How to Cut XJ Fenders to Fit 35-Inch Tires: The Notch and Fold Method

Why lift alone doesn't solve this

A 4.5-inch lift gives you the vertical clearance to run 35s without the tires scrubbing your suspension components — that's what the lift is doing. What it doesn't change is the size of the wheel opening in the fender. The XJ's wheel openings are cut conservatively from the factory, and on 35s the tire extends past the fender lip both at full compression and at full droop. You'll rub front and rear.

Adding a 1-inch body lift buys you some additional clearance by raising the body off the frame, which in turn raises the fender opening relative to the axle. Some XJ builders on 35s run a body lift and moderate fender trimming instead of deeper cuts. It works, but it's a workaround. The cleaner solution is to cut and fold properly and be done with it.

The rubbing patterns tell you where to cut: front fenders rub at the leading and trailing edges of the opening on full lock and compression. Rear quarter panels rub along the bottom pinch seam on compression and articulation. Those are your two cut zones.

Front vs. rear: structurally very different jobs

The front fenders on the XJ are bolt-on panels — they are not structural. You can cut them, trim them, or remove them entirely without affecting the unibody. This makes the front job forgiving. If you cut too aggressively, the worst case is you need bigger flares.

The rear quarter panels are a different situation. They're welded to the unibody and are structural — specifically, the pinch seam at the bottom of the rear wheel opening is a doubled-over piece of metal spot welded at intervals, and it's part of the body structure. You cannot just slice it off with an angle grinder. If you cut through the spot welds without a plan, you weaken the corner and open a gap that will collect water and rust out within a year.

The notch-and-fold method solves this: instead of cutting the pinch seam away, you cut slots between the spot welds and fold each tab back into the wheel well, keeping the structural spot welds intact while eliminating the lip that the tire is hitting.

Front fender cut: what you're actually doing

The front fender opening has two rubbing zones on 35s: the lower front corner (the tire hits this on full lock) and the lower rear corner (tire hits this on droop). Both are accessible from under the hood or under the front fender with the wheel turned.

Step 1 — pull the plastic inner liner. The front inner fender is a plastic panel held by push-pin clips. Remove it. This gives you a clear view of what the tire is actually hitting and makes cutting safer since you won't accidentally cut the liner in a way that directs debris at your engine bay.

Step 2 — mark the cut line. Turn your wheels to full lock and rotate the wheel by hand to scuff marks where the tire contacts the fender. These scuff marks are your cut guide. Add ½ inch of clearance beyond the scuff marks for articulation buffer — you want clearance at full stuff with the steering at full lock, not just static clearance.

Step 3 — cut the sheet metal. An angle grinder with a thin cutting wheel works cleanly. An air saw or Sawzall also works. Cut along your marked line. At corners, cut a small relief notch so the metal folds rather than buckles — make a short perpendicular cut into the corner before bending. Smooth any sharp edges with a grinding disc or file.

Step 4 — trim the plastic liner to match. Reinstall the liner and mark it where it now overhangs the cut metal. Trim it with a jigsaw or heavy scissors. The liner's job is to keep mud out of the engine bay — keep as much as you can.

Step 5 — seal and treat. Spray any bare metal with self-etching primer, then hit it with rubberized undercoating or seam sealer. The front fender is exposed to road debris and water. Bare metal in an Arizona monsoon or Utah snow will start showing surface rust within a season.

Rear quarter panel: the notch and fold, step by step

This is the part most people are anxious about — and the part BleepinJeep's video walks through well. The rear quarter panel's pinch seam runs along the bottom of the wheel opening. It's doubled-over metal that you need to fold back into the wheel well rather than remove.

Step 1 — mark your cut line. Use the same scuff-mark method as the front: drive the Jeep over a curb or compress the suspension by hand and see exactly where the tire contacts the panel. Mark a line about ½ inch inside the contact point — this is where your vertical cuts will start from the fender edge inward.

Step 2 — cut the notch at the corner. At each upper corner of the wheel opening (front corner and rear corner of the rear wheel opening), cut a small triangular notch into the body line. The notch is what allows the flange to fold without cracking or bunching. Cut about ¼ inch past the outer body line into the corner — this removes the tight bend that would otherwise split when you try to fold the metal.

