We Asked 6 Toyota 4Runner Owners Why They Chose To Add Fiberglass Front Fenders To Their 5th Gen – Here’s What They Said!
This Week’s Topic: Fiberglass Front Fenders
Hey guys, welcome back to another Feature Friday! If you missed last week’s FF, we looked at several 4Runners with High Clearance “Viper” Cuts.
This week, we are looking at 4Runners that have fiberglass front fenders. Check out Brenan’s post on ADV fiberglass fenders here.
Below we have six bad ass, next-level 4Runner builds that required a little bit more room up front for their long travel suspensions and tire needs. These owners swapped out their stock metal front fenders for aftermarket fiberglass ones. We asked them why they made the swap and also what brand and model they chose to go with.
As always, feel free to DM the owners on IG to ask any additional questions about their setup if needed.
Enjoy!
4Runners With Fiberglass Front Fenders
Why Add Fiberglass Front Fenders To Your 4Runner?
Fiberglass front fenders make off-roading a bit more worry-free, especially if you have long travel suspension and are also running significantly oversized tires on your 5th-Gen 4Runner (like 35s – see previous link).
Replacing the factory OEM metal front fenders with fiberglass can really help free up real estate around your fender area. That, in turn, allows you to more comfortably fit a bigger tire without rubbing fenders, flares, or inner liners at full compression and lock to lock wheel travel. This is something that the 4Runner, in factory form, is hindered by; any increase in tire size past the stock 265/70R17 size typically requires some sort of trim, hack, or lift. Especially if you wheel your truck.
Fiberglass does take some work to install correctly (good fitment can be tedious to achieve), and can be more prone to crack or chip. Not to say that these fenders are necessarily weaker. And that’s not saying that your fiberglass fenders are going to crumble, but with more involved modifications to your truck, there are always increased risks and maintenance involved. Everyone’s experience can be a little different.
Advanced Fiberglass Concepts seems to dominate the list! That being said, let’s see some rad rigs.
1. Jacob Cutting (@mag4rnr) – McQueen Prototype Design
Fiberglass Fender Details
- Model: 4″ Non-Snorkel
- Price: $600/pair
Why Did You Add Fiberglass Fenders To Your 4Runner?
When I added long travel to my 4Runner, I opted for fiberglass front fenders as well. I went with the BTF Fabrication +4.5” long travel kit and the 4” fenders from McQueen seemed like they were going to offer the most coverage.
When I got these fenders, they didn’t offer a 4” without fitment for a snorkel. However, Westin worked quickly to make some 4” units without a hole for a snorkel. I didn’t plan on running a snorkel and wanted more of a symmetrical look.
These fenders were super easy to fit onto the 4Runner. The bottom of the fender near the door attaches with a bracket that mounts to the door hinge.
2. Bobby D. (@charliechucklenuts) – Advanced Fiberglass Concepts
Fiberglass Fender Details
- Model: 3″ Flare, 2″ Rise
- Price: $600/pair
Why Did You Add Fiberglass Fenders To Your 4Runner?
I originally ordered these fenders when I planned on going long travel. I wanted the fenders to match the width of the tires and the aggressive look was a nice bonus.
Everything was great while I was mid-traveled and on 285s. However, after bumping up to 35s and long travel, I started to have some issues. Since the secondary bypass upfront required the removal of the OEM bump stop mount, there were a few months when I didn’t have a bump stop at all. After a few hard sends, I realized my tire was impacting the bottom edge of the fender, which had caused it to split and crack.
Soon after, I trimmed about an inch and a half off of the bottom edge of the fender. I also modified and trimmed the bottom mounting point (near the rear of the fender) to prevent impact during turns at full lock. I added hydro bumps so I wouldn’t rub the bottom of the wheel well.
Since the modifications, everything has been great and I would definitely recommend them!
3. Austin Walker (@t4rcanyoncrawler) – Advanced Fiberglass Concepts
Fiberglass Fender Details
- Model: 3″ Flare, 2″ Rise
- Price: $600/pair
Why Did You Add Fiberglass Fenders To Your 4Runner?
I decided to go with Advanced Fiberglass Fenders due to my oversized tires. I decided to make the change after multiple encounters between my tires and fenders, putting them into retirement, haha.
Overall, I love the aggressive stance the Advanced Fiberglass Fenders give the vehicle in combination with a wider offset! A few things I love about this brand was the shape, fitment, and how it flows with the factory body lines. They also add a big inner lip that can be used for mounting custom wheel liners which other brands didn’t have.
4. Osvaldo Maldonado (@d3v1lsrnr) – Advanced Fiberglass Concepts
Fiberglass Fender Details
- Model: 3″ Flare, 2″ Rise
- Price: $600/pair
Why Did You Add Fiberglass Fenders To Your 4Runner?
When I first purchased these mean-looking fenders, I really wanted the Baja race truck look and definitely knew the tire clearance would be great with these. At the time, I had 295/70R17s; then, I moved up to 35×12.50R17. Now we have a bit of rubbing, but nothing that can’t be fixed.
Overall, these are a really great fender done by an amazing company. I spent around $1200 to get them installed and painted.
5. Daniel Mejia (@madpews) – Advanced Fiberglass Concepts
Fiberglass Fender Details
- Model: 3″ Flare 2″ Rise
- Price: $600/pair
Why Did You Add Fiberglass Fenders To Your 4Runner?
I added fiberglass front fender flares to my 4Runner to give it a more aggressive look. With my suspension being Total Chaos +2 and running -44mm offset wheels, needless to say, it’s wide. The fenders cover everything nicely and give more clearance for the tires. I’m on 37s now, so it really helps a lot. The only thing I want now is flares for the rear quarter panels of my 4Runner.
6. Daniel Mejia (@txmade_125) – Advanced Fiberglass Concepts
Fiberglass Fender Details
- Model: 3″ Flare, 2″ Rise
- Price: $600/pair
Why Did You Add Fiberglass Fenders To Your 4Runner?
These fenders are amazing and follow the body lines of the 4Runner very well in my opinion. The installation process was a bit tedious due to sanding down excess material. However, once you get them fitted correctly, they look great!
Another plus with fiberglass is as you go up in tire size, it’s easier to cut and trim for proper fitment. They’re also very strong.
Final Thoughts
Man, what an awesome group of 4Runners for this week’s Feature Friday post. I really hope that the 6th Gen 4Runner has bigger fender wells so we enthusiasts can run larger tires without much issue.
Don’t get me wrong, fiberglass setups are really needed when you upgrade your suspension like our features above did. Notably, though, they also had to for tire clearance. I just hope Toyota sees how much people enjoy not having to excessively cut up the 3rd Gen Tundra to fit larger tires and takes note.
We want readers to get inspired by a variety of rigs/products. Submit your build for Feature Friday here to get featured. Next week we will showcase Lunar Rock 4Runners. If you would like to submit your build for next week, include your setup details and an awesome photo that shows it off.
Have a great weekend everyone!
