Rear Fender well Roll

GripGreg · Post by **GripGreg** » Sun Jan 15, 2012 12:42 am

Help me out you body & fender gurus.
On my Six, the rear wheels & tires are oversize enough to rub at the top sometimes If I don't slow down in the dips at some intersections.
Soooo, I went to Harbor Freight (btw, they have a sidewalk sale this week-end!) & bought a 3 1/2 " hand seamer to roll the inner lips, which are stock & protruding. Then I thought

I should cut the lip at 4" or 5" intervals to make the curve easier. How am I doin"? Then, tape the fender against overspray & spray some rust inhibitor on the cut area to stop the bleeding.
All of this is after losing the wheel, of course.
I'm thinkin' of using old cotton socks as a cushions from the hand seamer.
I'll cut stuff with the 'Multi-Function' power tool they advertize as being so versital. You know, it cuts in corners & stuff.
Now I'll go buy a hard metal cutting blade, 'cause it wasn't included in the kit.
Sounds good to me,,,,how 'bout you???

pappentl · Post by **pappentl** » Sun Jan 15, 2012 9:38 am

Google it, many have used a wooden baseball bat against the tire to bend up the wheel arch. Tirerack also rents a professional tool, which I may use at some point as I'm running the e24 vented disk rear trailing arms on my e12 so my tires rub occasionally too. I've never heard of anyone cutting the wheel arch and would advise against it.

...tom

From: GripGreg <gripgreg@yahoo.com>
To: tech_forum <tech_forum@firstfives.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 12:42 am
Subject: Rear Fender well Roll

Help me out you body & fender gurus.
On my Six, the rear wheels & tires are oversize enough to rub at the top sometimes If I don't slow down in the dips at some intersections.
Soooo, I went to Harbor Freight (btw, they have a sidewalk sale this week-end!) & bought a 3 1/2 " hand seamer to roll the inner lips, which are stock & protruding. Then I thought

I should cut the lip at 4" or 5" intervals to make the curve easier. How am I doin"? Then, tape the fender against overspray & spray some rust inhibitor on the cut area to stop the bleeding.
All of this is after losing the wheel, of course.
I'm thinkin' of using old cotton socks as a cushions from the hand seamer.
I'll cut stuff with the 'Multi-Function' power tool they advertize as being so versital. You know, it cuts in corners & stuff.
Now I'll go buy a hard metal cutting blade, 'cause it wasn't included in the kit.
Sounds good to me,,,,how 'bout you???

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Jeff Dennis · Post by **Jeff Dennis** » Sun Jan 15, 2012 12:07 pm

I second what Tom posted. If you want your own fender rolling tool Eastwood sells one.
Many have used the baseball bat DIY method and I have seen some people offering the service on craigslist check it out localy.

Jeff Dennis · Post by **Jeff Dennis** » Sun Jan 15, 2012 1:22 pm

Greg,

Had a few idle minutes this morning and found this on LA Craigslist. Google this phone number 818 368 4395 the guy rolling fenders is Tony he is in your area and is well known for his work.

He has many posts and good feedback on the E30 forums.

GripGreg · Post by **GripGreg** » Sun Jan 15, 2012 2:11 pm

Thanx Pappentl & Jeff, just what I needed.
Jeff, I spoke with Tony today, Sunday & we're gonna hook up tomorrow, Monday to possibly do the job. He's in Granada Hills. He said he just bought a new shop, so, he'll be there working on another car.
Body man with an English accent, huh?
Thanx very much,,,,Greg

T.Hanson · Post by **T.Hanson** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 12:00 am

Interested to hear your report. Local BMW shop rolls 'em, but the shop rate times the process, plus tool depreciation, gets spendy. Enough to make me think of buying the tool, rolling six or ten fenders, selling the tool.

But even using the tool looks like it ain't quick and easy. Big and heavy, hard to rotate, etc.

Two I had done cracked the paint off around the radius. To be expected, stretching thirty year old paint.

I too have seen NASCAR pit stops using the stick, baseball bat trick. My imagination has it trying it on our fenders would be a long shot to just fold up the inner edge all nice and pretty. More likely cut into the wood, crank the bat around or bend the whole fender out with paint cracking, dog barking, *#@!

GripGreg · Post by **GripGreg** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 6:19 pm

Thanx Jeff!
Tom, I took my 6 (Gherman by name), to a guy in Granada Hills named Tony, who Jeff turned me on to.
He showed me that my left rear was already shaved a lil, so he shaved enough so things don't rub anymore. He used a small wheel grinder. When I get the front shocks on & trim the springs I'll have him(Gherman) re-aligned.
Why wasn't the rr shaved I wonder? OK, 'cause it wasn't needed,,,but,,,,.
Tire sizes are; fr=215/55ZR16; rr=245/50ZR16. Goodyear F1's.
Great lookin' tires with alotta meat & grab left!
BTW; do any of your sixes drive like they're a lil heavier than you E12's?
Or, is it my imagination? He's an '82, the change-over year which means some E12 & some E28 with alotta E24 makes an interesting soup, huh?
I'm gonna get a front strut brace pretty soon. Any recommendations? I read that the solid one is better than the jointed one.
I might also get those aluminum lower control arms too,,,,maybe.
I wonder how much those would help. Ohh, I read they may not be available for the E12 chassis?
When Coupe King installs the shocks, I'll ask them which chassis I have.
They work with enough classic Bimmers to know by sight.
Twenty-Four Hour Daytona right now on Speed channel!

Jeff Dennis · Post by **Jeff Dennis** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 8:43 pm

Greg so no actual roll needed? Just a little grinding....

GripGreg · Post by **GripGreg** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 2:36 am

Nope: & yep!

Tomslide · Post by **Tomslide** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 11:57 pm

ditto for me. the inside lip of the rear fender extends so far in(seemed like over 3/4" on mine) and is of such thick metal that it doesn't fold up and roll over well. I simply took a cutoff disc(ziz wheel) and cut the inside lip down to about 1/4". I made the cut so that it was slightly radiused up and in to soften the edge and gained what seemed like over 1/2" of space on each side. I've rolled many fenders, from the thin metal of a 90's japanese car, to the old thick american and german stuff. With bats and with eastwoods tool. I don't see any way to gain any meaningful real estate without simply cutting out that huge lip these rear fenders have. mine are not pulled out at all and I fit 225's on 8in wide et13's dropped so that they're slightly tucked inside the fender with room to spare.

GripGreg · Post by **GripGreg** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 2:30 am

BTW; Gherman, my '82 Euro 6, vin WBAEC3108C55592605, build date 9/81,
sold as an '82, is an E12 chassis.
I wear the E12 badge proudly, except that aluminum lower control arms are
not available for us. Unless you know a trick.

And I need them before I get the alignment.
Oh, did I say Coupe King cut one coil out & he now sits 1" below the rear? Which is just what I wanted.