24x14 Offroad Wheels On An AT4

[sanman28]

They claim they don't have time to cut the running boards today, so I may have to wait until they're done with the lift to see if they can still cut them today. They also have other customers to tend to... There's always other shops I can go to, but I'm tired of driving cross town for all of this to come together. I'm in the final stretch, so what's a couple of days waiting if the trimming doesn't happen today...

Just take the boards off for a bit.

 

[992dr]

Having the 3" Ready Lift kit installed today at a local shop. This off-road shop also does NorCal mods (fender modifications) and cuts running boards too, so I'll have them do everything today so I can hopefully put the wheels on this week.

I can't promise pictures of the actual cutting (safety protocols in-shop), but I'll certainly provide whatever step-by-step pictures I can get.

Wish me luck.

Good luck man, definitely lookin forward to the end results.
Sometimes if you get in good with the shop they'll do you a favor, like taking pictures or letting you watch whatever work is being done. Don't ask me how I know I have a hard time trusting people working on my Tahoe.

 

[ProfeZZor X]

Just take the boards off for a bit.

That's only a piece of the puzzle. I'd still need to cut the fenders.

More importantly right now is for me to see how far back I can cut into the structure underneath the fender liner. I haven't pulled the fender liner back to see how much metal there is I need to cut away, so that would be where I need to start at before I randomly start hacking away, and the inner/outer measurements end up being way off.

 

[ProfeZZor X]

The lift turned out great. It'll take a little getting use to driving higher, but i guess i can't complain. The lower part of the body extends just above the widest part of the tire, so that's a plus for getting the wheel to turn a little bit more.

Next Saturday I'll be taking it back to my main guy where I got my tires and powder coating. He's just as anxious to see the wheels on it as I am, so he's going to try his best to get the cutting done in one day. I told him we can do little by little in sessions (45 miles away), and come back over the course of a couple of weekends until it's done, but he's determined to knock it out in one session.... Okay.

 

[ProfeZZor X]

The wheels are officially on the AT4. I'd like to thank 4Play wheels, the lovers and haters, and everything and everyone that made this endeavor possible.

The cutting is currently being done, but there is very minimal impact on the body itself. That 3" lift made all the difference in the world. What they will have to do is trim the running boards about an inch and a half, and that's being very generous. The front wheel well only requires a minimal amount of cutting at the very bottom. The wheel does tuck inside the fender, but to be on the safe side and avoid any possible rubbing, I'm having them trim a little off that lower fender well, and a small amount of the felt liner.

Once it's all done and I make her all shiny, I'll post some glamor shots.

 

[ProfeZZor X]

More pics from today's install. We ended up not cutting the running boards. Instead, we shifted them back an inch and a half and recapped them so it's flush with the new fender cut.

I know a few of you expressed your concerns over the amount of cutting involved, but seeing what the lift did for this project, I was confident the cutting would be minimal. The felt liners were cut, but I will zip tie them once I fine tune the areas that occasionally rub. The only rubbing I've had was going up or down at an awkward angle. I did experience some caliper clearing issues when I test drove it. By the time i returned back to the shop, there were metal shavings all over the wheels. Part of the spokes were grinding on the calipers, so they added a 1/8th inch spacer. The spacer is thin enough not to make a huge difference in the existing cutting we've done.

In all it does have a more aggressive look than anything out there, but that's not what I was going for. Like most off-road enthusiasts, I wanted my AT4 to reflect my lifestyle and likes. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I'm the one that admires and drives it at the end of the day, so that's really all that matters.

Thanks again for your positive and negative feedback, your subscription to this thread, and overall support.

 

[sanman28]

Sick. Well done.

 

[BrokerThis]

Not particularly my style, but you have done a great job and it looks fantastic so far. Been interesting to read/take the journey with your writeups and updates over the past couple months as it progressed.

Can't wait for you to post some great action shot pictures to show how well it will perform

 

[Fast_AT4]

#HotSizzle Looking good man! Watch those tight drive thrus!!!

 

[ProfeZZor X]

Glam shots..