Ya Gotta' Be Kidding, Wider Fenders For a Dually!

[RADdodge]

Since I'm at it (Reader's Rigs), I thought I'd share the solution to some consternation I've had with wider wheels and tires on a 3500. I think our truck needs to go on a diet!



Big picture is at: #ad

 

[dresslered]

RADdodge-

Very nice looking truck. Are you going to share the details?



Also, a friend of mine who knows how to really examine a picture pointed out the fact that you are using Happi-Jak camper tie-downs. How do you get the flares under the camper?



David (w/slim version dually)

 

[RADdodge]

David, it's a long story...

Here is a link to the truck with the camper on it. Hope it answers your question about the tie downs. No probem at all. The bigest problem I have in loading the camper is the height of the 4x4.



#ad




As for the details, in short, I needed about 2-3 inches to cover my wider wheels. I didn't like anything I saw to fix the problem. I asked around at body shops and they all gave me a price to widen the fenders with fiberglass. I finally found someone that was in the know, and he said I couldn't successfully extend the fenders with fiberglass because the dually fenders were made of plastic. What would happen is the plastic won't hold the glass for long, it will crack eventually. Bummer. So he recommended a local guy that had experience in custom fiberglass body parts. The guy he sent me to is an artist. If there is any interest at May Madness, he will build some more. There is still some work to do to be able to produce them as a bolt on assembly. I think they are better than the plastic fenders they replace. And if they get dinged or broken, they can be re-paired unlike the plastic ones.

 

[dresslered]

Nice picture and a well thought out solution. I too push my camper jacks to the limits on the height and I have the OEM rims.

 

[Partyat33]

I'd be interested in those fenders. The ones that come with the truck are marginal at best. What kind of $$$$$ are we talking about.



Dennis

 

[RADdodge]

Don't kow yet...

We went through several molds to get the end result. For a single set, it cost me > 3K plus a lot of time. I wasn't happy with the way we ended up creating the mounting points. If we ever offer to sell any, that would have to be fixed. I want them to be bolt on replacements with little or no body work. If we do sell them, they will come unpainted, so that is some bodywork that will need to be done. I've run these fenders for about 5k miles and am very happy with them. The objective was to widen the fenders to cover the tires without making it look obvious. Paul, the man the built the fenders, did an excellent job. We will probably go looking for a 3500 truck bed so we can perfect the mounting flange and make it an accurate fit. Anyone know of a used 3500 box for sale?

 

[Mark_Kendrick]

Dually Designs Sell fenders that look stock but are 2" wider.



They're made for 3500 conversions. . the rear axle on the 2500's are a little longer and have to have wider fenders to be leagal in some states.



about $600 pr I think. .



I like the built in flares but if those are fiberglass I'd hate to rub one a bit it'd shred 'em

 

[RADdodge]

Bummer in the Summer (Zappa)

Originally posted by Mark_Kendrick

I like the built in flares but if those are fiberglass I'd hate to rub one a bit it'd shred 'em

That would be a bummer. After going to several body shops to get estimates on building out the fenders, I got a referral to someone that was an "expert" in fiberglass. At first he said it could probably be done, but when I pressed, he took a closer look at the fenders. Then he said "You know, these are a cost center for Chrysler. " I asked him what he meant. "Well," he said, "the only way to fix one of these is to replace it. They’re plastic. " He added, "I'm not absolutely sure, but I have a friend that works for Chrysler and I'll give him a call, but I'm pretty sure. "



He confirmed that they were indeed plastic. He referred me to the guy that eventually built the fenders.



I guess it comes down to what a person feels is important. I wanted wider fenders to fix a problem I created after the fact. I searched for a solution and couldn't find one I could live with. I thought it would be better to have them built out of fiberglass because if one did get mangled, I had a better chance of getting it fixed as opposed to having to replace it. I guess it's all a matter of perspective.

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

Big hips and training wheels.....

Following on from Dresslered's comments in this thread, I too must compliment you on the finished "look" of your wider than OEM rear fenders.



I too run a Lance camper on my 2001 3500, which is a 4x4 with 19. 5 tires/rubber all round. I haven't had any problems (yet ) loading/unloading the camper due to height, but I am curious as to how much clearance you have on both sides between the front camper jacks and the extra width fenders, when backing up?



Oh yeah, one more thing... ... . what you really need now to complete the package is a set of WAAG sidetubes (check the sig file below). They are compatible with the Happijacs and as an added bonus, it'll bug the hell out of David!!

 

[Mark_Kendrick]

I wouls have destryed afender a few weeks ago,but instead I just need to polish it a bit. had my head up and locked maneuvering near a tree it would be nice to be able to repair them if needed but you trade off a little durability. . be careful at drive thru banks, they get really tight w/stock fenders. I occasionally rub a tire



John,

I really Like those WAAG side bars. Did you get the ones w/the kickouts? about how much were they? Thats just what I've been looking for.



Thanks,

Mark

 

[dresslered]

... ... . what you really need now to complete the package is a set of WAAG sidetubes (check the sig file below). They are compatible with the Happijacs and as an added bonus, it'll bug the hell out of David!!

What John forgot to mention is that RADdodge is all clear for Tork-lift camper tie-downs! An accessory that John only can dream of.

