How-To: Fender Rolling / Fender Pulling

[upSLIDEdown]

Ok, so I haven't ever really seen a decent how to on rolling or pulling fenders (if I just missed it, feel free to delete this). I learned on my car, and they came out perfect. I will also put a couple pics of my rears up at the end of this post, just for reference. It's not hard, just take a little time, and little patience. So here we go...

Rolling/Pulling fenders is done to fit wider wheels under stock fenders, as I’m sure already know before even reading this. I just wanted to start out as basic as possible. Rolling is flattening the lip on the inside against the outer part of the fender. Pulling is rolling, plus actually pulling the sheet metal out some making more room under the fender.

To roll fenders, you'll need a good size hammer (like a small hand held sledge- light enough to swing comfortably, but heavy enough to actually move metal without having to beat on it all day), a couple rags (I like the red shop rags you can get at most auto parts stores, washcloths work good too. Both of these are more tightly woven than say a terry towel and don’t start shredding as fast when you’re beating on them), and a torch or heat gun. I use a torch. You need to heat the edge of the fender/lip with the torch/heat gun until the paint is hot to the touch. You need to keep the flame/gun moving back and forth from side to side. If it sits in one spot, it will scorch the paint. Keep an eye on the edge of the fender. If it starts to bubble/scorch, you either already have plenty of heat in it, or you're heating too much on the outside of the edge, and not enough on the actual fender lip.

So, get some heat in it, then, with a rag wrapped around the head of the hammer, start hitting the lip upwards. You will have to readjust the rag quite often (depending on what rag you use, like I said, the red shop rags or cheap wash cloths work well). The rag will start to get threadbare where you're beating, so as you notice it wearing out, just move the hammer to another spot under the rag. So you'll work your way from the middle of the fender to one side, then back to the middle and go to the other side, then you can go back and forth, from one side to the other. Make sure to do it gradually, you don't want the front part to be completely flat, and the back part untouched or vice versa. You want the lip to be rolled in stages, from slight roll all the way across, until the lip is completely flat against the outside sheet metal. The extra rag is for your other hand, you'll need it because the fender is too hot to touch with bare hands. With your other hand, press against the outside of the fender where you're beating to keep from doing any "pulling". You will probably need to stop a couple times and reheat it, then start beating again. The heat is to keep the paint from cracking, but it also helps the metal bend easier when it’s got some heat in it.

You will only need to roll from about 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock. In rear anyway, the front, you may go further, but the front is cake. The rears are harder, since they're more rigid. You will definitely want to make sure you put pressure on the outside of the front while you’re rolling, because the front’s aren’t anywhere near as rigid as the rears, so they will deform a lot easier. Just move your hand/rag along the edge, pressing inward, as you beat from one side to the other. You'll also have to remove your front plastic fender liners if you haven't already. I recommend cutting them and leaving at least a small section at the back, to keep rocks from flying up into your door.

I hope this helps at least a few people. If anyone has anything CONSTRUCTIVE to add, feel free to post it or PM me and I will edit this post to add it in. Also, I don’t have experience pulling yet, but I will as soon as I get my rear 5 lug and tires for my new wheels. So if anyone wants to do a write up about pulling, I’ll put it up, but I’m planning on doing a how-to for that as well (hence the title), as soon as I get to do my rears. Here are the pics as promised. (Please no Sportmax comments, those wheels are long gone. New wheels are MUCH better...)

http://img436.imageshack.us/img436/2818/pict02834zj.jpg
http://img436.imageshack.us/img436/600/pict02854ti.jpg
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/1439/pict02812en.jpg

And just for reference, the wheels in the pics are 18x8.5 +25 with 225/40/18s and 18x9.5 +25 with 245/40/18s (Falken ST-115). I was also running -3.75* of camber in the rear.

[Ninjabread]

Cool explanation. I felt like a kid with dislexia however, because of that big paragraph. Point form is nice.

Gj,

-Matt

[R33GTS-T]

looks nice and flush to me :yum:

[alexchanman]

sounds good but seperate the one big paragraph into smaller paragraphs. makes it alot easier to read.


overall a very good writeup.

[spindrift187]

Helped me out alot man, except I couldnt find my torch so I was there for awhile.

[BobbyDigital]

Deffinately a good writeup, glad to see it turned out well!!

lets see a slightly wider wheel on there with a slightly smaller tire on it for maximum wheel fitment!!!

But either way it looks great!!

