josh86k10
1/2 ton status
I've been toying with this idea for a couple of years now, and I want some opinions.
Back in the day I installed some Bushwacker cut-out flares. I still like the look, but they are a bit fragile and impractical for the trail. I'd love to simply remove them, but they will leave a million tiny screw holes - something that would bug the hell out of me on a pretty slick looking truck.
I am currently running 39.5" TSLs on about 7" of lift. My front springs are pretty stiff. I'd like some more articulation.
Soon I'll be switching to some 52's up front. I already have a shaft with 21" of slip travel and relocated rear shackle mounts. I plan to use the B52 brackets from DIY4X. This will require a new front bumper due to interference with the way my current bumper mounts. I'll probably sell my bumper and get the Twizted Engineering cradle.
In addition to softening things up, the 52's will lower the truck about 2-3 inches (depending on if I use the zero-rates or not). The lower center of gravity will be welcomed. With the added articulation and loss of height there will likely need to be some more trimming, something the Bushwacker's will not afford. I doubt I'll need as much trimming as I'm planning, but with all of the screw holes I don't have a lot of options.
My plan: remove the flares and trim to the current margin of the Bushwackers (remove the material with screw holes). Since this will cut through the side marker light, I'll cut above it and remove it to the level of the grill. Since the new bumper will not have any side pieces, there will be no discrepecies matching the bumper sides to the body height. I'll get rid of the inner fender since my cut will be above its mounting level. The result will be a huge fender opening with the 39.5" tire about .5" further forward and an awesome approach angle due to the winch cradle. I'll take my time with the cut-off wheel to keep everything pretty and apply some rubber channel to the cut edge (like that used on motorcycle fairings).
My current setup:
Fun with photoshop (the proposed trim job)
The Twizted Engineering Winch Cradle:
My current integrated solenoid Patriot 9500 Ramsey can be converted to remote solenoid style with some parts from Ramsey.
What do yall think? Will I ruin the look of my pickup? Is the fender opening too huge? Am I opening a can of worms (bigger tires to fill out huge-ass fenders, lower gears for bigger tires, etc.) Has anyone else cut to the edge of the Bushwackers so that I can see what it looks like?
For those wondering, yes the truck does see the trail (though not nearly as often as I'd like - but vet school is almost over). I do, however, drive carefully and avoid body damage as much as possible. I want my truck to be capable, but I do still care about how it looks.
Back in the day I installed some Bushwacker cut-out flares. I still like the look, but they are a bit fragile and impractical for the trail. I'd love to simply remove them, but they will leave a million tiny screw holes - something that would bug the hell out of me on a pretty slick looking truck.
I am currently running 39.5" TSLs on about 7" of lift. My front springs are pretty stiff. I'd like some more articulation.
Soon I'll be switching to some 52's up front. I already have a shaft with 21" of slip travel and relocated rear shackle mounts. I plan to use the B52 brackets from DIY4X. This will require a new front bumper due to interference with the way my current bumper mounts. I'll probably sell my bumper and get the Twizted Engineering cradle.
In addition to softening things up, the 52's will lower the truck about 2-3 inches (depending on if I use the zero-rates or not). The lower center of gravity will be welcomed. With the added articulation and loss of height there will likely need to be some more trimming, something the Bushwacker's will not afford. I doubt I'll need as much trimming as I'm planning, but with all of the screw holes I don't have a lot of options.
My plan: remove the flares and trim to the current margin of the Bushwackers (remove the material with screw holes). Since this will cut through the side marker light, I'll cut above it and remove it to the level of the grill. Since the new bumper will not have any side pieces, there will be no discrepecies matching the bumper sides to the body height. I'll get rid of the inner fender since my cut will be above its mounting level. The result will be a huge fender opening with the 39.5" tire about .5" further forward and an awesome approach angle due to the winch cradle. I'll take my time with the cut-off wheel to keep everything pretty and apply some rubber channel to the cut edge (like that used on motorcycle fairings).
My current setup:
Fun with photoshop (the proposed trim job)
The Twizted Engineering Winch Cradle:
My current integrated solenoid Patriot 9500 Ramsey can be converted to remote solenoid style with some parts from Ramsey.
What do yall think? Will I ruin the look of my pickup? Is the fender opening too huge? Am I opening a can of worms (bigger tires to fill out huge-ass fenders, lower gears for bigger tires, etc.) Has anyone else cut to the edge of the Bushwackers so that I can see what it looks like?
For those wondering, yes the truck does see the trail (though not nearly as often as I'd like - but vet school is almost over). I do, however, drive carefully and avoid body damage as much as possible. I want my truck to be capable, but I do still care about how it looks.
The photoshop pic looks good man I say go for it...
