Making Tube Fenders for Your Jeep on the Cheap

Turn your stock Jeep fenders into aftermarket fenders with PVC piping for about $20.

The stock composite fenders on the Jeep Wrangler JK do a great job of keeping the tires from flinging debris onto the body, but when you add bigger tires or a suspension setup with more travel, those stock body parts get in the way. A handful of companies sell aftermarket replacement fenders with a protective tube tracing the outer edge, but they are expensive, so many owners simply trim the stock fenders to achieve the needed clearance.

Trimming the stock fenders is by far the least expensive alternative to clear up some space around the tires, but the modified stock fenders can create an unfinished look that some Jeep Wrangler owners might not like. Fortunately, forum member “ilovexjhahajk” put together a great do-it-yourself write-up on how to transform your stock fenders into the tube-style aftermarket look for about $20.

The Introduction

Technically, the OP didn’t make a write-up, he made a video for his Jeep Gear and Gadgets YouTube channel showcasing his homemade tube fenders on his Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. His first post included a link to the video where he explains how to make tube fenders out of stock fenders, some PVC pipe, some roof caulking and basic tools.

As he explains in the video above, tools needed include a saw to cut the piping, a heat gun to help bend the PVC piping and a Dremel tool to make a groove where the piping slides over the edge of the stock fender.

The installation began with the OP using the heat gun to melt the PVC just enough to make it pliable, allowing him to mimic the curvature of the fender around the wheel opening. Once he had the piping shaped to fit the fender, he took the Dremel tool and cut a 1/8-inch groove in the back of the piping where it meets the fenders and he filled that groove with the roof caulking. From there, he just pushed the PVC over the edge of the fender, with the caulking securing it in place.

Finally, he added some “spot welds” with JBWeld and he painted the PVC with Plasti-Dip so that it matched the black fenders.

The result of that fairly simple project is the tube-style fenders shown here. They look like expensive aftermarket components, but they are actually just stock fenders cut and fitted with black-painted PVC piping. When the video was made, the PVC tubes had been on the Jeep for about a year and while they had taken plenty of shots, the homemade fenders have held up.

Community Input

After the OP shared his video of how to make tube fenders for a Jeep JK with PVC piping, one member shared his results of attempting this DIY while another member showed how he did things a bit differently.

The first member to copy this DIY was “2013Wrangler”, who asked a handful of questions before tackling the project. He shared pictures of his Jeep with the PVC tube fenders and as you can see here, they look great.

Finally, “Sunnysideup” showed off his homemade tube fenders, but rather than PVC piping, he used heavy duty garden hose. This eliminated the need to heat and bend, along with being much easier to cut and fit to the fenders. He glued them to the fenders as well and he achieved the same basic look with a bit less work, although the garden hose cost more than the PVC.

Click here to head into the forum to take a closer look at this DIY and the results of members trying the project at home.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

Facebook   Twitter