Front tube fender question

[DaveB]

I am planning on making some tube fenders/flares for the commando project and have some questions on how to make sure they are street legal. I know that I have to cover the full width of the tread and I'll need mud flaps that go to the center line of the rear wheel. My main question is on the front. Does the fender flare have to cover the entire length of the tire viewed from above ? I found an old post on the flare subject that says the top half of the tire has to be covered down to 50%. That is fine for the rear wheels but even stock jeeps don't cover the front tires down to the 50% line on the front of the tire. with the three inch axle shift on my project the tire sticks out a bit forward of the fender, does the overhang need to be covered ?

 

[bryson]

I don't know that I've ever heard a good answer on that one. I'm going to say that you will be ok/legal as long as the width is covered.

 

[mbryson]

I'm with Bryson. It doesn't seem well defined. I took advantage of that and made the taper on the front the way I wanted it to be. The rear area of the fender where you'd get splashes or whatnot is quite legal with an attached TJ flare according to my interpretation of the Utah law.

 

[Cascadia]

I just got my lj passed a few days ago. I have 4 inch flare tube fenders but viewed from above they aren't even close to covering the length of the tire to the front. I specifically asked the inspector too and he said it was completely legal.

 

[DaveB]

I just got my lj passed a few days ago. I have 4 inch flare tube fenders but viewed from above they aren't even close to covering the length of the tire to the front. I specifically asked the inspector too and he said it was completely legal.

That would be good I don't really want to take the fenders forward a bunch. I think I'll stop by the place that I usually have inspect my jeeps and see what they say just to be on the safe side. Do your 4 inch flare fenders cover the tire width wise ?

 

[Rusted]

Highway patrol inpection manual that is more or less the bible for the inspection stations does not have much to say about it

http://publicsafety.utah.gov/safetyinspections/docs/X2009-2010 SI PLT ManuaL.pdf

page 19 and 33 mostly

I understood it that mud flaps were not required on the front wheels, but that does not really answer your question about how much of the tire would need to be covered if looking for over head.

My best guess is that if they stand behind your car and look down the side and see any tire hanging out they may flag you for not having enough coverage. And the top view would not even be concidered.