Front fenders that look and fit like stock, but have larger wheel openings?

[eBronc2]

Are there aftermarket front fenders available that look and fit like stock, but have larger wheel openings? I know you can get aftermarket rear quarter panels that are made with the cut/flared wheel openings to match the front fenders and accommodate larger tires, but don't recall ever seeing FRONT fenders that are made with larger wheel openings.

Sure, existing fenders can be cut, but since my sheetmetal skills leave something to be desired, I'm looking for other solutions.

Even with a 4" suspension lift and 1" body lift, the 35x12.50's hit the lower rear edge of the front wheel openings at full compression and sharp turns. They barely clear the rear of the fender wheel opening.

 

[Scoop]

Not that I'm aware of. I have never seen stock-style front fenders with higher/larger openings. There are some pre-runner style fiberglass front fenders but I don't think that is what you're talking about or want.

 

[DirtDonk]

Not that I’ve ever seen either. Other than the aforementioned fiberglass pre-runner stuff. Which I actually haven’t seen for a bronco in a long time now that I think about it.

In fact, the rear ones that are built with the enlarged opening are not very large to begin with. They’re simply opened up just enough to mimic the stock front opening as it is.
So even if you replace the rears with the larger ones, installing larger than stock front ones would then mismatch the rear once again, so you’ll end up having to cut the rears even larger anyway.
Are your rears cut now to fit the 35’s? Or are you still running uncut?

You’re not alone though, since most people with stock fenders can’t fit 35 inch tires reliably without more lift than you have. Especially if you’re flexing the suspension like it sounds like you are.
Unless they cut and flare the fenders…

Are you four wheeling this thing? Do you need the extra clearance? Or by flexing the suspension are you talking about just standard going around corners and up normal obstacles?

 

[eBronc2]

A little background on the Bronco:

Axles are full width - front is a Dana 44 from a '78 Bronco, with GM 3/4 ton (8 lug) knuckles, spindles, hubs, brakes. Rear is a Dana 60 from an F350, full float, with custom disk brakes (GM 12" 8 lug rotors, Cadillac E-brake calipers). Custom extended radius arms, front and rear shock hoops, longer shocks, relocated bump stops, etc.

Body is an all-new steel body from Rust Belt Broncos, with flared rear quarters and '77 front inner fender to clear power brake booster. Plenty of room for 35's in the rear with the flared quater panels, even at full stuff. Was hoping to not have to cut or trim brand new, expensive front fenders, but....

I haven't painted the new body yet, figured I'd better make sure everything fit before I did, in case trimming was needed. Supported the chassis on my lift, removed the front coils, and cycled the front suspension from full droop to full compression, and full left and right steering lock.

I have 2 sets of wheels/tires - 35x12.50's on 15" steel rims with lots (probably too much) of offset, and 315/70/17's on Dodge Ram 17x8 (8x6.5 bolt pattern) factory alloys. The 15" steel rims BARELY clear the GM front calipers (I mean, like feeler gauge type clearance), and the offset puts the outer sidewalls almost 7" outside the fenders, 84" total overall width - too wide too even fit on a trailer. The 17" rims have much more positive offset, they tuck the tires into the wheelwells much better - plus plenty of clearance for the calipers. With the positive offset, the 17" front wheels pivot around the ball joint centerline, instead of "swinging" in an arc like the 15" wheels with the negative offset do - which helps a lot with fender clearance as the tire moves through it's travel.

Pic is LF wheel at full left lock, full compression (on the bump stops). Tire is just an old spare I had mounted just to check clearance. There's about 1/2" (finger width) between the tire and the rear of the fenderwell as it pivots. The blue masking tape at the lower rear edge of the front of the wheelwell is where I'll have to trim the sheetmetal to clear the tire for right turns. Not much, but was hoping to avoid it.

 

[DirtDonk]

OK, so that’s a whole different matter! Very nice.
You got a lot going on with that rig. Some pretty special stuff.
I can see why you don’t want to cut because when you fully flare it’s fairly easy to just follow a pattern and not worry about an edge because it’s going to be covered. But when you’re just trimming a small piece, it might be physically easy, but cosmetically you want to be super careful to make it look right.
Well, maybe somebody knows about new fender that has just the right trimming already.
Wouldn’t that be nice!
In the meantime, check out the project thread in the Tech section by Dne007 (titled "72 Project (Cypress TX) or something like that) and how she trimmed her front fender for clearance on her freshly painted bronco. Came out pretty clean.

One thing I would do though, is no matter what you do, if you end up trimming anything, don’t use the spare as a guide. Get one of the wheels and tires that you’re actually going to use on there and see how it’s working.
Might be just enough of a difference between the two to alter how much you have to change.
You probably already knew that. But I figured I’d throw it out there anyway.

 

[Oldtimer]

. . . check out the project thread in the Tech section by Dne007 (titled "72 Project (Cypress TX) or something like that) and how she trimmed her front fender for clearance on her freshly painted bronco. Came out pretty clean.

Look here, and scroll down to post #719.

'72 Bronco project (Cypress, Tx)

I think you need to pick the grand kids up in that Bronco, you and hubbie with a Santa and elf outfits. Throw in a bag of presents to top it off. The color just seems to blend in with Christmas well. :)

classicbroncos.com

 

[sprdv1]

A little background on the Bronco:

Axles are full width - front is a Dana 44 from a '78 Bronco, with GM 3/4 ton (8 lug) knuckles, spindles, hubs, brakes. Rear is a Dana 60 from an F350, full float, with custom disk brakes (GM 12" 8 lug rotors, Cadillac E-brake calipers). Custom extended radius arms, front and rear shock hoops, longer shocks, relocated bump stops, etc.

Body is an all-new steel body from Rust Belt Broncos, with flared rear quarters and '77 front inner fender to clear power brake booster. Plenty of room for 35's in the rear with the flared quater panels, even at full stuff. Was hoping to not have to cut or trim brand new, expensive front fenders, but....

I haven't painted the new body yet, figured I'd better make sure everything fit before I did, in case trimming was needed. Supported the chassis on my lift, removed the front coils, and cycled the front suspension from full droop to full compression, and full left and right steering lock.

I have 2 sets of wheels/tires - 35x12.50's on 15" steel rims with lots (probably too much) of offset, and 315/70/17's on Dodge Ram 17x8 (8x6.5 bolt pattern) factory alloys. The 15" steel rims BARELY clear the GM front calipers (I mean, like feeler gauge type clearance), and the offset puts the outer sidewalls almost 7" outside the fenders, 84" total overall width - too wide too even fit on a trailer. The 17" rims have much more positive offset, they tuck the tires into the wheelwells much better - plus plenty of clearance for the calipers. With the positive offset, the 17" front wheels pivot around the ball joint centerline, instead of "swinging" in an arc like the 15" wheels with the negative offset do - which helps a lot with fender clearance as the tire moves through it's travel.

Pic is LF wheel at full left lock, full compression (on the bump stops). Tire is just an old spare I had mounted just to check clearance. There's about 1/2" (finger width) between the tire and the rear of the fenderwell as it pivots. The blue masking tape at the lower rear edge of the front of the wheelwell is where I'll have to trim the sheetmetal to clear the tire for right turns. Not much, but was hoping to avoid it.

View attachment 896435

great details

 

[sprdv1]

One thing I would do though, is no matter what you do, if you end up trimming anything, don’t use the spare as a guide. Get one of the wheels and tires that you’re actually going to use on there and see how it’s working.
Might be just enough of a difference between the two to alter how much you have to change.
You probably already knew that. But I figured I’d throw it out there anyway.

yeah, wouldn't be a bad idea for sure