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remove the inner fenders?

ramjet gmc

ramjet gmc

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How many of you have removed the inner fenders? and pics what are the pros and cons?
my k5 (off road only) and i am not a mud pit guy but i will get in it on the trail :wink1:
 
I removed mine out of need when I trimmed the fenders. Not sure of any pros other than better cooling for the engine bay...

Here are the cons I have noticed so far.
- More mud and dirt get all over the engine
- Now I can hear all of the wierd noises my engine makes.
- fenders flap around a little in the wind. Not near as bad as the rear fenders though.
 
I wouldn't if you do any mud. I think it would make a mess of the engine.

Mike
 
I was thinking about this the other day. If it does cool better with out them why did GM put them on in the first place? I wonder if it works like the fan shroud, making the air move to where it's needed. If you have ever run without a shroud you now what I mean. The air will go right past the engine instead of begin forced onto it.
By removing the inner fenders I wonder if the air will leave the engine bay before it has a chance to cool the back half?
Air like water will take the path of lest Resistance.
Anyway I don't know if any of this is true or not, just thinking out loud.
 
The engine is not air cooled so it would have a very minute effect on the cooling of the engine itself. If GM had intended for the fenders to aid in the cooling of the block they would have put fins on the block also.

Not having the inners in place just happens to let the engine bay run cooler....not reverse engineering GM or anything like that.
 
I don't run mine. the driver side went first. I took it off to repair the frame after my steering box ripped off and never put it back. the passenger came off some time after that. makes it easier to work on stuff. instead of climbing onto the tire to lean in the engine bay I stand in the wheelwell.

the engine is going to get dirty no matter what. it's just easier to clean without the inners.

since you asked for pics, here is a random one I took for something else.

inner fender.JPG
 
Would there be any way to just take out the stock inners and fab up some new ones that will fit with trimmed outters? Just a thought, not sure if its worth it or not?
 
lak2004 said:
Would there be any way to just take out the stock inners and fab up some new ones that will fit with trimmed outters? Just a thought, not sure if its worth it or not?
Click to expand...

anything is possible. my engine bay isn't any dirtier without them.
 
Gmc4cw,
Do you wheel in any deep mud? I would think it would cover the engine really bad if you wheeled in deep mud with no inners. My Boggers throw big clumps of mud though, so I am basing it on that.

Mike
 
What if one of those clumps knocks something out?
Theres your reason to have the inner fenders right there...
On a road vehicle it might be fine to run without em...but it may affect the aerodynamics for the worse.. also more likely to get water splashed up and ruin your stuff.
 
all sheetmetal is expendable. Some simple rubber sheeting of some kind could serve as a mud shield... without being in the way of big tires.

j
 
UPS said:
Gmc4cw,
Do you wheel in any deep mud? I would think it would cover the engine really bad if you wheeled in deep mud with no inners. My Boggers throw big clumps of mud though, so I am basing it on that.

Mike
Click to expand...

yes. the inner would collect the mud instead of the inside of the hood. the engine doesn't collect big chunks of mud. with or without the inners the engine gets dirty. water can splash up between the frame rails and the engine. or from between the inners and the frame.

If all you do is mud then keeping the inners is no big deal. trim the bottom against the cab, mud trucks usually do not have tons of flex. My truck started out as a mudder. I went to the pine barrens monthly, and had boggers. Now I'm getting into more rockcrawling/trailriding. I still hit every mudhole, there is just a lot more big rocks in a days ride. I'm running cut gumbo monster mudders, basically a TSL swamper.
 
I do not run inners and I have not noticed any cons other than mud but I dont run mud so I dont give a ****. I do notice more heat leaving the engine bay. Mine were removed out of necesity when I cut my fenders.

I will get some pics up when I get home.

Ira
 
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