Sledgehammer Mod
10-27-2014, 02:39 PM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Sledgehammer Mod
hey all, i want to try and squeeze some 33" tires on my 92 4x4. the lift is stock and i want it to stay that way. there is a guy with an orange xtra cab 22re who squeezed some 33" mud terrains on his with a stock lift, he has high clearance fenders and what he calls a "sledgehammer mod" to be able to fit these tires. i did some research and the only thing i could find is that you actually hammer the cab corners to fit the tires. if anyone knows how to do this that would be awesome, i cant find much info on it.
10-27-2014, 03:41 PM
#2
when searching, try "pinch weld mod" and "BFH" in your search terms.
this is a very common modification in the 4x4 community and is a type of sheet metal reforming to give clearance at the pinch weld/firewall area of the front wheel wells, as opposed to lifting your rig. the more extreme version of this is "tubbing" your firewall, where you literally cut out a section and weld a piece back in that's got more clearance to the tire when stuffed and turning. on the exterior of the fender, you should not really see any evidence, unless you hit or cut the outside of your fender on purpose or accident.
how to do it: jack up the single corner of truck you're addressing and remove the tire so you get plenty of room to swing the BFH. make sure ebrake is on and truck is firmly planted on stand(s). unscrew the fender liner and either remove it or pull back so you can see what you're doing. now you have full access to the pinch weld area - literally a "pinched/folded" section of metal that gets spot welded together, just like the seam on the back of all your clothing's seams. you can remove some of this material to a certain degree, with a cutoff wheel or other tool of choice. otherwise, whack away. just don't miss and hit your fender
probably a good idea to measure and pay attention to how much you moved the metal. the fender liner can get re-installed with either a cutout where it's no longer contoured to the firewall, or you may have luck with a heat gun to reform the plastic.
keep in mind that if you have clearance issues at your firewall, you will likely have issues at the corner of your bumper/valence. the degree to which you need to clearance in both areas depends entirely on the width of your tires and with of your wheels. a 33x10.5 is easier to fit than a 33x12.5" simply out of width. you'll get even more variations when you add 8" vs 10" wide wheels, you'll notice each will have its challenges.
on my truck, i first cut out a small section of the pinch weld that i considered excess. then i folded the pinch weld over, so it was flat; which gave around 0.5-1" more clearance. lastly, i pounded the hell out of the area my tire was contacting and caved it in a good amount. it takes a good amount of force to move the metal in the corner of the cab, which is why you need to use a BFH/sledge instead of a lightweight hammer. my driver's side is all good, but my passenger side needs a little bit more love massage because it still makes contact when i'm steering locked to the right, then bottom out the suspension. to give you a reference at my truck's front height, i'm right around 22.5" from center of axle to bottom of fenders (all 4 corners) and run 33x12.5 Toyos. front does have some bj spacers and slight tbar adjustment.
good luck!
this is a very common modification in the 4x4 community and is a type of sheet metal reforming to give clearance at the pinch weld/firewall area of the front wheel wells, as opposed to lifting your rig. the more extreme version of this is "tubbing" your firewall, where you literally cut out a section and weld a piece back in that's got more clearance to the tire when stuffed and turning. on the exterior of the fender, you should not really see any evidence, unless you hit or cut the outside of your fender on purpose or accident.
how to do it: jack up the single corner of truck you're addressing and remove the tire so you get plenty of room to swing the BFH. make sure ebrake is on and truck is firmly planted on stand(s). unscrew the fender liner and either remove it or pull back so you can see what you're doing. now you have full access to the pinch weld area - literally a "pinched/folded" section of metal that gets spot welded together, just like the seam on the back of all your clothing's seams. you can remove some of this material to a certain degree, with a cutoff wheel or other tool of choice. otherwise, whack away. just don't miss and hit your fender
probably a good idea to measure and pay attention to how much you moved the metal. the fender liner can get re-installed with either a cutout where it's no longer contoured to the firewall, or you may have luck with a heat gun to reform the plastic.keep in mind that if you have clearance issues at your firewall, you will likely have issues at the corner of your bumper/valence. the degree to which you need to clearance in both areas depends entirely on the width of your tires and with of your wheels. a 33x10.5 is easier to fit than a 33x12.5" simply out of width. you'll get even more variations when you add 8" vs 10" wide wheels, you'll notice each will have its challenges.
on my truck, i first cut out a small section of the pinch weld that i considered excess. then i folded the pinch weld over, so it was flat; which gave around 0.5-1" more clearance. lastly, i pounded the hell out of the area my tire was contacting and caved it in a good amount. it takes a good amount of force to move the metal in the corner of the cab, which is why you need to use a BFH/sledge instead of a lightweight hammer. my driver's side is all good, but my passenger side needs a little bit more love massage because it still makes contact when i'm steering locked to the right, then bottom out the suspension. to give you a reference at my truck's front height, i'm right around 22.5" from center of axle to bottom of fenders (all 4 corners) and run 33x12.5 Toyos. front does have some bj spacers and slight tbar adjustment.
good luck!
10-27-2014, 05:00 PM
#3
Registered User
Thread Starter
thanks so much man! i really appreciate the explanation! on a side note, is it better to run a 12.5" tire on an 8" wide rim or a 10" wide rim. truck will be driven 80% of the time on the road with some occasional off roading. i will be running general grabbers if that makes a difference.
10-27-2014, 05:25 PM
#4
Registered User
I would definitely stick with an 8" wheel personally. I like the look much better and it will also be easier to run the tires with no lift.
These pics are o 35x12.50s, but the same thought applies.
15x10s
15x8s
These pics are o 35x12.50s, but the same thought applies.
15x10s
15x8s
10-27-2014, 09:27 PM
#6
Registered User
Thread Starter
when i said "stock" i meant that i did not lift the truck any more than it was designed. when you refer to height on trucks (more specifically 4x4s) you generally say "stock lift"
Last edited by mreagen; 10-27-2014 at 09:29 PM.
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