Funky flares?

[techfab]

I need your opinions. Does the front flare look crooked to you or is this type of flare supposed to be installed at an angle?

Thanks.

 

[POPPAWS BRONCO]

Looks funny


Hey!!! Let me hold a dollar I'm in the middle of a restore here!

 

[techfab]

It was supposedly restored by a shop that is well respected by most on this site; but, the front flare is definitely higher than the rear and it does appear to be installed at an angle.

I was thinking of buying this truck; but, this really bothers me. It causes the front of the truck to appear to sit higher than the rear. You figure if they got that wrong, what else is sketchy.

I am wondering if the fenders could be re-cut to level the front and raise the rear flare to match (new bushwhackers or other slightly larger flare). It looks like there is room in the rear to cut just above the rivet holes to match the height of the front.

Thoughts?

 

[Swerve]

How does the other side look?

 

[techfab]

Identical.

 

[metal1]

it really looks different makes the bronco look crooked

 

[techfab]

It is bad. I wonder if they were attempting to cover some damage.

 

[Crush]

Mine were installed back in the early 80's and they are all a little crooked. It was not such thing to have them exact then i guess. Im leaving them like they are until such tome as i het ready to paint the bronco. It looks as though they got the reare correct though. Usually the wheel isnt centered after flares but yours appear to be. I had to set my adel back 1.5" to center mine because someone centered them on the 77 fuel doors instead of on the axel. Lol. Your front appears that they tried to make the bottoms of the flares go all the way to the bottom of the sheet metal. This never works. The rear of the front flare is usually farther up the rocker than the front is down the fender when the top of the flare is levl to the body line, which is how they look best

 

[DirtDonk]

Unfortunately it was a common mistake (and probably still is) sometimes.
What happens in some cases, is the flare and fender do not match perfectly. Either you can get the top line to sit level, or you can get the lower lines to match the body. But not both!

After so many experiences with odd stuff on Broncos, it's hard to say if the fenders are at fault or the flares are wrong. Probably a bit of both. Maybe the '66 fenders were slightly different and that's what everybody molded their flares on? Dunno, but this uneven mismatch is common.

So the cure is to get it level (especially to the eye) and just let the trailing or leading edges fall where they may. That actually ends up being hardly noticeable compared to the uneven top line.

I would hate it myself, but I would not let it be a deal breaker necesssarily either. Depends on the condition of the rest of the Bronco.
And you said respected by most on this site. Is that from your own reading here? Or from what someone said?
Might be good to either let us know the name, or make sure you did your own searching. Plenty of good and well respected builders out there. Plenty of pikers too, so worth a second look.

Seems like someone familiar with EB's would have known how to trick the eye and get a flare on straighter.
He says cautiously, knowing it might be one of our customers!

Then again, in their favor, they might have been dealing with an already cut fender by a PO and simply going with the same cut rather than fixing or replacing the fender.

Paul

 

[bronkenn]

Crooked as a dogs back leg. Should be parallel with the body line. Looks like Festus installed it. It would bug me, but it can be fixed.

 

[miikee73]

Reminds me of a pic I saw a few years back of an S10. The guy put them on in the street ,the problem is the street was uphill and he made them level. They were bad enough to make the internet.

 

[techfab]

Thanks all for your input. The rest of the Bronco appears to be very well done. I don't know the story; so, I do not want to throw the shop under the bus. I agree that it is fixable (would hope it can be done without re-skinning the front fenders).

The shop is very well respected from both what I have read in multiple places on this sight and from what I have heard (not your shop dirtdonk). I have no idea if they even installed the flares. I am going to drive it next week and will get more info on it then.

I really wish I had the time to do my own build (or the patience and budget to hire a shop to do it to spec). My son and I started building a go-kart three years ago and we MIGHT have a roller by the end of summer. Self-employed with 2 boys in sports leaves far too little time for "tinkering" in the garage.

I made the mistake of driving a friends Bronco and now I have the fever. I have owned just about every model German long wheel-base sedan and sports car made and have lost all interest in latest technology luxury. I totally get why you guys are such Bronco fanatics. Perhaps it is just my 3rd mid-life crisis; but, I will not be satisfied until I am bouncing down the road in one of these rust buckets.

 

[Rustytruck]

I would not install flairs that way. It takes allot more time to get the flairs just right. It depends on who's flairs you use too. Dont like it make them fix it. Its crooked and you know it and its going to bother you forever unless your using the truck for trail duty. Once you damage the body offroad you will no longer care about the crooked flair.

 

[sprdv1]

You'll make it happen, just takes patience and a little time..

Thanks all for your input. The rest of the Bronco appears to be very well done. I don't know the story; so, I do not want to throw the shop under the bus. I agree that it is fixable (would hope it can be done without re-skinning the front fenders).

The shop is very well respected from both what I have read in multiple places on this sight and from what I have heard (not your shop dirtdonk). I have no idea if they even installed the flares. I am going to drive it next week and will get more info on it then.

I really wish I had the time to do my own build (or the patience and budget to hire a shop to do it to spec). My son and I started building a go-kart three years ago and we MIGHT have a roller by the end of summer. Self-employed with 2 boys in sports leaves far too little time for "tinkering" in the garage.

I made the mistake of driving a friends Bronco and now I have the fever. I have owned just about every model German long wheel-base sedan and sports car made and have lost all interest in latest technology luxury. I totally get why you guys are such Bronco fanatics. Perhaps it is just my 3rd mid-life crisis; but, I will not be satisfied until I am bouncing down the road in one of these rust buckets.

 

[edones06]

Just cut the fenders up to the body line and slap a set of big tires on it and rock it! Hell thats what i did. Lol. And throw the flairs in the trash. Lol