[upSLIDEdown]

Deffinately a good writeup, glad to see it turned out well!!

lets see a slightly wider wheel on there with a slightly smaller tire on it for maximum wheel fitment!!!

But either way it looks great!!

Oh, just wait till I get the new wheels on... mmmm, I can't wait! I'll have to do a little pulling for that.

I will separate it into paragraphs. It was actually a PM to someone who asked me about rolling. I didn't realize how much I had typed until I was done, and it was good info, so I just changed/added a few things.

[upSLIDEdown]

Helped me out alot man, except I couldnt find my torch so I was there for awhile.

Glad it helped. I told you I'd get the write up to ya, just decided to get it out for everyone else to see too. ;) A torch really helps though man. Helps with paint crackage, and also makes the metal a little softer. Heat guns work too, but I prefer the torch because I can see where I'm putting the heat. A heat gun's heat is invisible, so you can't tell how much heat you're putting where until the paint starts to scorch.

[Shawn_of_the_Dead]

looks good, and I actually like the sportmax wheels...they look good to me.

[upSLIDEdown]

looks good, and I actually like the sportmax wheels...they look good to me.

Thanks! I like em too, but I should've gone with the 17x9 up front, would've looked a lot better. Oh well, they're sold now. Most people, esp on here, hate them, mostly because they're pretty heavy. I didn't mind em, esp for a cheap street wheel. I went from one of the spectrum to the other (as far as wheels go) with my new wheels though. They'll put most people's wheels on here to shame. Just gotta get my rear 5 lug and tires.

[AN89HATCH]

Hey your car looks nice!! im running the same setup, just i have a 17x9 up front with a 25mm spacer, and a 18x9.5 with a 25mm spacer in the rear. I thought it was going to be too much, but it looks nice. I had to do some what of a big pull in the rear, luckally i did not get a dent. I also did not use anything to heat up my fenders, i just pulled them, and it came out perfet lol I guess i got lucky! I also pulled the front.
If any one has any questions on a pull feel free to pm me

Before (no spacer)
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b27/itzukii/sporrto.jpg
After (dont mind the saggy bumper lol)
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b27/itzukii/DSC00548.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b27/itzukii/DSC00792.jpg

[phreze]

Yeah sportmax rims look ok, just a bit on the heavy side, and alot of people have them. I am getting a set to use and abuse as track rims. $400 for 4 wheels vs $400 for one, hard to beat that.

[redsuns3838]

not trying to discredit you or anything but wouldnt actually rolling something along the fender, instead of hammering, be safter to prevent dents on the qtre panels? and also get a more even roll?
altho i gotta admit it looks nice. nice writeup.

[hellion240sx]

redsun; i believe thats where the baseball bat comes in. anyone care to explain it with that?

[JaeTea]

FYI, S13 rear fenders like to buckle when pulling so be careful.

[bustav13t]

FYI, S13 rear fenders like to buckle when pulling so be careful.

What is buckling and how do you prevent it?

[ThatGuy]

Buckling is when you pull the rear fender out and the quarter panel above the wheel well "buckles in". Look around. There are plenty of pics of this effect on Zilvia. It's almost inevitable when doing a large pull on an S13.

[slideways2004]

Buckling is when you pull the rear fender out and the quarter panel above the wheel well "buckles in". Look around. There are plenty of pics of this effect on Zilvia. It's almost inevitable when doing a large pull on an S13.

ahhh yes. the infamous buckle. this happened on my first pull on a s13 coupe. pull was going great and all of a sudden i hear the sound of metal "popping" it buckled. and then i realized i had pulled way too much. it was like 30mm of pull. what sucked is i had to make the other side equal and same thing happend. at least the buckles/dents matched:duh:

[punxva]

great writeup, where in central va are u from? Right now im in Richmond at VCU

[upSLIDEdown]

not trying to discredit you or anything but wouldnt actually rolling something along the fender, instead of hammering, be safter to prevent dents on the qtre panels? and also get a more even roll?
altho i gotta admit it looks nice. nice writeup.

No, not really. The Eastwood roller is great for pulls, but more time consuming for just a roll. A hammer is great, as long as you don't completely flatten one spot while another section is untouched. You have to do it steps, going back and forth, moving the metal a little bit each pass you make across the fender. It you wrap the hammer head with the rag like I said, and do it gradually, you will have no problems. I'll try to take a couple pics of the inside of the lip on mine when I put the new wheels on (before I do any pulling).

[upSLIDEdown]

great writeup, where in central va are u from? Right now im in Richmond at VCU

I'm in Lynchburg... Actually a little more western.

