From personal experience, I would cut the stock fenders if I could do it all over. Just spent a couple of hours pulling my right front fender out after dropping off a small ledge and hitting my Genright aluminum fender onto a rock during the JKX Middle America. Mel looked at me with this look of sorrow, then said there is nothing like the stock fenders. I couldn't agree more right now especially after seeing Evolander drop off the same small rock and hit the plastic MCE fender, which bent instead of pushing the sheet metal in like on mine. I love the look of the steel or aluminum flat fenders, but it does more harm than good. Just make an informed decision.