JT Crawler Ultimate Clearance Highline Rear Flare

BEHIND THE DESIGN

With the Highline front flare complete we needed to begin development of the Gladiator rear flare. Design of the rear flare was a bit less complicated than the front but most of our key fitment points still had to be achieved. Again, the debris buildup between the flare and the body, a seamless transition from the body mounting surface to the flare, the ability to switch easily from our standard flares and of course as much additional clearance as possible were some of the items that carried over along with something that had been bothering us for years, the tire not sitting symmetrically in the wheel well.

From the initial release of the JT we had always wanted to either extend the wheelbase or design a flare that would fit the wheel more in the center of the opening. Where there was no room on the JLU to push the flare forward there was plenty of room on the bed of the Gladiator. Aesthetic changes are nice but if we only focused on that you still would have a clearance issue if you want to run anything over a 40. So by adjusting the flare base to allow for as much additional trimming to the front and following the lines on the front flare we were able to make a wheel well opening and flare that is designed for a 42” tire. We recognize not everyone is going to run that size tire so what this also allows is a shorter lift maximizing the LCG (Low Center of Gravity) theory that we have been a part of since the beginning of the company. To complete the shift of the wheel well we curved the flare down earlier in the rear so that we could again sit in the flare recess at the back of the wheel opening. This shift has made a huge difference in the overall appearance on the Gladiator and with a simple flare swap and some trimming bolt on 42’s where 40’s had to be bump stopped to avoid rubbing the body.

With all of this additional clearance we were again faced with the flare to body transition and wanted to make it match the front so we used the transition plate eliminating the skeleton structure others have used which covers the body allowing customers to finish the flares in whatever color they prefer without the concern of the body color showing through.

After manufacturing the number of flares that we have and knowing that our alignment and fitment was spot on we decided that using a modified version of our existing base plate would be the best foundation to build the Highline flare. By maintaining all of the existing flare mounting holes that we use on our standard flares existing customers are now able to remove the standard flare and bolt on the Highline flare without drilling additional holes. The baseplate does allow for some additional trimming of the body for additional clearance should the customer choose to do so. 

The Gladiator bed was interesting to work with when defining the back edge of the flare that sits against the body. In order to achieve a uniform look from Jeep to Jeep and especially left to right due to the differences in the deformation from the stamping on the fuel fill area we left the clearance between the bed and the flare tighter so that when the foam was installed it would push against the body harder giving us a more consistent fit and virtually eliminating any chance of debris getting caught between the flare and the body. 

As with all Nemesis products we strive to identify and solve not only the main purpose of a part but look at what else we can do to provide as much value to our customers as possible with our parts. There are many choices available but when you compare the fit, finish and complexity of a Nemesis product you will never be disappointed in your investment. 

PRODUCT COMPATIBILITY

• Currently we are unaware of any compatibility issues with this product
• If you have questions about fitment with your specific build please contact us at [email protected]

SPECIALTY TOOLS REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE INSTALLATION

• Nutsert tool with a ¼” - 20 mandrel (Available under the tools section of the website) 
• “W” size drill bit (Available under the tools section of the website)

PRODUCT NOTES

• See – The MORE INFORMATION Tab – located above, for detailed product specifications
• See – The INSTALL INSTRUCTION DOWNLOAD tab – located above, to download detailed instructions for this product