Unpopular opinion: people are way too scared of cutting their fenders

I was helping my buddy with his 2001 Tacoma build in Flagstaff last month, and he was dead set on a body lift to clear 35s without trimming. We spent like $400 on the kit and a whole weekend installing it, only for it to still rub on tight turns. I finally just took an angle grinder to the plastic fender liner, problem solved in 20 minutes. The cut is clean, you can't even see it unless you're under the truck, and it saved a ton of cash and hassle. Anyone else just bite the bullet and cut instead of doing all these other workarounds?

3 comments

3 Comments

knight.taylor1mo ago

Man, that's the real secret. A sharp utility knife and a heat gun for the plastic liners gets you more clearance than most lifts. Just follow the body line, take your time, and it looks factory. All that money for a lift kit just to still rub is the worst.

sarah_perez21d ago

Yeah, saw a video where a guy did exactly that, @knight.taylor. Just a clean cut along the factory seam. Looked so much better than a lift.

the_andrew1mo ago

Oh man, that reminds me of my buddy who cut his fenders with a sawzall after a few beers. Looked like a toddler did it. He ended up buying new fender flares to cover the mess, cost him way more than just doing it right the first time. Your point about following the body line is key, @knight.taylor. I've seen so many hacked up trucks where people just went at it freehand. Taking your time with a heat gun and a sharp blade makes all the difference. It's one of those mods that looks easy but really isn't.