My Crown CJ flares have maybe an eighth-inch gap from the fender at the pointed end on the very front. Doesn't bother me at all. It helps to use 2-3-4 different vise grips (or small clamps) to hold them in place until your can mark locations to drill for mounting screws. It's a tight spot to mark in, I used a small nail that I bent about 1/4" from pointed end, then "scribed" the paint to mark to drill. Then remove the clamps (and flares) and drill all your marked screw holes in the fender. Before you start to mount the flares, it will also help to first run an attaching screw into, then out of, all the plastic pieces that go inside the flares, in order to create (cut) threads inside them.
With all that done, you can then mount the flare to the fender. Get all the screws started first, be cause before you tighten any of them down you will still have a little "wiggle room" to adjust the flare to the fender.
Do the fronts first, use all the mounting holes and hardware on them. On the rears, you don't use the top middle hole at all, because it is almost exactly even with the top of the inner wheel wells. Skip that one, the other holes and hardware are plenty adequate to secure the rear flares. The plastic hardware goes inside the flare, the screws from inside the fender. A small battery drill or impact driver is the preferred tool. You don't have to remove the tire and wheel, but it will help if you do. I hope this information helps.