wret
15+ Year Contributor
- 2,931
- 90
- Jul 3, 2003
-
Bel Air,
Maryland
What is fender rolling? How do I roll my fenders?
There are two types of fender rolling. The type I advocate is actually fender flange rolling and I usually refer to it as such. There is a second process referred to as fender rolling involving the use of a specialized tool to relocate the edge of the fender a small amount. This more severe process will not be discussed here.
If you look and/or feel behind the lip or your rear fenders, you will find that just past the smooth round visible edge is a rather sharp, evil ridge of metal running along the entire fender arch. If wider tires and / or suspension lowering are in your future, altering the flange (fender flange rolling) is a necessity. There are a few different ways to accomplish this. Most are pretty similar.
1. Remove the rear wheel.
2. Clean the wheel well area in the vicinity or the flange.
3. Heat the flange area with a heat gut to soften the paint. This will help prevent cracking.
4. Bend the flange inward. Many people put the wheel back on and use a baseball bat leveraged over the top of the tire. I have used a piece of 2 steel pipe wrapped with duct tape with good results. Some actually hold the bat in position and have a helper roll the car back and forth.
5. Seal any exposed metal edges of the flange. I like roofing tar for this. Its cheap and comes in caulking-gun tubes. It dries quickly and blends with the fender under coating. I just slather it on with a rubber glove.
Previous advice I have read and given includes notching the flange to make bending easier. It is ACM's (Charles) opinion that this step is unnecessary and could allow additional uncontrolled body flex rather than controlled suspension flex. That's bad.
How does tire width relate to wheel width?
A ballpark guideline is that the wheel width should be somewhere between 70% and 100% of the tire width. Most tire manufacturers make specifications available listing the min/max wheel size for a particular tire and the measuring wheel width. The measuring width is the size wheel they mount the tire on to test the other dimensions and could be considered an optimum wheel size for the tire. Best handling performance usually occurs when using wheels at the measuring width or wider.
Im still not sure of my choice of tires and wheels for my 2g. What information do I need to post when I ask a fitment question?
-Wheel Diameter, width and offset.
-Tire size (all three numbers) and brand.
-Suspension to be lowered or unlowered.
The wheel brand and style are not a factor in determining proper fitment but the construction and weight should be carefully considered to meet your goals.
Dimensions of tires of different brands vary considerably. When working with close clearances of wider tires on a lowered 2g, it is important to check specifications of the tires you are considering. Diameter is fairly consistent but there are significant differences it tread width between brands. Some brands of 225 width tires are actually as wide as other brands of 245 width.
There are two types of fender rolling. The type I advocate is actually fender flange rolling and I usually refer to it as such. There is a second process referred to as fender rolling involving the use of a specialized tool to relocate the edge of the fender a small amount. This more severe process will not be discussed here.
If you look and/or feel behind the lip or your rear fenders, you will find that just past the smooth round visible edge is a rather sharp, evil ridge of metal running along the entire fender arch. If wider tires and / or suspension lowering are in your future, altering the flange (fender flange rolling) is a necessity. There are a few different ways to accomplish this. Most are pretty similar.
1. Remove the rear wheel.
2. Clean the wheel well area in the vicinity or the flange.
3. Heat the flange area with a heat gut to soften the paint. This will help prevent cracking.
4. Bend the flange inward. Many people put the wheel back on and use a baseball bat leveraged over the top of the tire. I have used a piece of 2 steel pipe wrapped with duct tape with good results. Some actually hold the bat in position and have a helper roll the car back and forth.
5. Seal any exposed metal edges of the flange. I like roofing tar for this. Its cheap and comes in caulking-gun tubes. It dries quickly and blends with the fender under coating. I just slather it on with a rubber glove.
Previous advice I have read and given includes notching the flange to make bending easier. It is ACM's (Charles) opinion that this step is unnecessary and could allow additional uncontrolled body flex rather than controlled suspension flex. That's bad.
How does tire width relate to wheel width?
A ballpark guideline is that the wheel width should be somewhere between 70% and 100% of the tire width. Most tire manufacturers make specifications available listing the min/max wheel size for a particular tire and the measuring wheel width. The measuring width is the size wheel they mount the tire on to test the other dimensions and could be considered an optimum wheel size for the tire. Best handling performance usually occurs when using wheels at the measuring width or wider.
Im still not sure of my choice of tires and wheels for my 2g. What information do I need to post when I ask a fitment question?
-Wheel Diameter, width and offset.
-Tire size (all three numbers) and brand.
-Suspension to be lowered or unlowered.
The wheel brand and style are not a factor in determining proper fitment but the construction and weight should be carefully considered to meet your goals.
Dimensions of tires of different brands vary considerably. When working with close clearances of wider tires on a lowered 2g, it is important to check specifications of the tires you are considering. Diameter is fairly consistent but there are significant differences it tread width between brands. Some brands of 225 width tires are actually as wide as other brands of 245 width.
