FAQ: Toyota Large Tire Clearance, BMC, & Pinch Weld
For years, Toyota has refused to take note and modify their body mount design. Anyone who has wanted to put larger than stock tires on their ride has had to deal with this or risk loosing turning radius and damaging their tires. Not to mention the noise that sounds like you just ran over a trashcan!
The remedy is to cut the body mount perch and weld in a plate that is much tighter to the actual body mount to allow for the much needed 1in or so of clearance.
However, not all BMCs are done equal. Each cars tires, wheels, suspension, frame and wheel alignment may be slightly different, this must be taken into account to make sure the chop is successful and no more rubbing occurs. Otherwise you will be back at square one after.
If you are running tires larger than 32.5″ (285/70r17) we are required to eliminate the pinch weld by folding it flat and making a smooth curve following the wheel arch in the fender well in addition to the Body Mount Chop. It is important to retain all corrosion prevention in this area since it is high impact (think all rocks and debris from the road splash this area and the fender liner will be trimmed since it is molded to protrude out and cover the pinch weld. So we are very careful to seal all the seams, clean and paint any areas that are compromised while preforming the repairs. It is then top coated with a professional rubberized rock guard coating, the same stuff that is applied at the factory.
The completed procedure: NO MORE RUBBING!