[kris]

redsun; i believe thats where the baseball bat comes in. anyone care to explain it with that?


the baseball bat method basically intails you wedging a bat (I use two different sizes on small and one thick) between the tire and the fender lip.

then push down and roll the bat forward. thats it. Becareful the paint may chip or crack so using a heat gun or torch is also recommended

Works pretty good but the lip is never flat the hammer method above may work a bit better if the lip needs to be really flat

[Mattlanta]

No, not really. The Eastwood roller is great for pulls, but more time consuming for just a roll. A hammer is great, as long as you don't completely flatten one spot while another section is untouched. You have to do it steps, going back and forth, moving the metal a little bit each pass you make across the fender. It you wrap the hammer head with the rag like I said, and do it gradually, you will have no problems. I'll try to take a couple pics of the inside of the lip on mine when I put the new wheels on (before I do any pulling).

Since I wanted to pull and not just roll, I used the puller. I think you can get it on loan from some of the autp stores that have the loan-a-tool thing. I also used a heat gun and it did take a while, but the results are worth it imo.

The tool is easy to use, you just take off the wheel and bolt it in with the lugs like you would the wheel. Then there is a nyon type roller on a lever and as you tighten the adjustment the lever pushes the roller on the inner fender harder and further...slowly you get where you need to be, nice and smooth. Kepp the heat up or you will crack the paint though, too hot and you'll burn it.

[upSLIDEdown]

Since I wanted to pull and not just roll, I used the puller. I think you can get it on loan from some of the autp stores that have the loan-a-tool thing. I also used a heat gun and it did take a while, but the results are worth it imo.

The tool is easy to use, you just take off the wheel and bolt it in with the lugs like you would the wheel. Then there is a nyon type roller on a lever and as you tighten the adjustment the lever pushes the roller on the inner fender harder and further...slowly you get where you need to be, nice and smooth. Kepp the heat up or you will crack the paint though, too hot and you'll burn it.


Yeah, I know how they work. A good friend of mine right around the corner has one. He pulled his, and quite a few other people's with it. I'll borrow that when I'm ready to pull a little, which shouldn't be too much longer. My rear 5 lug should be on the way, my fronts got here friday. Now I just need to get on the ball and order some tires...ugh. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[5t341tH]

nice writeup. i needed this too. so basically, before i start, i need to cut off the plastic lining inside the fender?

[!Zar!]

You don't need to cut anything.

Just unscrew it.

[upSLIDEdown]

You don't need to cut anything.

Just unscrew it.

+1.

BTW, this is only for the fronts. Rears don't have anything to take out. I have since pulled my fenders and it was not a fun job. Didn't get to take any pictures, because we had an unfortunate mishap, but I'll try to still do a small write up at some point.

[94cc0rd]

what if i dont have access to a torch or heatgun? would it be ok to do it on a hot sunny day?? or maybe hair dryer? haha

anyways, i have a dent / slight damage with a little paint cracked off my driver side front fender.. whats the best method to roll my front fenders w/out cracking any more of the paint?

i feel that if i just hammer it... especially w/out heat, it will crack each time i hit it...

[upSLIDEdown]

what if i dont have access to a torch or heatgun? would it be ok to do it on a hot sunny day?? or maybe hair dryer? haha

anyways, i have a dent / slight damage with a little paint cracked off my driver side front fender.. whats the best method to roll my front fenders w/out cracking any more of the paint?

i feel that if i just hammer it... especially w/out heat, it will crack each time i hit it...
You really need heat. Go buy a torch, they're like $10...

[NemeGuero]

Nice write-up. +1 for you.

[fliprayzin240sx]

Makes it easier to do with a roller but its not necessary. Hammers, mallets, heat gun to save your paint is all you need. If you dont care bout the paint as far as your gonna paint the car anyways, pull all the stops and use a torch to heat the fender. The hotter it is, the easier it is to pull it. For people figuring out what rims to run, stop asking people. Figure out the max your willing to put under the fender well and make it work.

For reference, 18x10.5 -8 offset with -1.5 camber.
http://www.pxracing.com/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/10017/normal_Rims%20003.jpg

[94cc0rd]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=33906

+

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=35776

= fender roll success???

is that hammer the best for fender rolling?

[upSLIDEdown]

No, I don't like those for rolling fenders. You want something solid... more like this...

