How to roll a fender lip?

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halfafish

halfafish

Damn those rabbits, and their holes!
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I'm sorry to say that even though I did all the measurements and mocked up my rear end, now that I have it installed my offset is wrong. It's clear I will be rubbing my fenders once I set this thing down.

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I'm working on a 69 Dart, original A-body 8-3/4 that I converted to BBP. And there's the rub. HAHA. Really, there's the rub. I crack myself up, but I digress...

The rear tires are 245/60/15, on a set of 15x7 Wheel Vintique series 63 steelies which have a 4.25 offset. But when I ordered the wheels, I didn't know going to BBP from SBP would add to the overall width of the axle, and wouldn't you know it that 1/4" difference on each side is exactly what I need to clear the fenders.

I'm evaluating my options. As I see it, I can roll the fender lips, but I have no idea how to go about that other than taking a pair of Channellocks to them. If there is a good way to go about this, I'd like to know what that is.

The other option is to get different wheels. I could go to a 235/60/15 but I don't want to do that - I like the 245's. I really like the steelies so I want to stick with them. Wheel Vintique makes a 15x8 wheel with 4.50 offset. According to my way of thinking, that should work but I'd like to hear from someone who knows more than me - which is just about everybody. The width of the wheel shouldn't affect the fit, for my problem it's the offset and the profile on the tire that are the pertinent factors, correct? Looking for some help from @72bluNblu for sure.

To quote RRR, thank you and drive through.
 
That's how I like it, cave-man style! There's a reason my girlfriend calls me Kreb. :eek:

Also, I forgot to mention, I have LOTS of room from the tire to the springs. Clearance is 7/8" on the right, 1-1/8" on the left.
 
1- There is a bead roller tool out there that mounts to the hub and adjusts out with a nylon roller contacting the fender lip. Works good.
2- take a pipe or a baseball bat, set the car down and roll the car forward and back
3- Big hammer.
 
halfafish said:
That's how I like it, cave-man style! There's a reason my girlfriend calls me Kreb. :eek:

Also, I forgot to mention, I have LOTS of room from the tire to the springs. Clearance is 7/8" on the right, 1-1/8" on the left.
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Yep, I have the same problem. I had 245s on 14in wheels before with no rubbing. Once I installed the 15s with 245s I rub on the passenger side. Use a bean bag to help lessen the chance of popping dents its supposed to help.

I only rub when I have weight in the back seat or going around some corners. Ill do new springs and probably relocation kit eventually.
 
well, you can take a baseball bat (Car nut beat me to it) and really roll the tires and allow the bat to clearance the inner lip or rent that contraption that bolts to the wheel studs and projects a roller up to the offending part. You rock the tool back and forth on the hub and gently apply more screw pressure on it and eventually it will roll out the fender in a controlled manner.

 
@halfafish you should listen to the guys that tell you to buy a tool. Its really the best way to do it and avoid any problems... my car will be getting body work and new paint in the next couple years so I wasn't to worried. I tried using a "body work" hammer and roller, but my patience wore thin. BFH had it done in no time.
 
Car Nut said:
I would buy new wheels with a different BS.
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This would be my first choice, as it would let me keep the 245 tires, assuming my calculations are correct and they will push towards the spring as I'm guessing.
 
You describe your 15x7s as having 4 1/4 offset. I assume you mean backspace. If you change to a 15x8 with 4 1/2 backspace, then 3/4 of that extra inch is towards the fender, making your problem worse.
If you have an inch, (or almost) to the springs now, then you need 1/2 to 3/4" more backspace than you have, then adjust the rim width to fit the tires you want.
 
Plus, as many times as I've preached it, the Percy's tire and wheel measuring tool will tell you exactly how big a tire and wheel, what offset, backspace, width in all diameters will fit under your car. I just cannot understand why people continuously want to cheap the **** out and try to do things without proper tools. 75 bucks for the Percy's tool and you wouldn't have to be doing this all over. Dammit all. lol
 
And, you had better not have any bondo anywhere near the fender lip, because as you roll it, I can guarantee the bondo will crack, and fall off.
New wheels are a bunch cheaper than body and paint repair, and you can sell the wrong ones.
 
I have one of the Eastwood rollers. They work really well on the front fenders. In the back though the flange is two layers that are spot welded together. That makes the rear flange a lot stiffer and harder to roll. On my Duster I just cut the flange back to the spot welds with a cutoff wheel. It added about 3/8” to 1/2” of an inch of clearance. The rest of the flange is still there and you can’t tell from the outside at all, and doing it that way there’s no real chance of popping any paint or bodywork.
 
depends on long term goal and if your concerned about a rolled lip - I have the tool to roll the fenders - as mentioned on the back is two layers of metal, instructions for the tool specifically tell you it is meant for single layer - due to my impatience on my Mustang the hammer won out but I needed more than a 1/4" - I tried to use rims/tires from another car and now have correct offset that works - I would buy the Percys tool RRR mentioned and use when the car is back flat and weighted, I have it and it works pretty good. IMO unless you roll back much more than you need for clearance if you turn to fast or load the rear your probably still gonna hit
 
Baseball bat is the way to go. The bead roller works great but it won't follow the wheel opening on a dart swinger as good as doing it manually with a bat. Use a aluminum bat.
 
I used some of that white PVC plumbing pipe. I had a few different sizes laying around. Worked good. I worked the pipe and had a helper roll the car back and forth.
 
72bluNblu said:
I have one of the Eastwood rollers. They work really well on the front fenders. In the back though the flange is two layers that are spot welded together. That makes the rear flange a lot stiffer and harder to roll. On my Duster I just cut the flange back to the spot welds with a cutoff wheel. It added about 3/8” to 1/2” of an inch of clearance. The rest of the flange is still there and you can’t tell from the outside at all, and doing it that way there’s no real chance of popping any paint or bodywork.
Click to expand...

This
 
j par said:
This is all putting the carriage before the horse before you actually lower the car!!!..
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Also true! Might as well lower and check it. Might not rub! Or, it might hit so badly that rolling or trimming won’t help.
 
Personally I would be checking to see if I had more room to the inside and changing the rims then bending up the metal on the fender....
if he got the rims from someplace like Summit less than 90 days ago they would probably just take them back...
But still before anything is done the car needs to be lowered..
 
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