What's the black around the wheel openings? Is just paint with trimmed back sheet metal?
Good question. I used to have Bushwacker cutout flares on the truck. After a few years of scraping rock and granite, they weren't looking very good. Then, I ripped and mangled the front right one off, taking a crazy line on the Upper Woodpecker trail in Florence Jct. Az. I could have made it, I was testing my new Marlin 4.7 gears, but the entire right side of the rig would have been destroyed. Instead of buying new flares (the most expensive part of the rig at the time, and you gotta buy BOTH fronts) I removed them. Then, I had a bunch of screw holes all around the fenderwells left over, so I bondo'd those in. Doing that left it looking crappy, so I taped off the fenders over the bondo'd areas, and sprayed the cheap bedliner in a can, mainly to cover the mess left from the flare to begin with. Turns out that I like it.
where can I learn more about the type of crossover steering you are running?
Crossover, is different than HighSteer. Crossover still uses an IFS steering box, but a "Y" arm on the passenger side. PRO - the tie rod sits below the springs. I can move my front axle WAY forward, as compared to high steer, that can cause the tie rod and drag link to smack each other at compression. CON - the tie rod sits below the springs <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" /> There is a chance that you'll smack the tie rod on a rock or something and bend it. However, I purchased a Marlin tie rod (huge!), with FJ80 ends, and still straight as an arrow.