Aluminum bat for fender rolling?

[terryb]

I got an aluminum bat for Christmas after mentioning to my dad that I wanted to roll my fenders. I've searched the site and see that everyone talks about using wooden bats. I can understand the wood being gentler to the fender than metal, but is that only reason? What if I were to wrap it in a towel or layers of duct tape?

[Kemo]

I think wood might be easier on the metal, less likely to rub the paint off. of course thats just a guess.

[Kemo]

oh...and I like the duct tape idea

[Zeke]

It will destroy the wooden bat, that's for sure. So, if you want to sacrifice a bat to save your paint (if possible), that's the main reason I see. But if you want to get the job done quickly, use the metal bat.

The thing is, if the sharp edge of the inside of the wheel arch can't slip up on the metal as it's being folded, you stand a good chance of kinking the outside of the arch. Now, you will be painting for sure. You see, the tire rubber tends to hold the bat in one place not allowing it to "follow" the metal as it's bending upward. Using the bat at an angle helps with this. I still like an old pipe, myself.

The rig that attaches to the axle studs with the wheel off the car looks to be the best deal going. However, I've never had the oportunity to use one.

[aircooledsonly]

Will work, but use a piece of leather to keep from cracking paint. I cut about about 10" to 12" off the handle so I have a taper to walk in with and use a floor jack to increase tension as you roll the inner lip. AND watch end so you don't get into top of fender.

[911pcars]

I would suggest cutting off the offending portions of the lip rather than folding it down. i fear that would create a trough to trap dirt and moisture and eventual corrosion. In addition, it's much more difficult to cut it off cleanly after it's bent back x degrees.

The archives are full of pics and opinions.

Sherwood

[terryb]

Zeke - I hadn't thought of it but agree with you that the fender lip has to be able to move along the surface of whatever is being used to bend it. That makes me think that duct tape on the bat might not be a good idea (unless I use a crapload of it).

aircooledsonly - I see, you cut the handle off the bat and use it with the fat end facing out, though I can't visualize what you mean when you say you use the floor jack to increase tension. What is it pressing against?

[Wil Ferch]

Someone on this board mentioned the use of heavy gage plastic sheeting on the surface between the bat and fender,..and it supposedly worked well. Can't recall who it was , though...

I agree with Zeke..the roller device that bolts up to the wheel is the ticket. FVD catalogue shows a pricey version... I think harbor freight or Eastwood supply shows a $200-$300 version. Maybe a bunch of guys go "in" on a single purchase ??

Wil

[Brant]

I've hear tell of people using PVC piping....

myself, I used a ball peen hammer and a lot of hours with a body hammer and dolly afterwords.

but on my first car I used a dremmel and cut off wheel and avoided the rolling issues as mentioned above. You can use rags and wide nosed pliers to bend up the lip and then cut off most of it (in stages a litttle at a time) to avoid cracking paint or blistering paint from heat.

(i really did use a ball peen hammer at one point though, also a scissor jack and 2x4's)

[emcdan]

From my experience, there is'nt an elegant way to roll the fender. The fender rolling device seems to be the way to go. When you use a wooden bat, it takes alot of arm strength to get it started. If you jack the car up enough to wedge the bat, pvc pipe, or whatever, you can use the tire as leverage. Slowly rolling the bat.

The older the car, the more likely the paint will crack. Even if you heat it with a blow dryer or heat gun. I was very methodical with rolling and heat but my paint still cracked at the edge.

I ended up cutting about half of the inner lip off anyway. I was afraid of more paint cracking and or rust.

Put a note up somewhere on the board and see if anyone will loan you or rent you a fender roller. It'll probably be worth it. Good luck!

Eric

[Joe Bob]

How big a wheel or tire are you using?

I have a 245/45 on a 16x8 and NO rubs, w/o rolling. Why don't you consider a lower profile tire first?

Work for my SC and should for those fatass heavy Carreras....%^B

[87coupe]

Here is a couple pics of a fender roller. One could easily be fabricated with a scissor jack and a caster.
Remember to heat up the lip to minimize chances for paint damage.

[John Kelly]

Fender rolling is a great way to mess up your car if you are not careful.

You will not be creating more surface area which is what you need to do to get more room without stealing shape from somewhere else.

