Steel fender flare fitment - Rear 9"

[HelmetHead]

I've been working on my car trying to get the rear lined out to weld the flares on. I've attached the TRE rear bumper to the body lining it up with the factory fender edges, rear reflector area and also the cutouts under the rear tail lights.

Last night while fitting the passenger side flare I notice that the torsion tube hole just does not line up like the driver side hole. I take out my tape and measure from the fender well lip to the hole. The passenger side hole is 1/2" (roughly 10mm) further forward than the driver side hole measuring from the same points on either side???

Now I'm second guessing all my fitment and considering remounting the bumper (Looks damn centered/flush and equal distance looking from the top down)

Look at this pic I took this morning and see if you think all is "square" in a rounded off kindof way (no straight edges on these things to really gauge off of)


Is it possible that Dansk stamped the hole in the wrong spot on the flare? In looking at the position of the donor flare the drivers side flare actually sits back about 1/2" more in relation to the tail lamp cutouts...but are the passenger and driver flares perfectly symetrical to begin with?

Help please before I weld something wrong. I think it would be much easier to relocate the torsion tube hole on the passenger side versus having to remove/re-align the flares/bumpers??? Does it look straight? Would other pictures help? Should I be looking from different angles?

Helmethead

[eimkeith]

yes. the whole stamping is somewhat off. Just verify that you can still get the bar in and out, and concentrate on the arch opening measurements. Make sure those are right to the chassis, and then fit the bumper to that.

[HelmetHead]

Keith,
Thanks for the response! I feel pretty comfortable with my measurements regarding the fender wheel arch placement in relation to the wheels, door jam, and the original fender opening location...My biggest concern is the torsion tube holes (which i could probably move after the fenders are attached to the chassis if needed)

Just so I'm clear are you saying I should fit the flares on before I fit the bumper?

I already fit the bumper making certain it is all squared up and centered and was hoping to put the flares on using the "known" top corners of the bumper (at the wheel arch) as the points where the fender well arch openings meet. Am I doing this back a$$ wards? Are the TRE bumpers possibly cast wrong creating differences from passenger side to drivers side?

This is truly an art putting these cars together and makes me appreciate the type of work I see on this board!

Helmethead