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Bushwacker Pocket Style Fender Flares
For Jeep TJ

By Shawn Pagan

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Installation
(This, of course, is for a Jeep TJ. Installation on other vehicles will vary)

Remove the flares that are currently on your jeep.

Front flares (Probably a little easier than the back since the nuts are not hidden)
  • Disconnect the front marker lamp by gently twisting the bulb from the backside. It should drop right out.
  • Use a small ratchet and box-end wrench to remove the 10 bolts off the front flare. Keep in mind that the two at the rear of the flare should have captive nuts, so you will not need the box-end on the back side.
  • Loosen the three bolts holding the front flare extension in place. You may not be able to get a ratchet to all three. I had to use a box-end on one since my rocker guards were in the way.
  • Push the flare extension forward and it should come off over the heads of the bolts.
  • Remove the bolts where the extension was. Make sure you save these as they are the only bolts you will need to reuse.
  • Remove the spin-on clip from the marker light (on the backside of the flare) and remove the light assembly.

 

Rear flares

  • Remove or loosen the rear fender inner liner
  • Look up under the inside of the wheel well and you will find two plastic "Christmas Tree" fasteners that are holding the inner fender liner (or wheel skirting) in place. Removing these can be done with a screwdriver (although they do make a special tool) but take your time so as not to break or ruin these clips. They are needed to hold the liner in place when you put everything back together.
  • Next, push the => clips from the outside of the fender in with a small pair of needle nose pliers. This will cause the inner liner to come free
  • Use a small ratchet and a box-end to remove the eight bolts and nuts holding the rear flare in place. Again, keep in mind that the front two and rear two bolts should have captive nuts and you shouldn't need to use the box-end wrench on those.

 

Prepare the surface

  • Clean the surface under the old flares with alcohol or other cleaner, making sure to get rid of any dirt on the mating surfaces.
  • This might also be a good time to touch up any scratches you may have around the fender flare area.

 

Prepare the flares

  • Install the supplied edge trim on the inside edge (the edge of the flare that will touch the body). Be careful and take a little time as you do this. I found the instructions to be very vague on which side to install the adhesive, but as long as you are consistent it should work out just fine.
  • Insert the marker light you took off the old flares and reattach with the spin nut.
  • Take the plastic cap washers and insert the new bolts into the washer so that the heads of the bolts are recessed into the opening of the washer.

 

Installing the flares

  • Using the new hardware supplied, bolt the flares back into place.
  • This is where you will have to start with some minor guess work, as Bushwacker ships two different sizes of nylon spacers designed to go between the flare and the body of the vehicle in order to maintain proper spacing. Unfortunately, they don't tell you where the different sizes go and they only give you "just" enough. Note - read the rest of the article as there is an update to what the instructions have later on.
  • Install the front flare extensions using the stock bolts you took out.
  • Be sure not to over-tighten any of the bolts. Just a little past snug should be fine.
  • Once you have all the bolts installed, you have one last choice to make - chrome or black. Once you've decided, take the plastic colored caps out and snap them onto the plastic cap washer covering each exposed bolt head.

 

Reinstall the rear inner fender liner
  • Push the => clips back thru the holes in the body.
  • Reattach the "Christmas Tree" fasteners in the holes they came out of. You may need to tap them in with a small soft hammer.
 
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