CJ DeFenders - 3" Taper Flares (Steel) with Inner Fender Kit | Jeep Front Fender Armor

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CJ DeFenders - 3" Taper Flares (Steel) with Inner Fender Kit

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PN: 11-02-073

Poison Spyder raises the bar for Jeep fender armor— DeFenders™ are the next evolutionary step beyond "tube fenders". CNC laser cut, precision brake-formed 3/16" plate steel yields a stronger, more functional, better-looking fender than the tired, out-dated tube fender design. DeFenders™ provide protection to your Jeep during hard core trail use as well as increased clearance for larger tires and suspension articulation. The wheel opening is approximately 4" wider than the stock Jeep fenders, and about 3" wider than old school tube fenders. Includes an aluminum Inner Fender Kit to allow bolt-in installation without cutting and re-using the stock inner fenders.

Product Description

Solid, "Tubeless" Construction
DeFenders™ are fabricated entirely from CNC laser-cut, precision brake-formed 3/16" plate, either heavy duty P&O steel or lightweight 6061-T6 aluminum. Only one competitor manufactures a fender that's anything like the DeFender™>—fabricated entirely of plate with no tubing—but their design leaves a vertical edge of the metal pointed downward, right at the tire. The DeFender™ has an extra "return", or lip along the underside of the fender, which provides better protection from cutting into a fully stuffed tire, while also lending extra strength to the outer edge of the fender, where it is most likely to come in contact with rocks, canyon walls, trees, etc.

Aluminum Inner Fender Kit Included
The DeFender™ Inner Fender kit provides splash protection to the engine compartment as well as a place to mount under-hood accessories. The Inner Fender Kit also provides for a complete, bolt-in DeFender installation without requiring cutting and re-using the stock inner fenders. Each inner fender is a 3-piece bolt-together assembly, made of CNC laser cut aluminum sheet. Please note that no accessory mounting holes or brackets are provided, as each installation is left to the discretion of the installer to decide where to mount components. Most stock inner fender-mounted components can be re-mounted to the DeFender™ Inner Fenders by simply drilling a hole and/or fabricating a simple bracket.

DeFenders™ vs. "tube fenders"
DeFenders™ are not "tube fenders"—they're better! Much of the Jeep armor industry was built upon Poison Spyder's original Tube Fender design, which has been borrowed, copied, and in some cases even improved upon, by many of our competitors. But now the state of the art in Jeep fender armor takes a giant leap forward with the DeFender™ product line. Rather than tube, the outer edges of the DeFender™ are brake-formed into a rugged 3-sided rub rail. Most "tube fenders" use a piece of .120" thick (just under 1/8") tubing as the outer edge rub rail, with 1/8" thick sheetmetal top plates. Compare that to the 3/16" (.188") thick material of the DeFender™ which is carried throughout its structure, from the outer rub rail surface to the top plates to the mounting structure. The DeFender™ is not only much stronger than a tube fender, it looks much better as well, with smooth flat surfaces that blend better with your Jeep's exterior appearance.

Increased Front Tire Clearance
Even on the non-highline version, the DeFender™ provides a much larger wheel opening than stock or some competitors' tube fenders. The back of the wheel opening, where larger tires tend to rub when the steering is at full-lock, is approximately 2½" further back compared to typical tube fenders, and about 4" further back than the stock Jeep flares.

3" Tapered Flare
The 3" Tapered Flare was designed for maximum performance in several aspects. First, it provides the same splash protection of our regular 3" flare, keeping mud and debris from splashing up onto the side of the Jeep. But rather than having a straight side, the edge of the flare tapers inward toward the front of the Jeep, in a line parallel to the tapered edge of the hood. In this manner it tapers from 3" at the back, to about the same width as our "Zero Flare" at the front, providing the same great clearance for articulating tires and tight trails that our Zero Flare provides. DeFenders™ are also available in Zero Flare (links: Steel | Aluminum) and Negative Flare (links: Steel | Aluminum) versions, and a wider, tire coverage width to be released at a future date.

Easy Access & Side Plate Options
Access holes in the side of the DeFender™ make it easy to access the area between the wheel well and the firewall during installation. After installation, these holes are covered with a choice of different side cover plates. For the simplest install, choose the DeFender™ Side Inserts, which fill the access holes in the side panels of the DeFender™. DeFender™ Side Inserts are CNC laser cut from 1/8" aluminum plate. The Spyder logo cut-out acts as an air vent to promote airflow through the engine bay. The Side Inserts are designed to bolt to the inside surface of the DeFender™, using the supplied stainless steel button head hardware. For those who want more substantial armor protection, the DeFender™ Full Length Side Plates extend from the fender flare rearward to the door opening, and from the top of the Rocker Knockers™ up to the hood line. These Full Length Side Plates also provide extra bracing for the DeFender™ against frontal impacts, helping to prevent buckling of the weaker, stock tub sheetmetal just rearward of the armored fender. DeFender™ Full Length Side Plates are CNC laser cut from 3/16" 6061-T6 aluminum plate. Bolt holes are countersunk so that the supplied flat head stainless steel hardware lies flush with the plate's surface. The forward edge is cut to fit the enlarged wheel opening of Poison Spyder DeFenders™, while the lower edge is is cut to nest against Poison Spyder Rocker Knockers™ or Ricochet Rockers™ (NOTE: the angle of the forward edge of the Full Length Side Plates may not precisely align with the forward edge of older versions of Rocker Knockers™ and Ricochet Rockers™—newer, DeFender™-specific Rocker Knockers™ or Ricochet Rockers™ are designed to match the angle of this forward edge more closely). DeFender™ Side Inserts and DeFender™ Full Length Side Plates are sold separately (must be added to your cart as a separate item), so you may choose which one best matches your needs (select one or the other, but not both).

Accepts Hi Intensity LED Marker Lamps
Replacing your Jeep's factory fenders also removes the factory side marker light formerly mounted in the fender flare. DeFender™ are designed with provisions for mounting a smaller, more discreet but high intensity 3/4" LED Marker Lamp. These lamps are available separately through Poison Spyder Customs, and are DOT approved for automotive use. Note that these LED marker lamps may be wired to function as either a marker/running lamp or as a turn signal, but not as both.

Image Galleries

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Frequently Asked Questions

Got a question about this product? We've tried to cover the most frequently asked ones below. You may also want to check our Master FAQ Page for more general questions about Poison Spyder, our products, ordering and shipping. Don't see an answer to your question? Ask our sales department by email at [email protected], and we'll get back to you as soon as possible with the information you need.

Q: Can I order it powder coated?

A: At this time we are not offering powder coat for this product. If we are able to devise suitable packaging which will adequately protect the powder coat finish during transit, we may add a powder coat option in the future.