Seen above is one type of fender rolling tool. The tool bolts on to
the wheel hub. Spacers are needed in the back if the roller will not
rotate
enough (the bolts are hitting the parking brake).
For perfect results the paint on the fender needs to be heated up.
If the paint is not heated it is sure to crack when pressure is applied
to the metal, this will result in a sure trip to the local paint shop.
A heat gun should be used as it is the best and most efficient way of
heating
the paint. A nice little accessory to the heat gun is a laser pointed
thermometer.
The thermometer will ensure that one is at the correct temperature of
125-140
degrees F for the fender rolling process to proceed. If a thermometer
is
not available, the heat of the paint can be described as the
temperature
of a dark car on a hot summer day. Remember to check the heat of the
paint
regularly, if the temperature drops it will result in cracking.
Align the roller so that the rubber roller contacts the fender where
the lip is protruding. Make sure that the angle of the roller will bend
the whole lip and not just curve the edge in. To receive a constant
roll
on the entire length of the fender one will have to make constant
adjustments,
adjust for correct length, angle, and pressure along the curve. The
handle
with the two black balls on it adjust for pressure on the fender. The
silver
knob on the right side of the roller is for adjusting the length of the
arm. The black handle on the left side adjusts the angle of the roller
mechanism. Once everything is adjusted to the proper settings, the
rolling
can begin. Roll in small increments pushing the fender lip in about 2-3
mm at a time, this will ensure that the fender and paint will have time
to rest between rolling.
This Picture illustrates the proper positioning of the roller, and
the way in which the roller is moved.
In this picture one can see how the angle of the roller has to be
adjusted
so that it remains in proper contact with the fender lip, if proper
contact
is not maintained the lip will become deformed, resulting in a bad job.
This picture illustrates how the roller has to be adjusted for length.
If the length is too short the roller may slip off possibly hurting the
operator or the fender, if the length is too long the roller may damage
the inside of the fender resulting in protrusions that may be visible
from
the outside of the car (not good and hard to fix).
Keep an eye on the position of the roller at all times during the rolling process, this will ensure that no mistakes are made. If one can not see the position of the roller ones fingers can be used to measure the gaps between the roller and the fender lip, and between the fender lip and the fender. By the end of the rolling process the gap between the fender and lip should be gone, thus making for the most possible room.
One can see how flat the fender lip is after rolling. There is no
longer
any lip on the fender (the black mark is where the paint was rubbed of,
before the fenders were rolled).
As one can see I flared the fenders a bit to make for even more room.
The stock fender on the left shows how the fender slants towards the
car,
the rolled fender on the right no longer slants towards the car, it is
now vertical.
After rolling my fenders I only have rubbing when making sharp turns through dips (pulling into a driveway etc...). However if I slow down there is no rubbing.
A special thanks to Leandro for all his help on this project.
Note: Safety is the number 1 concern, if you do not have the proper tools do not proceed with this installation. I am not liable for any mishap that may occur during this procedure. The risk is all yours.