Chris Hansen
When I received the Rugged Ridge XHD Steel Fenders I was taken back with how they were delivered. I wasn’t aware of size or the weight of these fenders, but when they arrived on a 4 foot x 6 foot pallet. The boxes where huge to house these monster fenders. I highly recommend you have help when this arrives to move it to a safe place (I placed in garage) and was lucky enough that the carrier service used a fork lift dolly to move these.
The fenders were boxed as expected and each fender was wrapped and taped off, all the parts were labeled and instructions were “relatively” straightforward. I have to say that these are the real deal. Unboxing was easy, lifting these bad boys was a challenge due to how heavy they are. Quality built, strength in steel!!!!
Tearing down my Jeep to begin the install process was fun, as well as made me anxious. I wasn’t exactly sure the time it would take to install the fenders and having a helping hand made a huge difference. After I removed the factory OEM fenders and inner inners, I also removed the front panels. Be careful while removing these as you will be using the upper cowl that is secured to the front fender (you will be removing it carefully).
Once everything was stripped down, which took about 2 hours, it was time to being prepping the Jeep to install. This included drilling into the body in the rear to secure the Slotted Rivet Nuts to secure the rear fenders. To do this, you have to remove the tail lights, gas cap and cup and I recommend cleaning the surface to ensure best install. Use a colored marker. You will need 2 people to complete the rear install to ensure holes are lined up properly!!!!
After completing the rear the front went a little faster, but still took some time to get it right. As you can see from the shots of the process the transformation is amazing! I did add a pop of red to match with my build accents on the mesh inserts which look great in my biased opinion.
Overall, I couldn’t be happier with the Rugged Ridge XHD Fenders and the way they’ve changed my Jeep. The install was a day long task, but worth every minute of the 9 hours it took. The upside is you don’t have to worry about any rubbing regardless of tire size. The downside is unless you are running inner fender liners everything is exposed. Which in my opinion isn’t a good thing.
If you want to change the look of your Jeep and truly stand out I highly recommend the Rugged Ridge XHD steel fenders. I attended a Jeep event in Frisco, Texas the day after and had a tremendous amount of Jeep enthausists stop and admire the fenders.
Rugged Ridge Armor Fenders for Wrangler JK are not just another bolt-on accessory. We developed our Armor Fenders with such a brawny & bold styling; they’re capable of transforming your rig into an unmistakable, attention-grabbing shadow if its former self. High body lines and aggressively arched wheel openings provide greater clearance for larger tires and allow for improved wheel travel and articulation off-road.
- Constructed of heavy gauge 3 mm thick steel, utilizing fold-and-weld construction, for greater structural integrity you can appreciate.
- Meticulously finished with a resilient black textured powder coat that protects from real-world road hazards.
- The Armor rear fenders revolutionary 2-piece design allows for full encasing of the taillight and allows for a fitment that is free of gaps for tight fitment and unsurpassed protection while the front fenders integrated vent screen helps expel engine heat for better overall performance.