Step 3 — cut vertical slots between the spot welds. Along the bottom pinch seam, make vertical cuts approximately every inch, cutting from the lower edge of the fender opening upward to just below the spot welds — not through them. You're creating a row of tabs. The spot welds stay attached; you're just liberating the metal between them so the tabs can move independently.

Step 4 — fold each tab inward. Use needle-nose pliers to grab each tab and start bending it toward the wheel well. Finish with a rubber mallet — set a block of wood against the tab and hammer it flat against the inner structure. Work from one end to the other. The goal is tabs laying flat against the inside of the wheel well, not sticking out where they can catch on anything.

Step 5 — seal everything. This is where people cut corners and regret it. Every cut edge is bare metal. Apply seam sealer along all the cuts — the type that comes in a caulk tube and stays flexible is better than rigid epoxy here. Then hit the entire area with rubberized undercoating or truck bedliner rattle can. The rear quarter panel traps water and mud. Unprotected bare metal here rusts aggressively.

Step 6 — check clearance before buttoning up. With the wheel remounted, cycle the suspension through its full range and check that the tire clears at every point. If you're still hitting at the upper edge of the opening, you may need to cut slightly higher before sealing.

How much can you actually cut?

On the front, you're limited by the fender flare mount points and the washer bottle on the driver's side. Some builders relocate the washer bottle to get another inch of cut on that side — worth doing if you're running a 1-inch body lift and aggressive tire. On the passenger front, you're limited by the battery box and inner fender structure. Most builds cut 1–2 inches from the lower edge of the front fender opening.

On the rear, the practical limit is the bottom of the outer body line — the visible character line that runs the length of the vehicle. Cutting above that line changes the look of the body panel significantly and isn't usually necessary for 35s. Most rear notch-and-fold jobs on 35s remove 1–1.5 inches of effective pinch seam depth by folding the tab back.

Tools and materials

Cutting: Angle grinder with a thin metal cutting disc (4.5-inch works well). An air saw or Dremel with a cutting disc is useful for precision work in tight corners. A Sawzall with a metal blade cuts faster but leaves a rougher edge.

Folding: Needle-nose pliers to start each tab, rubber mallet and a small wood block to flatten. Vice grips if the metal is resisting.

Finishing: Seam sealer (3M 08308 or equivalent — get the tube type, not the cartridge). Self-etching primer spray. Rubberized undercoating spray or Rustoleum bedliner.

Safety: Face shield or at minimum safety glasses — cutting disc sparks and metal chips are not friendly to eyes. Leather gloves for the folding work. The cut metal edges are sharp.

Fender flare options after cutting

Once you've cut the fenders, the stock XJ flares may not reach the new fender edge — especially on the rear. Your options, roughly in order of cost:

Run it flat. Many XJ builders run with no flares on the cut sections, especially rear. If you're not concerned about rocks, it's legal in most states as long as the tire doesn't extend beyond the fender line. Not trail-polished, but functional.

Bushwacker flat-style or cut-out flares ($80–150/set). Bushwacker makes XJ-specific flares that are designed to work with trimmed fenders. The flat-style adds about 3.5 inches of coverage and looks correct on the XJ body. The cut-out style has a more aggressive edge. Either works; both are easy to install with the included hardware.

TJ Wrangler flares ($30–60 used). Stock TJ fender flares bolt to the XJ with minor modification and offer more coverage than the stock XJ flares. A common budget solution. The look is functional rather than refined.

Tube fenders (JCR, Poison Spyder, similar — $400–800+). Tube fenders remove the sheet metal fender entirely and replace it with a steel tube structure. They require the most cutting — the whole fender comes off — but give you maximum tire clearance, trail armor, and a look that says the build is serious. If you're going to 37s or running an aggressive trail rig, tube fenders are the right endpoint. On a daily driver or weekend wheeler on 35s, it's probably more than the job needs.

What about 33s — do you still need to cut?

On a 3-inch lift with 33×10.5R15, most XJs need minor front liner trimming and may need a small notch at the rear lower corner of the front fender opening on full lock — but not a full cut-and-fold on the rear. The rear quarter panels on 33s usually clear with lift alone, especially with stock backspacing wheels. If you're on 33s and rubbing, check your backspacing first — running wider-than-stock backspacing (tire pushed further outward) is a common cause of rubbing that lift and cutting won't fix.

The notch-and-fold is a 35s job. If you're on 33s and rubbing, start with liner trimming and a backspacing check before touching sheet metal.