Rolling Fenders
 

I need a litle help on rolling the fenders, I've searched pretty much about it and I can't realy figure out the baseball bat technique nor the rolling fender tool.
BTW is there a local auto store that rents it (not the bat :p: )
I'm going to do some exterior work and I thought this would be the right time to roll up the fenders, left side scrapes pretty much, right one litle less.
I have 18" wheels and I'm looking to lowering the car a bit.
Ohh, and I don't care if paint chips or cracks.

Any helpfull info realy appreciated....

Have someone sit in your car with the engine running. You, take a wooden baseball bat or something similar in size. Insert it in between the tire and fender. Now, push down on the ball bat with some good pressure and have your buddy back the car up slowly while the bat slowly rolls the fender. Keep slowly going back and forth until you're happy with it.

Do not roll your fenders!! The metal is too thick. I know three or four fd owners that tried the "baseball bat technique" They are now geting their fender repaired or replaced and re-painted. Just pay the money at a body shop and have the metal trimmed. I learned from my friends mistakes and had mine cut. Bat rolling worked on my flimsey Ford Mustang fenders but they were paper thin

Bat rolling works. Cutting it will take alot of strength out of your fenders.

I've done many.

The Tire Rack has tool that sells for around $500 that bolts onto the hub? and rolls the fender. They do not advertise because it is mostly sold to shops and race teams.

I had body shop roll my front fenders when I had the car painted

I had body shop roll my front fenders when I had the car painted

They don't advertise it because their free loaner program is insanely popular!:D

6 month wait the first time I 'borrowed' it, into the third month this second time, and no word so far. I think you have to have bought things from them to 'borrow' it though (you cover shipping both ways). More details here in one of my posts, along with a link to a good Overboost article (w/pics and procedures) on how to use the tool.

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showth...ender+lip+tool

Cutting the fenders realy weakens them up, I don't think I'm going to wait few months for fender roller tool I'm gonna do the "Baseball Bat Technique".

Thank you'all for great sugestions and help,
Resource, thank you for the "Bat Rolling Tech.".

BTW at the body shop they said that it will take lots of work and $$ and he will have to cut the fenders also and then roll'em.
I realy didn't like the cutting idea, a litle hit on the side of the fender and there you go screw up the fender...

Baseball bat it is ! I just fell bad for my BB, I may need it for other purposses :D

I used an aluminum child's bat I bought at Walmart for
$9.00. It fits "just right" between the tire and fender and gives you some control on the amount of "leverage"
you use. Adult bats are too thick.

The trick is to do it very slowly over and over to avoid deforming the fender - all you are after is the flange. You only need to do the top middle 1/3 of the arch. You'll crack the paint unless you warm it up continually with a heat gun. Have a helper keep going back and forth on the lip with the gun as you roll.

After you're done with the fenders, the bat fits "just right" in the rear hatch in case you ever need to open a can of whoop ass on someone.;)

Here is a "Fender Bending Tool"...
http://www.wheelchoice.com/wheel05.htm

Maybe my friends didn't do the bat technique right on there cars. I tried it on my front fenders and the paint cracked right off. Also it you don't bent them all the way the tire will come down and catch it. As for the fender getting weak by cutting. The sliver they took off my rear fenders was like less that 1/8th of an inch. I don't see how that will weaken the fenders. The rolling machine looks like a good way do it but I have never used one before. I will try to post pic of my f-up front fender. Just my .02

base ball bat works, you jsut gotta go slow so you dont crack your paint. in anycase, i would just use a wooden one and work slowly by hand, i never did it via the using a friend to back the car up.

I took a hammer beating the lip a bit at a time until the lip was out of harms way.
If you are in a cold area warming up the paint will prevent it from cracking btw.
Just take your time and work it around a bit by bit.You may want to go up one side and down the the other a few times that way you wont stress the metal and ruin your paint.
Also its easier if you remove the wheel so you can be accurate with your aim.

It realy comes handy sometimes, :cool:

Rolling fenders...
http://www.overboost.com/story.asp?id=131

I have had some experience rolling fenders with a bat. My advice: If you want your fenders to look nice, DON'T DO IT!!!

You will screw up the fenders and your paint. Then it will really cost you to have it repaired.

DON'T DO IT!!

Not trying to hijack this thread, but did you know that is a felony? I should know I got busted for that about ten years ago. The cop told me that I'm better off carrying a firearm because I'm protected under the first amendment. Carrying a firearm would had been a misdemeanor. This country is wacked sometimes. Not to worry charges were dropped though :) Nonetheless an eye opener :eek:


Um yeah... back to rolling fenders

Makes alot of sense I heard that before and went and bought a ball and gloves also besides the BB so if get pulled over I can say that I play BB and they can't do anything.
Living in NY you come across lots of wacko's so you need one of those things with you, safety precaution purposes ;)

I rolled the fenders yesterday, piece a cake, you realy dont need a rolling tool wasting all that $$$, spendit on mods.
I started with a bat slowly without moving the car back and forth and I was able to roll'em completely by not moving the car at all. I had my brother holding the fender not to bend out just in case I force the bat to much.
The last procedure was that I got a 1 1/2" PVC pipe (much thiner than the BB) and went over again to get the lip up as much as posible (not moving the car again)

20 minutes work, never thought it will be that easy.
Thanks to all your Ideas.

here are my fuked up fenders

here are my fuked up fenders

If you are going to roll with a bat or other homebrewed instrument, you need to heat the paint with a heatgun first. You may not totally avoid little hairline cracks, as circa: 1993 paint can be a little brittle, but if done right, and patiently, it'll work, and look alot better than a pulled out lip, which will DEFINATELY crack your paint.

I had my car sitting out on a 114 degree day with sunlight hitting the spot directly. Don't know if a heat gun would get it much hotter. Also my car is a 94. Not with the weak 93 paint. The paint didn't crack untill my tire came down and grabed the edge of the fender. I just don't understand why MAZDASPEED wheels designed for the rx 7 would do this to my fender. I have 235/40/17 in front. I will get with this week on the intake. Thanks