So I recently lowered with H&Rs and looks great and feels nice and tight...However I am rubbing a bunch in the rear...The front fender liners are rubbing but I can live with that.

Question is...I was going to roll the fenders but then I read that the paint will crack. i don't want this because my paint is pretty new.

Does anyone ever trim the fender back with a rotary tool or grinder?

 

I've heard of people rubbing through the wiring harness behind the driver's side fender liner so be careful.

I personally would try another brand of springs or shocks. You running tokicos?

 

I read about this rubbing through the harness too...I plan on pulling the wheel and liner today and seeing if I can actually pull and tie the harness out of the way.

Actually i am on the stock R2 Shock....Plan on going with the Koni Yellows at the begining of the year.

But what about the trimming of the fender?...anyone do this as an alternative to rolling?....It might be considered weight savings

 

I've used a grinder on several of my cars fenders, as an alternative to rolling. Some people argue that the structural integrity of the fenders might be compromised, but I've never had issues. It's easier to keep from chipping paint also. After you're done you just sand smooth, tape off and hit it with a little primer and you're good to go.

 

Wow this is happening onthe R2 shock? Wasn't SleepR1 running H&Rs on the stock R1 shocks w/o problems?

We trimmed the fenders on my friend's Turbo Rabbit back in the day. For a car of that nature, trimming the fenders was OK, but I wouldn't do it on mine. It made his fender more flimsy. It also cut harder into the tire and chewed them up pretty good because their was no fender lip.

What rims you running?

 

trimming works fine, done it on everything from a MB S600 all the way down to a civic. just dont grind past the spot welds. Make sure to undercoat the exposed surface when your done. Mike

 

Volk Gramlight 57Pro 17x9 & 17x10 Wrapped in 235/40 & 275/40 Yokohama ES100s

Yes, SleepR1 was running this setup without probs....Which is pretty much the reason I went this direction.

 

I would not trim the fenders, just roll it and make sure to heat up the paint with a heat gun or blow dryer to soften the paint and you wont have any problems with it chipping...

 

Isn't the stock R2 shock, the same as the Touring and Base? I thought only the r1s shocks were different.

 

I've seen several cases recently where even when a heat gun and an expensive roller from eastwood is used, the paint still chips. I'm sure it's not all cases, but at least some, so the chance is there.

 

The chance is there, but I would still prefer rolling the fender than cutting it and compromising the strutural integrity of the fenders..

 

R2 shocks were different than Base/Touring ...

But OEM shocks today ... they are years past their prime

 

Cutting the rear would be an absolute no-no in my opinion, that is where the spot welds that hold the 1/4 panels to the inner fender.

Cutting the front is just a bad idea. It will weaken the fender and still leave an exposed edge for the tire to catch.

The idea with rolling the lip is that it the fender does hit it then there will be nothing for the tire to catch and pull down. You'd have to cut it back a long way to keep the front from rubbing if your having problems.

I've worked on a car that rubbed through the front wiring harness. It took me 2 MAP sensors to figure out what was going on...

 

I rolled my front fenders a couple of weeks ago. I used a heat gun and a mini basball bat. It was about 45 degrees outside and I did crack the paint a little bit. It was not very visible and I was able to make a decent fix with some touch-up paint.

 

roll'em man

my 18s dont rub

h&r springs are just too soft

 

I have a fender roller, and a heat gun if you would like to rent it out from me. Several locals including rotorboy661 and myself used it with great results. You will not crack the paint, as long, as it is not already cracked, and you use the heat gun.

 

IIRC, his wheels were 17x9 SSR Integral A2s +45 w/ 255/40-17 all around.

What are your offsets? If they're lower than +45, you've found your problem. Shoulda ordered wheels with higher offsets or bought adjustable coilovers instead of the H&Rs.

 

Mr Galletas de Jesus,

I will likely roll my fender sometime in the near future. Whats the availability of the tools? How mucho? How long did it take you guys to roll the fenders?

Victor

 

Ok, I just rolled them and it costed me $17.99....the bat cost that much...Then a hair drier and no more rubbing...Just tested it...Well, except for the fender liner a little bit but it's all good.

 

Any cracking? What was the temperature when you did this?

 

No cracking. I did it inside my garage which is temperature controled like the rest of the house...So maybe 75f


You know, when i set out to do it was like "**** it...I'll just be careful and go slow and see how it is...if it looks like it's going to crack then I just back off and take it to the pros" Anyway, there's still the issue of the fender liner rubbing. Will pull the drivers side front wheel and fender liner...Pull the wiring harness out of the way and tywrap it away from the wheel and let it rub it's clearance through the fender...i really don't see any alternatives at this point.

 

PM me, you can come by anytime and pick up, or just do it at my house.

 

For the benefit of those that search and find this thread:

Be sure to remove the sheet metal screws from the fender liner!

 

good tip!....I didn't do this but I didn't roll it completely back...

 

I will, a guy I know didn't roll them back all the way and his tire caught the edge one day and messed up the fender a bit. How much though... ???