Cutting or modifiying Flares

[onesilop]

Hi all,

I have just fitted 33x10.5 to my defender, the rear flares look like they will touch on a moderate amount of articulation. I was going to cut the flares on the weekend but I am not sure how much to cut off or I have just seen some posts here that talk about using a heat gun to mould them outward.

Over to you if you have done either of these can you post some pics to give me ideas how to go about this.

Thanks all in advance.

[Slynax]

I've got an '85 county which, as far as I am aware has the same type of flares as defenders , which I recently removed pretty easily.

I don't intend on putting mine back on anytime soon but at a glance it should be pretty easy to make some new flat flares yourself from some conveyor belt or rubber/plastic strips. They do need to be a bit wider on the front if defs are the same as countys because there is about a 2" gap between the outer fender and inner wheel arch where the headlight wiring looms run.

You definitely shouldn't need to cut anything until you're on bigger than 35" tyres I think (as long as you don't have Simex tyres anyway lol)

Hope that helps a bit. If you wanted some photos of what things look like once the flares are off I'm sure I could post a few up too.

Cheers
Scott

[isuzutoo-eh]

I run 255/85s which are about the same as yours, with standard flares, on -25 offset rims. The tyres peek past the guards by a mm or two. They do rub in a few spots, but I haven't trimmed them, they just graunch. Put a permanent marker/texta in your console. Don't bother cutting the flares till you find a spot to get thoroughly cross-axled, then get the permanent marker out and mark the spots that need a trim.
The flares won't be any worse off from rubbing for a few trips whilst you fine-tune your trimming.

[Drew90]

I run 255/85s which are about the same as yours, with standard flares, on -25 offset rims. The tyres peek past the guards by a mm or two. They do rub in a few spots, but I haven't trimmed them, they just graunch. Put a permanent marker/texta in your console. Don't bother cutting the flares till you find a spot to get thoroughly cross-axled, then get the permanent marker out and mark the spots that need a trim.
The flares won't be any worse off from rubbing for a few trips whilst you fine-tune your trimming.


33x10.5 are alot wider than 255/85's hence the rubbing issue. If I was running those tyres I would look at the aftermarket flares.

[steveG]

33x10.5 are alot wider than 255/85's hence the rubbing issue. If I was running those tyres I would look at the aftermarket flares.

Not sure thats quite correct.
10.5" is 266mm, so they are only 10mm wider by my reckoning. The 255/85's are taller than most 33's so I reckon it would be pretty close.

I'm running half worn 255/85 KM2's on aftermarket rims with a bit more offset than standard. Same offset as most of the 15x7" rims I've seen on defenders and they rub quite hard on the front lower edge of the rear flares at full articulation.
I've seen a 130 with similar tyres and offset, and the owner had just tweaked out the lower 120mm or so of the flare at that point using the heat gun. Imagine a line running from the fwd lower edge of the flare where it touches the body, and a point 120mm up the inside edge of flare - thats where it was bent out.
Sorry - dont have any photos of it.

Steve

[cal415]

I am supprised you have much rubbing with 33s, i ran 35s on neg 25 15x8s and had only minor rubbing on standard county springs, this was just a trial run for a month or 2 before i went to 37s, which i had ALOT of rubbing on the standard springs but it was still drivable. After i did a slight flare chop it fixed alotof the rubbing, then i went to some fairly stiff springs lifting it around 2-2.5in and pretty fixed all the rubbing until i got the rear end flexing well. Heres some pics-
bad shot but only one i can find - 35x12.5 stock suspension and nothing cut
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2011/11/982.jpg

37x12.5s 2in lift mild flare chop - only slight rubbing mainly at the rear of the front wheel arches when i was bouncing up the bases of steep dunes on the beach.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2011/11/983.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/09/1184.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2011/11/984.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2011/11/985.jpg

with the OME shocks i had it didnt get alot of travel, but with the 37s reversing at full lock with some flex happening the tyre grabed the front lip of the inner gaurd a little bending it slightly, i trimmed about 1-2in off the bottom which was basically wasted material anyway and never had an issue with it since, i have heard of people having this trouble with tyres as small as 33s.

After i went to some longer shocks with dislocating springs in the rear the rub got ALOT worse... with this much travel in the rear you can see the crushing of the flare/body work it also rubs on the spring tower slightly.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2011/11/986.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2011/11/987.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2011/11/988.jpg

Big tyres may not rub that much until certain conditions etc, only way to test them is out in the real world. What suspension setup do you have?

[cal415]

Oh i have also run 285s on this county and they dont come even close to rubbing after the cutting i have done. I run them on my standard 130 defender too, no rubbing anywhere as far as i can find so far.

[onesilop]

thanks all for the photos and suggestions, The rear wheels have approximatly 30 mm of clearance between the front of the tyre and the rear flare, I am assuming that when the wheel articulates the flare will rub, I am taking it out in two weeks so the permanent marker idea will be used.....

After that I will probably try the heat gun approach and then if that fails to work I will cut. Then failing that I will get aftermarket flares.

[lambrover]

it most likely won't rub, you need to remember the arc the wheel travels in.