Putting a taller all-terrain tire on an AWD Transit usually means buying a suspension lift, but this build from All-Terrain Family takes another route. The 30.5-inch Falken Wildpeak A/T4W tires in 245/75 R16 rubbed the rear pinch weld and the plastic front fender liners during turns, so the maker cleared the bodywork itself and left the suspension stock. For anyone wanting a more capable or tougher-looking camper van, that is a cheap way to get there.
The work is laid out as a proper step-by-step guide. First a lower retaining screw comes out and the liner is unclipped, then the pinch weld gets marked and cut with a handheld DeWalt angle grinder using a cutoff wheel. An 11-inch tapering strip comes off the weld, up to 3/4 inch deep. After that the metal is smoothed with a sanding disc, wiped down, and given silver touch-up paint with a foam brush to stop corrosion, and the rubber edge seal goes back on. The Method 701 Trail Series wheels get remounted and torqued down at the end.
The liner work is the part that stands out to me. The plastic is reshaped with a heat gun and a screwdriver handle, extra contact points are trimmed with tin snips, and a drill makes fresh holes so nylon zip ties can hold everything back in place. Low-effort materials, careful execution. Testing happened on both asphalt and dirt roads, with rolling and full-turn checks, and the tires turned freely with no rubbing afterward.
One thing left open: nothing is stated about what happened to the spare tire space. I would want that answered before copying the mod, since it is the one part of the fit this guide does not cover.
Project by All-Terrain Family. Watch it on their YouTube channel: