Solid, "Tubeless" Construction
DeFenders™ are fabricated entirely from CNC laser-cut, precision brake-formed 3/16" steel plate. Only one competitor manufactures a fender that's anything like the DeFender™>—fabricated entirely of plate with no tubing—but their design leaves a vertical edge of the metal pointed downward, right at the tire. The DeFender™ has an extra "return", or lip along the underside of the fender, which provides better protection from cutting into a fully stuffed tire, while also lending extra strength to the outer edge of the fender, where it is most likely to come in contact with rocks, canyon walls, trees, etc.

DeFenders™ vs. "tube fenders"
DeFenders™ are not "tube fenders"—they're better! Much of the Jeep armor industry was built upon Poison Spyder's original Tube Fender design, which has been borrowed, copied, and in some cases even improved upon, by many of our competitors. But now the state of the art in Jeep fender armor takes a giant leap forward with the DeFender™ product line. Rather than tube, the outer edges of the DeFender™ are brake-formed into a rugged 3-sided rub rail. Most "tube fenders" use a piece of .120" thick (just under 1/8") tubing as the outer edge rub rail, with 1/8" thick sheetmetal top plates. Compare that to the 3/16" (.188") thick material of the DeFender™ which is carried throughout its structure, from the outer rub rail surface to the top plates to the mounting structure. The DeFender™ is not only much stronger than a tube fender, it looks much better as well, with smooth flat surfaces that blend better with your Jeep's exterior appearance.

Increased Front Tire Clearance
Even on the non-highline version, the DeFender™ provides a much larger wheel opening than stock or some competitors' tube fenders. The back of the wheel opening, where larger tires tend to rub when the steering is at full-lock, is approximately 2½" further back compared to typical tube fenders, and about 4" further back than the stock Jeep flares.

5" Tapered Flare
DeFenders™ with 5" Tapered Flares provide a bit more tire coverage for those who need it to satisfy local laws. As with our 3" Tapered Flares, the 5" Tapered Flare DeFenders have their full width at the rear-most point of the top plate of the flare. From there, they taper inward slightly, not quite parallel with the tapered edge of the Jeep's hood (the 3" Tapered Flares more closely parallel the hood line). This provides the needed extra tire coverage and splash protection, while keeping the forward corners of the flare closer in and away from rocks, trees and canyon walls. TJ DeFenders™ are also available in Zero Flare, Negative Flare, 3" Straight Flare and 3" Tapered Flare versions.