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

Originally posted by Mark_Kendrick John, I really Like those WAAG side bars. Did you get the ones w/the kickouts? about how much were they? Thats just what I've been looking for. Mark

Yes, I have the WAAGs with kickouts, bought them almost 18 months ago now when I was in LA, not sure what the retail is now though, as far as I can remember I didn't see much change out of a few hundred dollars. Fitting was a breeze. Only trade-off is that with these extended tubes, I have to stay with happijacs for my slide-in camper mounts as both the WAAGs and Torklifts use the same mounting position. Of course, if you don't have (or plan to have) a slide-in camper this is a no-brainer. It's hard to believe that the manufacturers out there have not (yet) discovered a compatible way for their products to co-exist alongside each other.



As David has already said in this thread, it's the stuff that dreams are made of but I won't lose any sleep over it either

 

[Scooby]

John,



You're in Malaysia, now!?! Wow... when did that happen? Do you have the truck with you there?

 

[mbrolin]

Those are nice looking fenders. The factory fenders are plastic. SMC or sheet moulded compound. Its the same material used on Corvettes along with more and more other vehicles. SMC can be repaired just like fiberglas. It uses a different repair material.

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

Malaysia

Originally posted by Scooby

You're in Malaysia, now!?! Wow... when did that happen? Do you have the truck with you there?

Hi Scooby! I left Ireland in Europe in October and spent the last couple of months in England with a few side trips to mainland Europe, the Benelux countries plus Germany and Austria. I got out to KL this last week and look set to be here for about 6 months or so, maybe even longer.

I left my truck behind in England and get back to England on home leave after every 8 weeks for 2 weeks. Not knowing precisely how long I'm going to be here in KL was a decisive factor in leaving the truck behind but it's in good hands ( my wife's!) If I do decide to bring the truck out here to KL, it'll probably mean another ship again. From England/Europe you could theoretically drive all the way. (Earthroamer style) but it would take a long while and there are a few "hassles" on the way..... Lebanon, Israel, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan, to name a few of the transit countries.

Other alternatives include part drive and part ship, i. e. drive as far as Greece or Italy and then ship through Suez all the way to KL. Shipment from England to KL direct would be the other option but it ain't cheap.

 

[RADdodge]

Michael Brolin



I'm glad to know they (stock fenders) can be repaired. The folks I talked to said they couldn't. I don't know to what degree of damage they may have been referring to, but it seemed that fiberglass was a better alternative. BTW, not that the sidewalls of the tires will protect the fenders, but the sidewalls stick out about an inch past the fenders. I was trying to stay within the technicality of the law to cover the tread, keep the camper from getting sprayed all over with mud, and to keep the truck as stock looking as possible.



JohnMcIntyre



Howdy - I ran into some friends of yours up in Abbottsford BC last October. They raved about your sound system. They perked my interest in you video security too, which under most circumstances should protect your rig!!! (nuff said) Anyway, I have to confess. It wasn't the fenders, it was the wheels that got me. I figured out what wheels/tires I wanted before I bought the truck. It wasn't that I didn't thoroughly investigate the situation (see the spreadsheet picture about rear end ratios and tire size on another post), but I was completely in the dark about the wheels sticking out past the fenders. When I went to back up and load the camper #!*$#!!! Man, I was not a happy camper that day! (Major understatement) I went and bought some 3" stainless steel plate, and extended the jacks so I could load the thing (explicatives deleted!)! The wheels (and thus the fenders) clear the jacks by about 2 inches on each side.



p. s. I'll have to check out WAAGs and Torklifts



p. p. 's. John - I'd like to know more about your enhancements some time. As I recall, wasn't it you that was working on an article for the TDR about Air Lift Bags (Firestone I believe) and the Roadmaster Active Suspension? Could be wrong...

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

Originally posted by RADdodge

..... as I recall, wasn't it you that was working on an article for the TDR about Air Lift Bags (Firestone I believe) and the Roadmaster Active Suspension? Could be wrong...

Wow what a memory you have!! You're absolutely right - and it's (still) on my list of things still to do. I hadn't forgotten - it was just on the back burner, so to speak. I've been looking at the standard of other articles printed in the TDR magazine for the last 18 months or so and the bar has been set pretty high- so I wanted to make sure that my contribution for the Editor's consideration was going to be in the same league.

 

[Mark_Kendrick]

John,

I sent an e-mail to the TDR a few days ago about writing an article. I'm about to add a Ram-Air hood to my truck followed by injectors, fuel box, exhaust and a B1. I haven't heard back from them. Is there a person I can write or call directly to ask about this?



I sent the email to -- email address removed -- -- I got it off the contact page here on the web.



I see this as a great opportunity because I'll be going from stock to 430+ rwhp and intend to be able to use it all for towing. I suspect that a new clutch will be in the mix before I get done.

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

TDR Editor

Originally posted by Mark_Kendrick

..... Is there a person I can write or call directly to ask about this?

Mark, I would mark correspondence for the attention of the TDR Editor and it should find it's way to the right person



JMc

 

[Mark_Kendrick]

John I just got an email back from Jim anderson to get me started. I'll try to get a hold of them to see what their input is.



Thanks,

Mark