Hey all!
I have just finished trimming my Jimny front arches to make way for new tyres, and thought I would post up the process and results.
I started with the BigJimny guide, however I found this was pretty undetailed, so wanted to put up some photos to hopefully help anyone else looking to do the same. Also, the main requirements for me were of course to allow for bigger tyres, but also retain the splashguards inside (don't want my door jambs filling up with mud), and also to provide mounting for flares to cover the extra width of the new tyres.
Please keep in mind, this is just a guide on what I did - it may not necessarily be suitable for you car.
Anyway, here goes -
Step 1.
Admire the flares in factory form and begin to wonder if this is going to end terribly.
Step 2.
Remove the plastic flare. There are about 6 clips from memory, they all pop out easily with a little tug. As well as the few in the wheel arch.
Step 3.
Trim the flat spot of the plastic arch, this is around an inch all the way around. Notice that this will remove all of the mounting tabs inside for the splashguard etc. This will be rectified later - don't worry.
Step 4.
Reattach the flare. the steel will now be hanging out below the plastic line.
Step 5.
Remove the inner splashguard.
Step 6.
Trace a line onto the steel, indicating the line of the plastic.
Step 7.
The BigJimny guide removes all of this steel, but I want to retain it for the splashguards and to create a flat surface for mounting flares. So rather than cutting it all out, slice into the steel into 'teeth' like sections. Slice up to the line you have drawn, and a couple of millimetres more, to allow for bending.
Step 8.
Bend the steel teeth up the create a relatively flat surface to mount your flare. There is already a 90 degree rim in the steel behind these teeth, which will help to hold the splashguard in place.
Step 9.
The splashguard needs to be refitted, however there are some sections which will need to be removed in order to get it to fit. This can be pretty roughly done, as it will all be hidden away anyway.
I removed the flat part which would normally sit behind the plastic removed, as well as the front section as it will now have no where to mount and will just flap around.
Step 10.
Trim the front bumper to suit.
Step 11.
Refit the splashguard. The existing plastic clips inside the arch will hold it nicely, and tucking the outer side behind the newly folded steel, it should hold in super tight.
Step 12.
Be sure to spray the newly cut steel to prevent rust.
Step 13.
Wanting to create as neat a finish as possible, I lined the new cut edges with pinchweld from Clark Rubber. (Their item #19907 - about $6.95/m)
Step 14.
Next up was the flares. Yep - I went for garden edging. $25 for a 10m, 75mm wide roll from Bunnings.
Cut a section roughly the length you will need to fill the arch.
Step 15.
Mark a line on the flare marking how far you want it to stick out. I used painters tape.
Step 16.
Mount the flare to the (relatively) flat steel area just created in the arch. I just used rivets. Very solid.
Step 17. Tidy up.
There are a couple of little details to fix up. For example, on the very bottom edge, there is nothing to rivet to, so I drilled a small hole through the bottom of the flare and the base of the original plastics and cable tied them together to prevent any of the new flare moving around. (This picture shows it before the cable tie - in the very bottom left of the arch.
Also the front of the original plastic flare, and the front bumper, now sit quite loose around this area as there are no mounting points anymore. I again drilled a small hole behind the visible face, and cable tied them together. Only just visible when looking up close.
There may also be a bit more trimming / styling of the flare that you may want to do (I am still yet to finish that element).
Step 18. Done!
Anyway, I hope that helps someone!
If anyone has any questions, let me know.
Cheers.
Scott.