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=6748

Weight preference is personal. Depends on how strong you are I guess. You want something with a little ass behind it so you don't have to swing it like Babe Ruth, but not so heavy you can barely swing it at all... I have an old hammer my dad actually made years ago, have no idea how much it weighs though, probably 2 or 3 lbs. Keep in mind you will want to wrap a rag around the head of the hammer, and you will have to adjust it because after a few bangs, the rag will start to become threadbare where you're hitting. I like the red shop rags. Most automotive stores will have them. They're a little more tightly woven than a terry towel, so they last a little longer in this application. Here's a pic...

http://imageserver.isnweb.com/CRD40042.jpg

Also, I have heat guns. Reason: You can't SEE the heat. With a torch, you can see where you're putting the heat and vary how close you put it to the fender a lot more accurately. It's easy to scorch paint with a torch, because you can't really tell how much heat is getting to the fender until the paint starts scorching, then it's too late. I use one of these... couldn't find one on HF's website...

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=94587-717-UL100&lpage=none

Hope that helps.

[ixfxi]

Rolling fenders = rolling the inner lip under the fender. Basically, a necessity anytime you try to fit a "choice" wheel.

Pulling fenders = you have given up "caring" about your paint, because you understand that it is now history. You are basically pulling the metal out as far as possible, with risk that the upper part of the body can buckle (or make an indentation due to the degree of pulling). When you pull your fenders, you simply cannot keep the factory paint.. it will crack, no matter what. As for the buckle, the body shop will need to dolly the fender back to being straight, then use filler to smooth out the indentation.

Of course, there are various degrees to how much you pull.. but regardless, you might as well throw a nice lip on the rear, if thats what you're going for. The other fact, is that you simply cannot pull the front fenders. They are too flimsy and the most you can do, is give a light roll so that the fender-liner-tabs are more recessed.

THATS THAT. If you want wider, you'll need fenders, overfenders, custom fenders, etc.

[94cc0rd]

Also, I have heat guns. Reason: You can't SEE the heat. With a torch, you can see where you're putting the heat and vary how close you put it to the fender a lot more accurately. It's easy to scorch paint with a torch, because you can't really tell how much heat is getting to the fender until the paint starts scorching, then it's too late. I use one of these... couldn't find one on HF's website...

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=94587-717-UL100&lpage=none

Hope that helps.

did you mean its easy to scorch paint with a heatgun? that part of your post kinda confused me... maybe i'm just stupid... or tired... or something?

the lowes website is down right now so i couldn't see what u were trying to show me...

[Chrischeezer]

http://img436.imageshack.us/img436/600/pict02854ti.jpg


And just for reference, the wheels in the pics are 18x8.5 +25 with 225/40/18s and 18x9.5 +25 with 245/40/18s (Falken ST-115). I was also running -3.75* of camber in the rear.

Thats very flush...good Job,
i hafta do mine this spring to fit my work vs-xx

[upSLIDEdown]

did you mean its easy to scorch paint with a heatgun? that part of your post kinda confused me... maybe i'm just stupid... or tired... or something?

the lowes website is down right now so i couldn't see what u were trying to show me...

Try again. I just looked at it and the link worked fine for me. It's a propane pencil torch kit made by BernzOmatic for $12.89. Blue propane cylinder with a pencil torch head.

Yes, that's what I meant. It easy to scorch the paint with a heat gun because you can't see a flame like you can with a torch, so you don't know how much heat you're putting on the metal until the paint starts to scorch. With a torch, you can see where you're putting the heat because you can see the flame.


Thats very flush...good Job,
i hafta do mine this spring to fit my work vs-xx

Thanks man. I actually kinda miss the look of that rear setup (no pull), but oh well. I'll be much happier with my pull after body work gets done to smooth it out, I just have no idea when that will be. It's not one of my top priorities at this point.

[gotta240]

Just got my damn 300 dollar eastwood roller and it was cake. SUPER SMOOTH role, and easy to do....


If anyone in socal wants to rent it for a very fair price, let me know... I wouldn't mind offsetting the price of 300 bucks, and help a zilvia member at the same time....

[kuramaya]

Nice writeup, I'm gonna do mine this week. Wouldnt have gotten a heat gun if not for this thread.

Rep for you!

[FTMFW]

nice write-up...Helps alot

[Sil80Dreams]

[quote=AN89HATCH;1087141]
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b27/itzukii/DSC00548.jpg

Yo those tail lights are f*ckin sick, what are those?

[ripracer]

look like some altezza lights with some red candy clear, does look nice now I wish I wouldn't have tinted mine black