock height!
 
I'm running the same setup- 35s, ome susp, 1.25" body with tube hi-lines. I would say go with the highlines so when your 35s wear out you can go bigger!
 

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spc said:
I'm running the same setup- 35s, ome susp, 1.25" body with tube hi-lines. I would say go with the highlines so when your 35s wear out you can go bigger!
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What fenders do you have? I won't do bigger than 35s for a very very long time, if ever. Still going to use my 32s for daily use around town.
 
Genright.. Honestly 32s will look silly under these. Sometimes looking at mine the 35s look small
 
Semi thread jack. When you do the high line front fender, what do you do in the rear to keep the 35s from mangling something in flex? Bump stop like crazy?
 
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I love my metal cloaks. And can stuff 36s with 4inch springs. I have been thinking about high lining my metal cloaks for even more. But I liked having everything going back to stock location and everything bolted up great. @shawn. You don't like metal cloaks or just the arched ones.
 
Whatever you do, don't high line the stock fenders or do it AEV style, makes the jeep look like it is shrugging it's shoulders.

I LIKE the look of the metal cloak fenders. But the tube fenders on the above red Jeep look great too.
 
tireburner1975 said:
I love my metal cloaks. And can stuff 36s with 4inch springs. I have been thinking about high lining my metal cloaks for even more. But I liked having everything going back to stock location and everything bolted up great. @shawn. You don't like metal cloaks or just the arched ones.
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Just sell me your cloaks instead. I'll make it easy on you

If I am going to do them, and buy new, I will likely do arched with no additional fender or a rub rail if I do anything since I don't care about a real flare. I like that the arched give just slightly more clearance than overlines.
 
BigClay said:
Semi thread jack. When you do the high line front fender, what do you do in the rear to keep the 35s from mangling something in flex? Bump stop like crazy?
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You will need to trim the rear of the fender well. I had to trim mine from where my finger is, down.
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I saved the lip and tacked it in place so I could reuse the fender liner. Had to plastic weld a small corner.
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Well everybody can hate me now and tell me how ugly my jeep now is. I was too lazy to take it out of the garage for pics. I weighed the options of what do get and with the free shipping sale and nobody close enough to Raleigh to make me a set, I decided to just get metalcloaks.

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Metal Cloak fronts with only the rub rail, stock rear fenders cut, and 35s for wheeling (I have a set of 32s for normal driving still)
 
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