Fender bender- or - oversized tires

[eagle503]

So when I got this bird it had big 30 x 9.5 tires on it and the kid I got it from had romped it around his field. Well that did a number on the front fenders where the tires grabbed them in the front bottom corners. So I had to do some thing about it .You could not turn at all with the 30x9.5 on it so i got a set of Cherokee 205 55 15 still a little rub on hard turns but way better.

I the first pics are the wheels I got it with. I had already done a little hammer work to clean up the fenders. Once that was done there was definitely no room for the 30x9.5 tires.So i put on the Cherokee tires, way better but still a little tight. Well since the fenders were all bent any way I figured I would go for it and tweak them a little.
I didn't do anything the flares wont cover so if I want to go back to stock I can. I hammered out the dents and bends the tires put in then just curled the bottom front corners in to the bracket . I gained about  1.5" maybe 2" of clearance, now no more rubbing on hard turns and it looks way better than the dented rusty look it had when I got it. It still looks a little close behind the front tires but I haven't had any problems so far.But if I need to I think I can gain about 3/4 of an inch back there with a little hammer work.I probably wont need to when I redo the suspension. I have not had any problems with the Cherokee wheels in the back I was worried about the front of the back fender grabbing on big bumps but so far so good. When I get done painting I will put the trim back on. I got a set of flares but I don't like the look of them on there so I am going to leave them off, one less thing to loose out on the logging roads.

[A-A EAGLE]

Here is another idea, lift the Eagle a couple of inches. There are nice pretty cheap lift kits on E-bay. I lifted mine with 1" rings on top of the coilsprings (will lift 2.5 to 3") and linger shackles on the back. No rubbing anymore although I think your tyres are slightly bigger than mine.

Anjo
Holland

[vangremlin]

I know your post says the new tires are 205 55 15, but they look more like 205 75 15, so its probably just a typo.  I'm running 205 70 15 on mine with no problem, but I think one of the biggest factors in clearance issues is the strength of the spring.  I know mine could use replacing!

[eagle503]

It all costs $ money $ witch I don't have a lot of. The fenders were all chewed up when I got it so I went for it, hammer work is free and if I want it to look new I would need new fenders any way. Now I can drive it.
And I am currently putting all my money into getting it running good. I will put a solid axle under it soon so I don't want to buy stuff I am just going to take off. The tires were dirt cheap I got a used set of five matching tires on rims for $50.


ya glad you noticed that!! I have to many notes on my desk rite now that was my buddy's tire size. 205 55 15
just went out and checked the Eagle - 215/75/15 are what it really has on it.you can actually read it in on one of the pics.

oops!

[Sunny]

I noticed it said 215/75R15..
I was going to say there is NO way those are a 55 profile.

[thereverendbill]

I personally think that your hammer work looks good.  most of the people i deal with that are running larger tires only grab 1 tool and that's the cutoff wheel and say the heck with it.  eggs to ya for going that extra step 

[eagle503]

Hay thanks thereverendbill ! I really appreciate It! Metal gets it strength from the bends you put in it and I did not want floppy fenders or sharp edges.

[captspillane]

I use a stock Jeep Cherokee tire size of 235/75R15 on all my Eagles. I trim the metal back and then crimp the rough edge with vise grips  for rigidity. When I'm done I put the plastic trim back on the fender. It covers all of my trimming. Where the plastic overlaps about 3 inches inside of the fender, I trim that down to about an inch. The tires clear just fine and externally there is no change to the fender. I love how the larger tire is much more proportional.

For reference:
195/75 R15 tires are 26.5" in diameter
205/75R15 tires are 27.1"
215/75R15 tires are 27.7"
235/75R15 tires are 28.9"

[Aquila Real]

Do you have to use spacers on the back for 235's?  If so, which ones?

[captspillane]

I do not use spacers with the "holed" Cherokee rims. They look great and fit fine. To see a picture of my red SX4 with the "holed" rims and 235's, no spacers, look at this thread. My second to last post on page 3 shows that pic and other pics describing the fender modifications it took to install. The installation pictures happen to be of my Kammback, but it was an identical modification to what the red SX4 received. The two Kammback pictures here were taken after the modification, although those are only 215's in the pictures.

http://forums.amceaglenest.com/index.php?topic=36839.0

I only have to use spacers with one style of Cherokee rim. It looks like wire spokes. You would think they'd have the same backspacing, but they don't. Those rims bind on the caliper or hub or something in the front. The front wheels will not turn without the spacers. In that back they don't bind up but they look retarded. My Kammback has those with 2" spacers in the rear and 1.5" in the front. These two pictures show what it looks like. I think it would look better if I used 1" in the front instead of 1.5".