[Thorshammer7]

Hey all, been looking into a set of flares and abit torn between metal and plastic. The plastic will flex and the metal will not which sounds better to me but would like to hear what you guys think.

 

[derf]

Plastic fenders are easily ripped off no matter who makes them.

Metal fenders that are properly attached with reinforcing brackets will hold up much better.

I wanted the plastic look so when I got my bare metal Poison Spyder fenders I powder coated them with a textured powder. They look plastic but have all the benefits of being well designed metal flares.

 

[LHC30]

I was considering the metal fenders for looks, but decided against them based on weight. I have enough steel on the rig now and the 1lb plastic stock fenders vs (minimum) 9lb aluminum & steel fenders was the decider.

 

[chargermop]

There's also the advantage of plastic fenders will rip off and be the sacrificial item with steel fenders if something has to give it could be the body of your Jeep.

 

[Jeremy KrawlOff-Road.com]

I run plastic fenders right now and they do fine. If you plan on hitting hard trails and rocky terrain the metals are nice, but like it is stated the fenders can get damaged since the fender is metal, with plastic they just get ripped off and you replace them. It will ultimately depend on your budget and use of the rig.

Jeremy

 

[Raspy]

I'm all for the plastic fenders. Scuff them against a tree or rock and it's no big deal. Hit a metal fender on a tree and you have body damage.

The other thing is winter spray on the highway. The stock fenders do a much better job of containing the spray.

Flat fenders allow bigger tires and a look custom, but unless you are running 37s or something, I think the stock fenders are far better.

 

[derf]

If you want to keep buying your fenders over and over again, you're welcome to. The vendors won't replace a fender broken because you hit a tree and rip it off.

The better metal flares are tied into more than just the outer skin and are tied directly to the structural members of the body so they take a hit a lot better than you might think. I've run my against my share of trees and have only marred the surface finish of the powder coating. No other indications that the flare has been hit whatsoever.

But you are all free to make your own choices.

 

[Raspy]

derf,

Are you saying the venders will replace a metal fender that gets damaged? I've never had to replace a stock one yet, or fix any body damage because they hit something.

Oh, and thanks for giving me the freedom to make my own choices..

 

[rjacobs]

I hit a stock plastic flare on a tree while wheeling, it ripped off and in the process put a small crease on my fender. Not really noticeable unless you know what you are looking for, but there was damage. Some people say "they just rip off, but dont damage anything else", but I had a different experience, although I will say the damage to the fender was incredibly minor.

The good metal fenders(Poison Spyder and Metal Cloak come to mind) tie into the sub frames and shift the load from the thin sheet metal to a much more beefy structure. Could you still damage body work, sure, but its far less likely.

Ill take my chances with my Poison Spyder fenders to keep the rest of my Jeep looking decent over the flexy plastic fenders.

 

[derf]

derf,

Are you saying the venders will replace a metal fender that gets damaged? I've never had to replace a stock one yet, or fix any body damage because they hit something.

Oh, and thanks for giving me the freedom to make my own choices..

I say that metal fenders that are well designed don't need to be replaced because they can take multiple hits and not even show it.

 

[derf]

I hit a stock plastic flare on a tree while wheeling, it ripped off and in the process put a small crease on my fender. Not really noticeable unless you know what you are looking for, but there was damage. Some people say "they just rip off, but dont damage anything else", but I had a different experience, although I will say the damage to the fender was incredibly minor.

The good metal fenders(Poison Spyder and Metal Cloak come to mind) tie into the sub frames and shift the load from the thin sheet metal to a much more beefy structure. Could you still damage body work, sure, but its far less likely.

Ill take my chances with my Poison Spyder fenders to keep the rest of my Jeep looking decent over the flexy plastic fenders.

That's been my experience as well.

 

[Raspy]

I hit a stock plastic flare on a tree while wheeling, it ripped off and in the process put a small crease on my fender. Not really noticeable unless you know what you are looking for, but there was damage. Some people say "they just rip off, but dont damage anything else", but I had a different experience, although I will say the damage to the fender was incredibly minor.

The good metal fenders(Poison Spyder and Metal Cloak come to mind) tie into the sub frames and shift the load from the thin sheet metal to a much more beefy structure. Could you still damage body work, sure, but its far less likely.

Ill take my chances with my Poison Spyder fenders to keep the rest of my Jeep looking decent over the flexy plastic fenders.

I didn't realize they are so tough.

 

[derf]

I didn't realize they are so tough.

They can withstand a lot more than you think...

They have a pretty beefy set of brackets that slide in behind the flare to tie them to the subframe.

JK Front Crusher Flares | Jeep JK Front Flares | Parts & Upgrades | Poison Spyder Customs


If you're concerned about weight, you can always get them in aluminum. They cost more but don't weigh as much.

 

[Steve2012]

I say that metal fenders that are well designed don't need to be replaced because they can take multiple hits and not even show it.

Poison spyder's fit the lines of the Jeep very well, look like they were designed at the same time as the JK.

 

[derf]

Poison spyder's fit the lines of the Jeep very well, look like they were designed at the same time as the JK.

They do look good on the Jeep

 

[Steve2012]

They do look good on the Jeep

Good looking JK, non black wheels is good to see. I'll replace mine some day...

 

[okstatejk]

We run really tight trails around here and back in December I caught my plastic fender on a tree in the dark. I heard the noise but thought it was just my tires getting up into the fenders. The next day I saw there was a pretty good size dent in mine. I just hit it with a heat gun and pushed it back out. It didn't pull the plastic retaining clips all the way out so I was able to push them back in. No big deal and you can't even tell anything happened now. One of the other guys with us caught the same tree with both is passenger side doors, that was not pretty.

I didn't know the PS ones had all that reinforcement. That is good to know although I think I will be keeping a full fender, I just personally like the look.

 

[RemoJK]

Plastic flares never seem to stay on

I've been the running joke in our group cause I seem to lose one a lot

 

[derf]

Plastic flares never seem to stay on

I've been the running joke in our group cause I seem to lose one a lot

That's why I don't like them. Sure, the PS flares were more expensive up front but I don't have to replace them. If I ever hit them hard enough to do actual damage, I'll have bigger problems with the Jeep than the flares.

 

[JKUR37]

I trimmed my stock flares for now for extra tire clearance since my 35s rubbed. I will most likely go to Poison Spyder flares someday. I already have added enough weight for now and I don't tend to hit things with them, yet.