CK5 - The Full-Size GM Off Road Community

finally starting the s-10 cab swap project and I'd like to trim my front fenders whiteknight-style but with a 1" or so factory style lip on them (right angle bend). I've done plenty of sawzall-style fender trimming on my K5, but no sheet metal forming or body work like this at all. Would it be best to trim an inch from where I want it and just take it to a body shop or is this the kinda thing you can relatively easily do yourself? These fenders are going to be primed and Line-X'd upon completion, so little imperfections are fine but I'd like them to look good. Anyone do this sorta thing before? tips? what tools will I need?

j

You'd need to find a couple of donor fenders to get enough "lip", but how about welding the factory lip back in place? It would just have to be extended with some filler pieces to fit the larger opening.

dont have much in the way of donors... in fact, the factory edge on the fenders I am cutting up is all rusty and junk, not of much use. I really dont care cause Im cutting all the rust off, but I couldn't reuse the factor edge. At any rate, this isnt the most complicated body work imaginable... someone out there must know how to do it! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I dunno, if there is no dissassembly time, or painting and junk to deal with a body shop that was slow on business might do it for me hella cheap... /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

j

I trimmed my fenders and I kept the trim by just cutting back to the fender well up to where it starts to curve then you have to cut a relief cut on the inside of the trim piece right at the curve, then just drill a couple of holes into the fender well and screw them back on, I think they turned out really good.
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no, i dont want to keep the factory trim... just the factory-style edge to the wheel well opening.

j

I am working on the details of adding the factory fender lip to my front fenders where I trimmed them. I will probably start by buying patch panels for the front fenders, that replace the fender lip along the upper edge. The difficult part is getting the sheet metal to blend into the original fender lines. A butt weld would be ideal, but nearly impossible with the thin sheet metal. So the most likely way to do it would be to weld it together like any fender replacement. It will take a little time, but the end result will be a clean, factory looking fender 0 not a hack job!

For but welds you can use theseEastwood (http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=1159&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainC at=608&iSubCat=609&iProductID=1159) or I just but them together and make small spot welds in different places so it doesn't get hot....I did see someone use a wet rag to cool the weld as they went, I might give that a shot on my other cab corner.

There is this Tool (http://www.autotoolmart.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_prod.html?p_prodid=9165&p_catid=6&sid=fg1x10-UF4A627-24104064420.c2) I was going to get one but I'm short on cash at the moment.

If you know about these tools disregard my post /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif

Why not just get some rubber flare material from AWDirect? That will cover the cut edge and trim it up nice, plus keep mud and crap from flying out from under your fenders (a bit).

Thats an option...Personaly I don't care for flares, and I want the wheel well openings to look stock(ish) /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif

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There is this Tool I was going to get one but I'm short on cash at the moment.


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outstanding tool... saved my a$$ on many an occasion..

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use a wet rag to cool the weld as they went

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years ago there was an awesome product that worked like this. it was a modeling clay type stuff that you made a wall around your welding and it would totally adsorb the heat. sheetmetal on one side of the wall would be way hot, the other cool to touch.. amazing product, but i haven't seen it in years. think they stopped making it, loaded with asbestos or something probably /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif

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Why not just get some rubber flare material from AWDirect?

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cause I dont want flares.. I want a factory style lip/edge...

j

just cut an inch off where you want the lip, and use a hammer dolly to bend the lip back over

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years ago there was an awesome product that worked like this. it was a modeling clay type stuff that you made a wall around your welding and it would totally adsorb the heat. sheetmetal on one side of the wall would be way hot, the other cool to touch.. amazing product, but i haven't seen it in years.

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Eastwood (http://www.eastwoodco.com) still lists it in their catalog.

You need to scribe 2 lines on the fender. 1 is where you want the finished fender lip to be. The 2nd is about 1 1/8" below the 1st. You use the 2nd line as your cut line. The easiest way to create the lip when I worked in a body shop was to use the vise grips with the big flat jaws on them. Clamp the jaws on the 1st line and start bending. Work in slow progression going a little at a time all the way around the opening. For the radius corners, use a big crescent wrench. That way you can bend little bits at a time. You'll need to "stretch" the metal in the corners a little at a time, or your fenders will look like they have herpes. The crescent wrench helps accomplish this. Repeat the process a few times until you have the 90 degree lip your after. Then, use a body hammer and flat anvil to hammer it smooth. It'll take you a few hours for each wheel well, but it'll look almost stock when your done. If you really want it smooth, lightly /forums/images/graemlins/grind.gif the lip and use either body putty or bondo/fiberglass filler to even out all the high/low spots. It can be made to look beau-ti-mus if you take your time. Don't get impatient or you'll screw it up and then you'll have to trim more off to get rid of the wrinkled mess you made. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

thanks for the skinny shane, I think thats what I'll try 'n' do. Dont have any experience with that sorta thing, but I can always find another rusty/cutable s-10 fender to replace any fork ups I make. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

In the end it doesnt have to be toooooo smooth and bling lookin, cause its gonna get Line-X'd anyway. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

j

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it doesnt have to be toooooo smooth and bling lookin, cause its gonna get Line-X'd anyway.

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I used a method similar to what Shane said once and it worked great. Heated the metal a bit and worked a little bit at a time. Took me a couple passes around the whole wheel well to finish it. I welded a couple of flat plates to a pair of pliers.

-Chris