Fender Well Mod For Seat Room

At 6'1" and 230 and not as nimble as I once was, I'm considering doing the drivers side rear fender well mod for extra seat room. When I got the 58 CJ, the seat was in the middle position. Moving it back to the last hole helped, but especially with the softtop on, the steering wheel forces me to slide out sideways as apposed to twisting my hips to get out. I don't want to change too much originality, so tilt wheel is not in play. My question is how much do those that have done this cut out? Does an inch make much difference? Two?

 

If your going to cut , make it enough to be comfortable........there is plenty of room in that corner of the wheel tub.......even for a little bigger tire.......as the axle moves rearward from there during compression......The tilt wheel will help to get that steering wheel off your legs also........both options work nicely together.
I started to do this in my CJ5 prior to making it into a CJ6 but I never finished it.............. but this will give you an Idea.




With the seat pushed back

 

I'm 5'10"-200lbs and the tilt wheel helps quiet a bit even with the wheel tubs cut.
I believe I took 3" out of my tubs.

 

I am 5' 6.5" and I kept hitting my butt trying to put both feet out and sliding out, now I learned how to "Dismount" with dignity. My wife, a little "Fluffy" has to stand on the stirrup I made on her side and back in. I found a set of re-popped Jeep steps, something I didn't want when I was 60, for a good deal and plan on putting them on this summer.

 

The tilt steering wheel is definitely out of consideration. I personally think the contraption ruins the look and feel of the older jeeps. The vintage feel is more important to me. What I was trying to accomplish is not totally twisting to get both legs out, but left leg on ground then twist torso as right leg follows behind, if that makes any sense. I think an inch or two will allow that to happen. I guess I need to try to mock it up some how to see because if it doesn't make a big difference then no sense even messing with. I DON'T have a stomach rubbing the wheel issue, it's purely a hip bone catching as I twist.

 

I just do the sideways Jeep Hop, no hip twist - left leg on the ground, slide out, then extract right leg. Reverse to climb in.

 

That's pretty much what I've been doing but I've got left knee issues (2 surgeries later) and if I get a little twisting the wrong way, that knee has issues.

 

I put tilt steering in my jeep a couple years ago. I set it once and never changed it. Kind of defeats the purpose. i am putting in a stock style column now. I don't have the seat issue as I have lengthen my 2a 12" in body and frame.

 

Sounds like a clever Jeep guy could sell a lot of these, modified appropriately.

 

My jeep came with the wheel well mod... my NDT tire on 16" rim don't usually rub but if I load the jeep and take a sharp right corner, then they rub a bit. One of these days, once I learn to weld learn to weld, I'll smooth out the sharp angle visible inside the wheel weld. It would have not significant effect on the space gained by the mod but would prevent the occasional rubbing.

 

I cut 3" out of my tub to move the seat back. you can get nice generic seat tracks on ebay pretty cheap. moving the seat back does NOT help with the windshield sight line (at least for me) I can't live with the 'hunching over' to see through the windshield so I am going to have to sell the CJ

 

Get a newer windshield with the bottom mount wipers...makes a big difference.

 

When you move the seat back the extra room can allow you to tilt the seat back which can lower your line of sight. Using a '68-'75 windshield with bottom mounted wipers and arched top glass makes a huge difference also. Probably the easiest modification to minimize or eliminate the "Jeep-hunch".