As I said in an earlier article, when building a daily driver for an avid off-roader, who also happens to be a high school student in Southern California, one has to consider California’s more stringent vehicle regulations. For instance, all tire treads have to be covered by the vehicle’s fenders to reduce the likelihood of road debris being thrown up by the tires. A set of Rugged Ridge extended fender flares takes care of these requirements for the SoCal Cherokee. You should check the regulations for the state in which you reside, as these same requirements may pertain to you.

Even though, in my opinion, XJ-model Cherokees are one of the “best bangs for your bucks” Jeeps that are available today; in other words, you get more for your dollar if you buy one of these fine SUVs. You have to be careful, though, because new parts for them are being dropped from catalogs because of their age, not because of their popularity. Rugged Ridge, Omix-ADA, and a few others are still maintaining a good selection of aftermarket parts for them.

My younger son, Chad, and I are slowly building a 1990 Cherokee Laredo for his son, Cash, to be a daily driver (to and from school and work) and an off-road weekend warrior for camping trips to the trails of SoCal and Arizona. We’ve already lifted the Cherokee and gave it a set of Rubicon wheels and Yokohama Geolandar A/T tires, replaced its injectors, protected it with steel bumpers, and now we’re making it safe for the highways of SoCal with wider fender flares.

The fender flares feature a stylish design while also protecting the vehicle’s paint from flying rocks and mud. The fender flares are constructed from durable, UV-treated ABS with a slight texture. The Rugged Ridge all-terrain fender flares are paintable—although we left them as is—and provide a great look, while being able to handle whatever the trail may throw at them. They are designed to fit factory mounting points with durable, rustproof stainless fasteners.

Before beginning the install verify that all parts are in the package and read the instructions through a few times. Remove any OEM flares or trim from the Cherokee’s four fenders.

I’d also like to thank Kevin Lake and Mike Barnes for all their experience and knowledge in their assistance with this installation.

Source List:
Rugged Ridge
www.ruggedridge.com

Summit Racing
http://www.summitracing.com/