Bushwacker fender flares are pretty easy to install.  Why?  One reason is because they fit so good. A lot of aftermarket fender flares just don’t line up. You’ll spend hours trying to figure out why they just won’t line up with the bolt holes.  It’s because they’re cheap. You get what you pay for.  They’ll never line up or look just right.

But another secret is most fender flares don’t fit perfect.

Believe it or not, even factory fender flares don’t line up just right. But they’re a whole lot better than the cheap fender flares.  And if you want to get close to that almost perfect fitting fender flare, you’d better go with Bushwacker.  Wanna know how easy it is to install Bushwacker fender flares?  We’ll tell you anyway.  It’s so easy, you can do it in your driveway.  It’s so easy, your mom could do it in your driveway.  But we’re sure you’d rather do it yourself.

So here’s what to do.

They’re all pretty easy to install, but the details depend on the style of Bushwacker flares you have. The Street Flares and OE Flares are obviously easier to install than Cut Out Flares.  Let’s do this by the style of Bushwacker flares you have.

How to Install Street Style Fender Flares

1. Remove any existing fender flares, fender trim or mud flaps from your vehicle.

2. Clean the area where the Bushwacker Street Fender Flare will go. It’s great to wash the whole vehicle, but if you’re not feeling it, several inches from the edge of the fender will work.

3. Jack your vehicle up, put it on jack stands and make sure it’s solid. You don’t want your truck sitting on you because you didn’t feel like securing it on jack stands.

4. Remove the wheel/tire to give you more room within the fender well.

5. Install the edge trim on the back of the fender by removing the red backing a few inches at a time. It’s easier to handle a small section at a time rather than the adhesive catching your arm, shirt, fender or landing in the dirt.

6. Place the adhesive side of the trim on the back/inner edge of the flare and put a little pressure on it. This keeps the fender flare from rubbing the paint on your vehicle.

7. Put the Street Style flare in place in your vehicle. Use the provided drill tip screws to screw the flare to your vehicle’s inner fender well. The flare has indentions in the plastic to show you exactly where to place the screws.

That’s it. You’re done and can now enjoy your new Bushwacker Street Style fender flares.

How to Install OE Style Fender Flares

Bushwacker OE Style Fender Flares are installed the same way as Street Style fender flares. Follow those instructions to get the perfect set of OE fender flares on your truck or SUV.

How to Install Extend-A-Fender Flares

The Bushwacker Extend-A-Fender flares are installed using the same steps as the Street style and OE style fender flares. Follow the same instructions to enjoy your extended protection from rocks and road debris.

How to Install Pocket Style Fender Flares

1. Remove any existing fender flares, fender trim or mud flaps from your vehicle.

2. Wash your vehicle or at least around your fender wells so you have a clean place to put the new fender flares up against. 

3. Jack your vehicle up so you can remove the wheels. Make sure it’s secure on jack stands or you risk being crushed by your truck. Bushwacker fender flares are great, but you don’t want them to be the last thing you see.

4. Remove the wheel/tire so you’ve got enough room within the fender well to work your drill.

5. Install the edge trim on the back of the flare by removing the red vinyl backing strip. It’s easier to handle a small section at a time instead of ripping the whole thing off at once.  

6. Place the adhesive side down against the back side of the flare and press it in place. This trim keeps the fender flare from rubbing the paint on your vehicle.

7. Install the bolts and washers around the flare. Use one bolt, one washer and one nut in each hole. Make sure the bolt head and washer are on the outside.

8. Tighten them so they won’t come off and leave one empty hole on the flare. That’d be pretty annoying. Use a ½ inch wrench for the nut and the supplied Torqx  bit for the bolt.

9. Remove the bolts along the inside edge of your inner fender well on your vehicle. Keep them scews/bolts because you’ll need them again.

10. Place the included clips over these holes. Just slide them into place.

11. Put the Pocket Flare in place and start the screws back in the holes. Don’t tighten them all the way because you may need a little wiggle room for each one. Once they’re all on place, go ahead and tighten them all the way.

Done! Now feel free to drive through mud and gravel without killing the sides of your vehicle.

How to Install Cut Out Fender Flares

Cut out fender flares are a whole different ballgame. For these, you’ll need to actually cut the sheet metal on your vehicle. If you don’t know how to use a grinder or cutoff wheel or if you don’t feel comfortable cutting on your truck, take it to a shop. You could seriously hurt yourself or your truck if you mess this up.

Since each make and model has specific measurements to follow so you don’t totally hack up the metal on your truck, you should pay close attention to the directions included in your set of Cut out fender flares. You can also check out Bushwacker’s website, look up your particular make, model and year to find the exact directions. They’ve even got step by step pictures so you don’t have to guess which part to cut.

Guessing where to cut never turns out good. 

Since we don’t know your exact make and model, these are the general directions so you’ll know what you’re getting into.

1. Pull the red vinyl backing off of the edge trim. Place the adhesive side down on the back of the flare and press it into place. This keeps the fender flare from rubbing on your paint.

2. Go ahead and install all of the nuts, bolts and washers in the holes around the edge of the flare. Make sure the nut is on the outside. Tighten them down.

3. Jack up your vehicle and secure it on jack stands. You can do this one wheel at a time. No need to take them all off at once.

4. Remove any screws, bolts or fasteners holding the splash guard in place inside your inner fender well. Keep the hardware because you’ll need it again later.

5. Use a grease pencil and measuring tape to mark the exact measurements you need to cut. Follow the directions with your Bushwacker flares because each make and model will use different measurements.

6. Cut the sheet metal on the edge of the fender from the bottom to the top of your measurement marks.

7. Drill through the spot welds holding the inner sheet metal to the wheel well. Bend the edges out and away from the fender to pull it off.

8. Mark and cut the inner fender support metal.

Then you’ve got about 16 or so steps of cutting, bending metal, drilling and more cutting. Again, you’ve got to follow the measurements and steps for your specific vehicle.

In the end, your splash guard is replaced and your Cut Out Fender flare is installed on a neatly trimmed fender.

In The End

Installing Bushwacker fender flares isn’t a big job, unless you go for the Cut Out flares. And then that’s not too bad unless you don’t feel comfortable cutting your truck. In that case, it’s super easy because you take it to a shop and let them do it.

No sweat.

We’d love to hear from you about your Bushwacker fender flare install, or if you need help deciding which set of flares to get for your vehicle. Give us a call, email, shout, comment below or come by one of our Kansas City locations and we’ll help you out.