Fender clearance (roll or cut)

I need about 1/4 inch clearance for my rear tires (very slight rub on fender lip) I am basically looking for opinions based on experience as to which is the better method. Cutting the lip back or rolling the lip. Which ever way what is the BEST technique of doing each? As far as cutting it seems a grinder would generate too much heat and create RUST issues. Is there a better way of rolling other than a BFH? Thanks for any input. I need to do something soon before I ruin my new "shoes".

Absolutely - Eastwood Fender Roller :biggrin:

You own it or did you rent/borrow one?

I bought it.

Did you roll those fenders with the trim on? Thats what it looks like in the pictures. I'm about to do this and am not sure what do do when it comes to the trim. If it works doing it together that would be awesome!

I'm renting the tool, just waiting for my turn to come around.

What size rim and tire are u runnen back there?

I took the trim Off, then rolled the lip. The metal under the trim is Much thicker, and is much more difficult to work with. Once I rolled the body sheetmetal, I put the trim back on (with just the front two and the one far-back screw)and rolled the trim. That was Super easy. Actually, for most of the trim I used a dead-blow hammer. The trim is almost thin enough to do by hand.

Do a search. Someone on the board has one of these to rent. cutting should be your last option. Roll, don't cut!

Here you go:

http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/parts-sale/198366-eastwood-fender-roller-rent.html

Update!

Well I got me a fender roller and went at it! It has been raining here for a week so that is why the wheels/car looks like crap. Heres what I did...

I removed the wheel well moulding and started out by installing the roller and getting my first round adjustment set. I then used a heat gun on 10-2 o'clock section of the fender. I heated the bottom edge and rear of the lip to avoid damaging the outer paint. Take your time and get plenty of heat in the lip. This was my "beginning" angle on the wheel.


I used gradual adjustments to eventually get a more aggressive angle on the roller to "turn" the lip in.


I made "slits" in the wheel moulding and reapplied to the car. On the first side I used the roller to roll the moulding to match the fender lip. (I later discovered that a rubber mallet works MUCH better and gives a "tighter" fit not to mention the roller DID crack the paint and the mallet DID NOT???) After I rolled the moulding to fit it was removed for the next step.


As you can see in the previous pics even with heating the paint it will still "crack" although I thinnk by heating it you will only see cracking where the roller is making contact in the sharpest portion of the roll. The fix was to sand the underside/inner lip, mask it off, and paint it with black Caliper Paint (seems very durable and adheres well in my experience)


Here is a view of the lip with the moulding applied from underneath the wheel well.


I will post some before and after pics next.

Before and After

Here are some before and after pics. We took the car out last night, hit some "dips"....no rubs, went to the movies and later stopped by Walmart, loaded up some groceries in the trunk and pushed the hell out of a late model GTO that thouht he could get away from an old regal. Car handles great and had no bumps or rubs! To say I am satisfied is an understatement. I will however do a much better job of prepping/painting the lip under the moulding when the weather clears up a bit.

Before.....




After.....

If you don't want to spend much money you could use a baseball bat, they work fine aswell.

How can it do it with a bat?

You use the bat the same way as the roller, wedge it up there between the tire, then roll back and forth.

Link no worky

I posted the link in your thread about the best way to roll the fender lip.

Got it! thanks!

I did mine with a rubber mallet WITH the mouldings still on the car. Looks fine and never had any paint chipping because of that. I think what's important is not to be too "agressive" in trying to bend everything in just one pass. Slowly bend the lip (and moulding) A LITTLE AT A TIME, doing long sections. Once you did one "pass", start again being a little more agressive, bending a little more and re-do it again until you're satisfied with the result. After several "passes" you should be fine.
Good luck!

Claude.

I am probably one of the few who did the cutting method. Trimmed off about 1/2" from the lip. Was just too paranoid about cracking the paint or messing up the quarter panel doing the rolling deal. Worked out fine for me. Running 275/60 15 drag radials on 8" wide Centerline Revs with 4" backspacing. Car sits ultra low so needed all the clearance I could get. Trimmed both the lip and the trim using a fine tooth jigsaw. Got pics somewhere will try to dig them up.