If you roll the fender, the distance front to back in the wheel opening will get shorter, you may get kinks in your fender, your door gaps may change.

If you are very careful and only need a little bit more room, you may get away with it. The fender roller is an expensive gimmick in my opinion. You might try a bat with a little lube on it.

John www.ghiaspecialties.com

[RickM]

Tire Rack used to rent or lend a nice fender roller. Worth a call.

If you google the subject you'll find others rent as well.

[NoLift911]

John -

You seem to understand metal working far more than I but...door gaps changing? Expensive gimmick?

Surely you jest?

As an aside my M5 has rolled fender lips from the factory - front and rear. I would wager some German ducketts they rolled them with one of them there fancy tools.

I have a fender roller tool and never ran into the cataclysmic events you speak of...on any car and it has been borrowed with excellent results as well.

As for a bat with a little lube on it...Ron Jeremy comes to mind.

-Jeff

[930LDR]

I have seen some really bad outcomes from rolling fenders with bats, broom sticks, etc. Spend the time to find the correct tool.

[COLDBASS]

Originally posted by terryb
I got an aluminum bat for Christmas after mentioning to my dad that I wanted to roll my fenders. I've searched the site and see that everyone talks about using wooden bats. I can understand the wood being gentler to the fender than metal, but is that only reason? What if I were to wrap it in a towel or layers of duct tape?

After trying several methods over the last 3 + years, I have found that heating the fenders then simply placing a rubber mallet head (sans handle) between the tire and fender lip while SLOWLY driving back and forth a few feet, works best for me... good luck take your time it may take you several attempts...

[JeremyD]

Axe handle worked for me - cheap - wooden and the right shape ane clearance. Heat up the paint to avoid cracking - although not guaranteed.

[911pcars]

From my earlier post, I mentioned cutting the lip. I cut it with a sanding disk rather than with a blade or Dremel-type tool which would require sanding anyway for a smooth edge.

After masking the lip and suitably protecting the surrounding area, mark the cut line. I used a 4 1/2" hand grinder with a medium sanding disk. As with any device that produces heat on a metal panel, I suggest moving the grinder around so any one area doesn't get too hot. A wet rag draped over the area helps. Use a face shield. Smoothly blend the cut edge with the rest of the wheel well. Remember to protect the now-bare metal edge.

Sherwood

[John Kelly]

Originally posted by nolift911
John -

You seem to understand metal working far more than I but...door gaps changing? Expensive gimmick?

Surely you jest?

As an aside my M5 has rolled fender lips from the factory - front and rear. I would wager some German ducketts they rolled them with one of them there fancy tools.

I have a fender roller tool and never ran into the cataclysmic events you speak of...on any car and it has been borrowed with excellent results as well.

As for a bat with a little lube on it...Ron Jeremy comes to mind.

-Jeff

Hi Jeff,

This is from my experience making fender flares. I have seen cars with all of the flaws I mentioned caused by fender rolling or using a porta-power. As I said, you may get away with it, but for every increment of movement in one spot there is a corresponding amount of change somewhere else. You may not notice it, but it is there. The further you go, the more noticeable the unintended change. To better see what I mean, take a piece of flat sheet metal that you know the dimensions of, and roll it over you leg just a tiny bit and you will see a change....the edges will have been drawn in.

A fender flare requires more surface area than a stock fender. You must stretch the sheet metal very slightly to create more surface area. All other methods are cheating (not necessarily a bad thing), and may or may not come back to haunt you. As for the fender roller, it is not too difficult to accomplish what it does with a padded body dolly... gradually bumping the flange up and out a little. The key is small incremental bumps, slowly back and forth over the area you want to move. Sometimes, gentle upward pressure with a floor jack on the lower rear quarter can help get a little movement outwards while bumping as well.

There is a member of this forum (sorry, forgot your name!) who used a porta power and then stretched up the low spots that appeared...turned out a real nice job too. An interesting method for a small amount of flare, because it is obvious where the stretching is needed. You still have to watch out for door gaps and wheel opening dimensions changing though. Some cars are more resistant to door gap change because of the way they are made. The change will happen elsewhere.

If using a fender roller works for you, by all means use it, I'm just mentioning a few things to look out for.

John www.ghiaspecialties.com