Flares - Sport or Bushwacker??

[Silver Supra]

My SR5 didn't come with flares but I want them. I've read that the Bushwackers are "easier" to install plus they are new. I also know they are only sold in sets so if I damage one I have to buy a whole new set.

Do the Bushwackers look just like the Sport flares? From my google searches, they look really really close.

Cost is not a deciding factor for me. Ease of install is since I'm pretty freaked out about drilling into my 4Runner! I like the thought of real instructions and new parts, but maybe doing the Sport flares is about the same??

Anyone have any input?

Thanks!

 

[JayRolla]

My SR5 didn't come with flares but I want them. I've read that the Bushwackers are "easier" to install plus they are new. I also know they are only sold in sets so if I damage one I have to buy a whole new set.

Do the Bushwackers look just like the Sport flares? From my google searches, they look really really close.

Cost is not a deciding factor for me. Ease of install is since I'm pretty freaked out about drilling into my 4Runner! I like the thought of real instructions and new parts, but maybe doing the Sport flares is about the same??

Anyone have any input?

Thanks!

Sport flares are really hard to find and ridiculously priced oem. Not o mention very hard to install since they use square Toyota clips with square holes punched into the fender.

But the sport flares look 100 times better than bushwacker.

 

[Tyler James Inc]

FWIW, the "Sport" flares are also standard on all '00-02 SR5.
They would definitely be more involved to install. Anyone who knows 3rd gens will know they aren't OEM, but if you aren't keeping it all OEM- and like the look of them- the BW would probably be fine.
The nice thing about the OEM flares is that you might be able to find a set in Natural White. If you plan on painting them black or something, of course that doesn't matter. Being secured the way they are, the OEM flares are much more secure. But maybe that doesn't matter
My vote goes to OEM, but I completely understand not wanting to put holes in your rig, and also the appeal of brand new.

Sport flares are really hard to find.

Really? I would think it wouldn't be too hard to find a '00-02 SR5 partout. [MENTION=135317]rkntoy[/MENTION], is it tough to find them?

Also, [MENTION=212429]Silver Supra[/MENTION], if you do find a set in white, you can skip the making holes in the front, and just use the fenders too!

 

[rkntoy]

Really? I would think it wouldn't be too hard to find a '00-02 SR5 partout. [MENTION=135317]rkntoy[/MENTION], is it tough to find them?

I wouldn't say they are hard to find - just hard to find at a decent price. If I wanted to pay $90 per piece I could have gotten the 6 pieces I need the first day I was looking.

 

[JayRolla]

Guess I should have said they are harder to find.

I remember members selling them for $600-$1000 back in the day.

 

[rkntoy]

Sport flares are really hard to find and ridiculously priced oem. Not o mention very hard to install since they use square Toyota clips with square holes punched into the fender.

But the sport flares look 100 times better than bushwacker.

The other way to mount the stock Sport flares is to epoxy bolts in place of the clips on the flares and then drill round holes with washers and nuts to hold them on. That is what I am going to be doing so I can cut away the whole inside of the flare to clear my 37s

 

[rkntoy]

My input - it depends on where you are going with your rig.

You already identified the replacement issue for if you damage one.

If you are planning on going bigger tires leading to trimming of wheel openings I would go Sport flares. The Bushwacker flares rely on the fender lip for a mounting surface. If you are not going to be fender trimming then I might lean toward not drilling holes in my body panels.

 

[Silver Supra]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I thought with the BW flares I still had to drill into the body... am I mistaken?

I guess I should go download the install guide huh? LOL

Thanks!

 

[rkntoy]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I thought with the BW flares I still had to drill into the body... am I mistaken?

I guess I should go download the install guide huh? LOL

Thanks!

Yup. Take a peek at the install guide. When I last looked at it it appeared that they use the lips on the wheel wells as attachment points.

 

[Silver Supra]

I just did - they do require drilling as well but it seems like a much simpler process than the OEM flares.

I need to call a few body shops for quotes to install these as I don't think it's something I want to tackle. I knew I should have bought a limited when I was shopping back in 1998! HAHA

 

[Roc Doc]

Are the sport flares different from the flares used on the Limited? ('98 for me).

 

[psraff]

So was I wrong in this then??? I knew the Limited Flares you had the square holes in the body that clips went into... I thought I read (and it was ages ago) that the sport flares bolted on just like the cheesy SR5 chrome ones did (by little screws from inside (or underneath on the lip) the wheel well).

But I'm reading on this thread that the Sport Flares require drilling as well?

 

[psraff]

Are the sport flares different from the flares used on the Limited? ('98 for me).

Yes,. Sport are a tad smaller and Black. They're between the SR5 3/4" Chrome Flare and the Limited.

 

[Hepar]

Are the sport flares different from the flares used on the Limited? ('98 for me).

Yes,. Sport are a tad smaller and Black. They're between the SR5 3/4" Chrome Flare and the Limited.

The 99's (and maybe the 2000's?) used the smaller black flares. 01-02 used the same wider SR5 flare. Which is slightly different from the limited flares. The base at where the flare meets the running boards are more flat on the limiteds whereas on the SR5/Sports they are rounded. The limited flares also have a cutout to accommodate the additional body cladding.

 

[Scramble]

Deleted some mis- information.

 

[Roc Doc]

I'm not crazy about the Limited flares, they look like they take up too much room in the fender well and limit tire size...maybe that's why they're called Limited.

 

[Tyler James Inc]

99-00 Highlander flares are the black one's & 01-02 are like the Limited but a little smaller & dont account for the cladding. So yea, if you want the OEM 01-02 Sport it will take some time.

Um, false. [emoji51]
2000 SR5

2000 Highlander

'01/02 SR5

'01/02 Sport

5k+ posts, and you didn't even know '00 Highlander's have the big flares, and that all '00-02 SR5 also have the same big flares?! Come on [MENTION=7105]Scramble[/MENTION]!

 

[repo]

I think it looks better without any flares. I have the black SR5 ones and apparently they didn't put a gasket or anything behind them at the factory, so it has rubbed the paint off and trapped water and dirt and made rust spots. And the worst thing is you can't get the mythical front mud guards.

I don't think it would need drilling to install them, the screws go in to the heads of the fender liner clips, which go in to the square holes. I spent a long time figuring out the part numbers for all these damn clips a while ago if you need them. The door pieces have metal clips that slide over the edge of the door (these also caused rust).