LIFTED: Need help: Rolled Fenders vs Fender Flares

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SilverBullet1997
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LIFTED: Need help: Rolled Fenders vs Fender Flares

Post by SilverBullet1997 »

Has anyone rolled their fenders on their lifted van, or just cut the sheet metal away and installed Fender Flares?

Getting some issues with the fender lips cutting my outside treads, I want to roll the fenders to keep the stock look, but I don't know if that is going to be enough, thinking of cutting the lip off all together and installing fender flares, not sure which I should do, or if I could even find fender flares that would work.

Guess I should throw some more information in here, I am running 31x1050r15 Tires. Only getting these issues while out offroading on extreme angles and twists.

Van is a 1997, lifted with 2" body pucks up front, and reindexed torsion keys, in back it has HD S10 Springs and Drop shackles. this is the Overland 4"-5" Kit.

Front Passenger Side
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Rear Drivers Side
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Front Drivers Side
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Last edited by SilverBullet1997 on Wed Jul 09, 2014 11:10 am, edited 2 times in total.
Here is a couple videos of my first van offroading at Tahuya WA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkFaZXo2KL4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1zn5ppLI6g
R.I.P 1997 Astro AWD SilverBullet 4-9-1997 to 2-17-2015 - Cause of death: Rear-ended
1999 Astro AWD SilverBullet II 1-4-1999 - Present

5" lift, 31x1050r15 tires. 7 inches over stock
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Stroverlander
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Re: LIFTED: Need help: Rolled Fenders vs Fender Flares

Post by Stroverlander »

Are you running wheel spacers or offset wheels? Curious why they would be rubbing when tires should tuck in on compression?
2004 Astro LT AWD Stroverlander

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SilverBullet1997
I get chills without my van.
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Re: LIFTED: Need help: Rolled Fenders vs Fender Flares

Post by SilverBullet1997 »

Added some more info, to original post Stroverlander

No spacers, I believe the wheels are a 0" offset.
Here is a couple videos of my first van offroading at Tahuya WA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkFaZXo2KL4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1zn5ppLI6g
R.I.P 1997 Astro AWD SilverBullet 4-9-1997 to 2-17-2015 - Cause of death: Rear-ended
1999 Astro AWD SilverBullet II 1-4-1999 - Present

5" lift, 31x1050r15 tires. 7 inches over stock
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Stroverlander
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Re: LIFTED: Need help: Rolled Fenders vs Fender Flares

Post by Stroverlander »

I've never rolled fenders, I know a guy who tried on his BMW with a Harbor Freight-esque roller similar to this Eastwood roller: http://www.eastwood.com/ew-fender-rolle ... 7AodNHMA-w and the results were not that spectacular.

Image

I would at least tap the edges that have pulled out back in, a heat gun will help keep the paint from chipping.

Longer bump stops?
2004 Astro LT AWD Stroverlander

LAZ 1
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Re: LIFTED: Need help: Rolled Fenders vs Fender Flares

Post by LAZ 1 »

I will be watching this thread with interest.

I have just lifted my 98 AWD Safari BEATER/SPARE Fugly Truck [ aka The DIRTY LITTER BOX ] and will be camperising it soon. With the huge amounts extra weight carried, I expect some wheel well interference, but because this is after all a $ 1000 beater, some "FRANKENHAMMERING" of the wheel wells with the BFG is acceptable.

I just bought a 16 ga nibbler at Princess Auto for $ 59 and am anxious to try it out. I have been planning to trim the entire wheel well back to the angled out turn [ where it flares out ].

Actually, I am planning to first cut away only the outer edge of the INSIDE of the wheel well arch. Then drill a bunch of small holes in the fender, outside along that line. Then cut a bunch of slots up to the holes so you end up with a series of about 1/2" wide tabs. Then bend those tabs inwards, creating a smooth re-radius apprx 1 1/2" larger all around. Pop rivet the tabs to the remaining wheel well innner arch, then bolt on a wheel well wide strip of 1/4" checkerplate rubber, creating a bit of a flap at the bottom contours.

Add some black SYKAFLEX sealant along the seam between the rubber and the metal, and it should look good.

If not, welllllll,
it is not a beauty Queen, just a beater , dedicated specifically to OFF ROADING/CAMPING aka OVERLANDING.
Rough and tough is just fine.
[;{)
LAZ 1

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SilverBullet1997
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Re: LIFTED: Need help: Rolled Fenders vs Fender Flares

Post by SilverBullet1997 »

LAZ 1 wrote:I will be watching this thread with interest.
<Snip>
I am planning to first cut away only the outer edge of the INSIDE of the wheel well arch. Then drill a bunch of small holes in the fender, outside along that line. Then cut a bunch of slots up to the holes so you end up with a series of about 1/2" wide tabs. Then bend those tabs inwards, creating a smooth re-radius apprx 1 1/2" larger all around. Pop rivet the tabs to the remaining wheel well innner arch, then bolt on a wheel well wide strip of 1/4" checkerplate rubber, creating a bit of a flap at the bottom contours.

