Cutting fenders on NBS

[1BIGHD]

I am looking to lower my 2003 Sierra 2500HD. I have a D60 up front with 40 inch Nittos. Right now it has approx. 10'' suspension lift and a 3'' body. I would really like to loose the body lift for stability and it is just way too damn big for the wheeling I like to do. As it sits now I can rub the front bumper bracket with my tires when turning at max stuff. The back fender well wont quite fit the tire so Im gonna have to do some trimming when I take the BL off. Does anyone have any pics of this being done on a NBS...oh yeah Im also looking to bob the bed, so any help would be great.

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[DarkCharisma]

Goddamn those are some big fvcking tires.

You'll have to lose the flares front and rear, but you can cut and fold the sheetmetal right by the door a couple inches, without looking too badly.

[canuckz71]

Cut out flares would look best imo.

[dirtyhick42]

Buy something that you can wheel?
Sell current tires and buy 37s when you lose the body lift?

Your truck will ALWAYS be too big to do any type of wheeling that isn't a mud pit.

[DarkCharisma]

Buy something that you can wheel?
Sell current tires and buy 37s when you lose the body lift?

Your truck will ALWAYS be too big to do any type of wheeling that isn't a mud pit.

With the right springs, shocks and weight loss, he could do dunes and deserts quite nicely.

[1BIGHD]

Buy something that you can wheel?
Sell current tires and buy 37s when you lose the body lift?

Your truck will ALWAYS be too big to do any type of wheeling that isn't a mud pit.

I wheel the hell out of it, it is surprisingly stable for its size and rides nice n soft, just looking for a little help on making the right decision. I guess driving experience goes a long way though. Heres a picture from the front of some light wheeling...before the front driveline install.
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[dirtyhick42]

Flex does not mean you can wheel. You are too big to go on any real trails and playing in the back of some neighborhood is not wheeling. But I already said what I think you should do, get smaller tires.

[dirtyhick42]

With the right springs, shocks and weight loss, he could do dunes and deserts quite nicely.

But from the pictures he has posted that is not what he is going to do and we both know that, also if he was he probably should have just gone with a custom lt setup instead of a sfa.

[lowc10]

I'm with the get smaller tires, run the 40's on the street and smaller off the street. If the front is centered in the wheel wells you could push it forward some, but that doesn't help any in the back. What about bump stops?

[1BIGHD]

Buy something that you can wheel?
Sell current tires and buy 37s when you lose the body lift?


Your truck will ALWAYS be too big to do any type of wheeling that isn't a mud pit.

To me a ten inch lift isn't that extreme with a soft stable suspension and with the 5.38s I put in, I'd like to keep running the 40s. As for the size, CCSB, I plan on buying a bed, making it as short as possible and possible a mild dove tail. I am pretty handy with metal and familiar with body work, and hell I fab up and built the whole suspension so I think its doable. Yes it is a big ass truck your right, but Im not going to rock crawl it, its just for D/D and wheeling with my family. I do plan on something smaller for my rock crawler, but this is fine for now.

[1BIGHD]

I'm with the get smaller tires, run the 40's on the street and smaller off the street. If the front is centered in the wheel wells you could push it forward some, but that doesn't help any in the back. What about bump stops?

I plan on bump stops, but I would like to use more of the trucks suspension (up travel) to help keep the truck as low and stable as possible.
I moved the front axle forward 4.5 inches off center to get it away from the firewall, but I will still probably have to cut the fender. I will probably fab a winch bumper for the front, so that will help a little.
But the back...if I cut out the wheel well say 5 inches bigger am I going to be able to find an aftermarket flare that I can modify to fit and look clean or would I have to make them?

[dirtyhick42]

Since you seem set on cutting up a perfectly good truck to play around in a washout I am gonna suggest at least make it look right and use some bushwacker cutout flares or something like it.

[1BIGHD]

Flex does not mean you can wheel. You are too big to go on any real trails and playing in the back of some neighborhood is not wheeling. But I already said what I think you should do, get smaller tires.

Just to let you know, that picture was taken on the trucks maiden voyage after the conversion, and that happens to be the beginning to a good trail with Reno in the background. Notice I wrote LIGHT WHEELING on the post. I was just flexing it out to see what it could do...2WD style!

