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I found a 95 bronco that has rust along back fender well, I haven’t seen it in person but this looks like a common problem. Can I put cutout flares to cover this and treat the non rusted area?
My flares are a good 4" wide, if not 5". They are cutout style and required cutting about 2-3" of fender out. With a only 31" tire I do think it might look like its"wearing a skirt". I have 37s on mine and I wouldnt want any smaller. I have the room for 42s!Following up on the OP's post, we're in the same boat with our '94 and I found these on eBay:
Black Textured Pocket Bolt Fender Flares 92-96 Ford F-150 F-250 F-350 Bronco | eBay
The specs say they'll add up to 2" additional coverage and I'm wondering if that will be too wide and make it look like the pics @BigBlue 94 posted. The plan is to cut out the rust on all 4 openings and mount the flares above the "flare" of the fender. We've got BFG A/T 31x10.5's on stock rims. Do you think those flares will look OK with the current tires or will it look like it's "wearing a skirt" as was stated in another fender flare post? I've thought about spacers if needed, but I've been advised they will put stress on...something...and cause it to wear out prematurely.
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Thoughts?
What would be considered "large"? If the flare adds up to 2" of coverage then a 2" spacer would fix that.but its really only an issue when you do large spacers
A 2 inch spacer is at the large end of acceptable. Anything bigger will put too much stress on the BJs.What would be considered "large"? If the flare adds up to 2" of coverage then a 2" spacer would fix that.
You wouldnt need new tires. You would need new wheels with an inch or so less backspacing. Thats why I am not opposed to "smaller" wheel spacers. As far as the BJs and scrub radius are concerned, a 4.5" BS wheel with 2" spacer is NO DIFFERENT than a 2.5" backspace wheel. The difference is more fasteners that can potentially fail.Thanks @BigBlue 94! Hopefully they won't come out too far then and a 1" spacer would be sufficient. Otherwise, we'll be looking at new tires and these are already new. Are your 37's on wider rims or stock?
After doing a quick search on this site for spacers I am now concerned about them failing and causing an accident. The guys that are saying "no issues" have only run them for 1000-3000 miles. I see that there are a gazillion spacers for sale so it's obvious that tons are sold and installed/used. So why are the naysayers so adamant that it's a disaster waiting to happen? This thing is used as a DD and my 18 y/o is putting about 8-10K miles/yr on it. If we go with spacers does that mean no offroading? #concernedpapa 🤦♂️I personally have no qualms with spacers 2" and under. Im running 2"ers on every corner.
Ive offroaded in Moab with mine... Done a 2200 mile road trip on them. They have 37s bolted to em and ive done upwards of 90mph. Ill be taking it to the dunes in August and itll get airborne, and likely keep on going. No i dont have 20k miles on em, but someone did, as i pulled 2 of mine off a truck in the junk yard.After doing a quick search on this site for spacers I am now concerned about them failing and causing an accident. The guys that are saying "no issues" have only run them for 1000-3000 miles. I see that there are a gazillion spacers for sale so it's obvious that tons are sold and installed/used. So why are the naysayers so adamant that it's a disaster waiting to happen? This thing is used as a DD and my 18 y/o is putting about 8-10K miles/yr on it. If we go with spacers does that mean no offroading? #concernedpapa 🤦♂️
That's fair...and a valid point. And, for the record, I wasn't challenging you or your recommendation. Just "thinking out loud". I did do some further reading after posting that and found many more posts saying similar things. It appears to be like all things with these vehicles: buy quality, install correctly and maintain properly.Ive offroaded in Moab with mine... Done a 2200 mile road trip on them. They have 37s bolted to em and ive done upwards of 90mph. Ill be taking it to the dunes in August and itll get airborne, and likely keep on going. No i dont have 20k miles on em, but someone did, as i pulled 2 of mine off a truck in the junk yard.
Ill turn the question back around, how many of those naysayers have actually had a failure with a wheel spacer and how many are just blowing smoke? I have provided the pros and cons of wheel spacers and am not saying they are bulletproof. Its also not my kid. But I would be confident having them installed as long as they receive proper maintenance. In the end, YOU must weigh the pros and cons and make the decision that suits your family!
I did not take offense to it. Its all good!That's fair...and a valid point. And, for the record, I wasn't challenging you or your recommendation. Just "thinking out loud". I did do some further reading after posting that and found many more posts saying similar things. It appears to be like all things with these vehicles: buy quality, install correctly and maintain properly.
That said, the cost of good spacers seems to be close to the cost of a good set of rims. Although that's hearsay and I haven't started pricing rims at this point. And, I did as you recommended and dry-fitted the front flare this morning. It's definitely closer to lining up with the fronts than it does with the backs. I could probably make do with 1" spacers on the front and 2" on the back. Not sure how that would impact the ride and steering though. Lots to ponder though. And it seems we'll have more time to figure it out than expected. The guy doing the rust repairs can't get to it until September so we're in a holding pattern 'till then.
I've never shopped for wheels. What specs do I look for? We like the current design (Alcoa?) and will probably stay close to that. Is there a particular width or offset I'm looking for? Current tires are 31x10.5R15 BFG A/T and damn near brand new, so I'd like to keep them if possible.I did not take offense to it. Its all good!
And yes, a good pair of spacers is close to the cost of new wheels. Since you have the time now, I would search for wheels too, just to weigh all options. Im sure you have noticed the stock on many things is low or nonexistent so plan accordingly.
On most trucks, the front axle is a couple inches wider than the rear. This helps mainly with turning radius. Having the entire axle and wheel assemblies the same width will not drastically affect handling.
It is best to remove one of your wheels and measure the backspace. Say you come up with a 4.5" measurement. Now knowing you want them to stick out farther, subtract how far from the original BS measurement. Say you want them 1.5 inches farther out, that would mean you want a wheel with 3" of backspace.I've never shopped for wheels. What specs do I look for? We like the current design (Alcoa?) and will probably stay close to that. Is there a particular width or offset I'm looking for? Current tires are 31x10.5R15 BFG A/T and damn near brand new, so I'd like to keep them if possible.