Add some black SYKAFLEX sealant along the seam between the rubber and the metal, and it should look good.
<Snip>
As you are looking to me to see what I do, I am looking to you to see what you do.... ;)

Laz, you may want to check out this thread, I don't know how big of tires you are planning on running, but this is what I had to do to get my 31's to even fit in the wheel wells....
http://www.astrosafari.com/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=48938 - How To: 31x1050r15 - It is posted on the other A/S site.
Here is a couple videos of my first van offroading at Tahuya WA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkFaZXo2KL4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1zn5ppLI6g
R.I.P 1997 Astro AWD SilverBullet 4-9-1997 to 2-17-2015 - Cause of death: Rear-ended
1999 Astro AWD SilverBullet II 1-4-1999 - Present

5" lift, 31x1050r15 tires. 7 inches over stock

LAZ 1
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Re: LIFTED: Need help: Rolled Fenders vs Fender Flares

Post by LAZ 1 »

I finished trimming the right front wheel well about 1.5". Have some cell phone pics but need to get home to my computer to load them to here.

It was "a valuable learning experience" and easy enough ... just took a long time to drill all those holes about 3/4" apart, then cut the tabs, then beat the inner liner up to match my radius, then bend the tabs.

From a few feet away it looks great ... but still need to add a plastic sheild over everything. I am thinking of using the black plastic molded stuff gardeners use for edging lawns. It is about the right weight and width and it comes with a round section at the top. Should go in easy with pop rivets and some black Sykaflex to finish off the edge to round detail.

Now I can run those load range E 16" Mud Terrain tires I want to minimise side wall flex when I camperise the Dirty Litter Box with a six foot high BOX ( imagine a moderised Tiger optimised for off road/ overlanding ). I can get SOME LT 235/75/15 tires but there are so many more great choices in 16" tires. So the wheel wells had to go to get to where I want.
(;{)
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LiftedAWDAstro
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Re: LIFTED: Need help: Rolled Fenders vs Fender Flares

Post by LiftedAWDAstro »

I didn't roll mine or cut them...I hammered them flat. Used a ball peen hammer on the inside hitting against a dead blow on the outside. Wasn't pretty but was functional. I guess you could use a heat gun to soften the paint so it doesn't chip. I ended up going over the outside with Herculiner anyways.
Current rides:
2013 Toyota Tundra DC 4x4
2008 Dodge Nitro 4x4
2005 Nissan Sentra 1.8S Special Edition

Mileage spreadsheet

Vans owned:
1986 Safari 2.5L 4 speed manual - scrapped
1995 Astro 2WD conversion 4.11 posi, shift kit, DHC rock rails - sold to Skippy
1998 Astro 4x4 D44, D60, NP231, full hydraulic system with 9k# Milemarker winch and snow plow - sold to Lockdoc
2003 Astro AWD all stock - traded for a 3/4 ton truck
2005 AWD, 4.10's - sold to skippy

LAZ 1
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posted some pics of my start on re-radiusing wheel wells

Post by LAZ 1 »

Pics are in the sticky at the top of the section.
Moderators ... feel free to move the pics to more appropriate location
LIKE TO THIS THREAD HERE??

I will post more pics of the progress with the wheel well re-radiusing project as it happens.

Topic author
SilverBullet1997
I get chills without my van.
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Re: LIFTED: Need help: Rolled Fenders vs Fender Flares

Post by SilverBullet1997 »

Thanks Laz :D
Here is a couple videos of my first van offroading at Tahuya WA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkFaZXo2KL4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1zn5ppLI6g
R.I.P 1997 Astro AWD SilverBullet 4-9-1997 to 2-17-2015 - Cause of death: Rear-ended
1999 Astro AWD SilverBullet II 1-4-1999 - Present

5" lift, 31x1050r15 tires. 7 inches over stock

LAZ 1
I get chills without my van.
Posts: 91
Joined: Fri May 30, 2014 8:52 am
Has thanked: 1 time

Re: LIFTED: Need help: Rolled Fenders vs Fender Flares

Post by LAZ 1 »

Fenders cut back along wheel wells and tabs bent in to match re-radiused opening.
1.5" extra clearance.
Finished edge with round black plastic garden / lawn edging moulding. Still require rear plastic splash mouldings re-contour and mounting.

Right side
Image

Left side ... still requires a small bead of black marine grade Sykaflex along joint
Image

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Re: LIFTED: Need help: Rolled Fenders vs Fender Flares

Post by Slicky »

Turned out pretty good !is that spray foam on the right door.

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Re: LIFTED: Need help: Rolled Fenders vs Fender Flares

Post by LAZ 1 »

Image

Started in chopping the roof off with a skill saw with a metal blade and a 5" body grinder with a zip wheel.

And yes ... that is foam on the fender. I filled the fenders with expanding foam to give them more rigidity after I flared them.
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