[1BIGHD]

Since you seem set on cutting up a perfectly good truck to play around in a washout I am gonna suggest at least make it look right and use some bushwacker cutout flares or something like it.

Washout, it may look nice, but it ain't no mall crawler. And of course Im going to make it look right, so far so good right? Ill have to look into the Bushwacker cutout flares, thanks for the criticism and advice.

[wes761]

Keep the 40's, get bushwacker cutouts and go from there. I had to cut the living sh!t out of mine to fit 38's.... all the way into the rear doorjams, but I can stuff all four without any rubbing. An 8lb sledge and 4" cutoff wheel/angle grinder work wonders. The cutting I did on the rear won't help, because the wheel well is a different design. My front bumper is cut exactly like yours. I had to cut about 3 inches out of the rear of my front fender wells (really sucked to do). I would rather my tires be centered farther forward like yours...... I think a custom fabed bumper is in store for you.

I have no doubt that you can wheel that thing anywhere you want. The only way to wheel trails with something that big is to take it easy and make it flexy, which you've done a great job of doing. I used to catch all sorts of sh!t about being too big. At first the jeep's and toy's were very hesitant on letting me wheel with them, now I'm breaking trail & leading most of the time. Lots of experience and knowing what your doing is the only way to keep the sheet metal straight and parts from breaking.

[1BIGHD]

Keep the 40's, get bushwacker cutouts and go from there. I had to cut the living sh!t out of mine to fit 38's.... all the way into the rear doorjams, but I can stuff all four without any rubbing. An 8lb sledge and 4" cutoff wheel/angle grinder work wonders.

Don't worry about any idgits giving you sh!t about not being able to wheel something that big..... they're wrong. The only way to wheel trails with something that big is to make it flexy, which you've done a great job of doing. I used to catch all sorts of sh!t about being too big. At first the jeep's and toy's were very hesitant on letting me wheel with them, now I'm breaking trail & leading most of the time. Lots of experience and knowing what your doing is the only way to keep the sheet metal straight and parts from breaking.

Nicely stated! And I like your ENTHUSIASM! Im going to look up the cutouts right now.

Somehow...I started two of the same posts. WOOPS

Heres a couple of pics from the other post and a few for the BIG CHEVY TRUCK people in here. These are examples of the trimming I'd have to do.
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Yes, the black mark on the rear tire is from the flares

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You can see the flare bending, ...its still a bad ass picture though
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There is something about a full size flexin that looks so right, just gotta make room for those meats.
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Just too damn tall

[Joey D]

Keep the 40's, get bushwacker cutouts and go from there. I had to cut the living sh!t out of mine to fit 38's.... all the way into the rear doorjams, but I can stuff all four without any rubbing. An 8lb sledge and 4" cutoff wheel/angle grinder work wonders. The cutting I did on the rear won't help, because the wheel well is a different design. My front bumper is cut exactly like yours. I had to cut about 3 inches out of the rear of my front fender wells (really sucked to do). I would rather my tires be centered farther forward like yours...... I think a custom fabed bumper is in store for you.

I have no doubt that you can wheel that thing anywhere you want. The only way to wheel trails with something that big is to take it easy and make it flexy, which you've done a great job of doing. I used to catch all sorts of sh!t about being too big. At first the jeep's and toy's were very hesitant on letting me wheel with them, now I'm breaking trail & leading most of the time. Lots of experience and knowing what your doing is the only way to keep the sheet metal straight and parts from breaking.

I catch the same flack, your trucks to big to fit on the trails we run. I some how always seem to make it through though.

[Collector]

It doesnt appear to have 10+3" of lift. Looks like about 8-9"total for a HD.

[kemble]

It doesnt appear to have 10+3" of lift. Looks like about 8-9"total for a HD.

I'd guess he knows what it is, he did build it after all.

[Solid94]

So I wasn't loosing my mind. I thought I responded earlier this morning. So I'll repost my $.02 lol. First off I love how your truck turned out and love your truck in general! The only way I see you clearing 40s is loose the flares and use a cut off wheel and cut the fenders really nice. And it sounds like you have the experience to roll the sheet metal to make it look nice. I will definetly look out for your truck when I'm up in Tahoe/Reno. Great job on the build!