Fender Rolling Question.

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RQ Jay

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My C2500 is on a 4/6 Belltech drop and I have some slight fender catching on the stock wheels on left turn dips.
I was looking to have my fenders rolled locally, but not able to find someone who does this.
Is it worth picking up the harbor freight/ebay fender rollers and doing it myself?
 

Stumpy

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I bought a ebay fender roller, years ago, just to do two vehicles, and it did the job. Clearly the quality is not the highest, but it worked.

You need to get a heat gun as well. If you roll them cold, your paint will flake off. Heating it up, makes it flex with the metal, as you roll.
 

MrPink

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I had an Eastwood Roller for many of years and it worked great, I had always used my heat gun to make sure that the paint was not damaged. with my truck however since i am replacing both bedside wheel openings and the front fenders i will be trimming the lips off and going that route.
 

someotherguy

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OP is in Arizona.. just park the truck outside and the paint will be plenty warm.

It's probably really solid advice to warn against damaging the paint but I will say this; I haven't cracked paint and I "roll" fender lips with a small sledgehammer and no prep work. On OEM sheetmetal, anyway. The flimsy aftermarket stuff craters when you do it that way. Learned that lesson on my Chinesium Escalade kit 20 freakin years ago.

OP you may also want to eliminate the top center most bolt attaching the wheelwell to the fender, or replace it with a smooth head allen/torx style if your tire is sticking out enough to rub on the fender lip - it's probably buzzing on that bolt head, too.

Richard
 

Frank Enstein

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You can roll the lips with a ball bat that you hate and a helper. Have the helper roll the truck forward and backward as you slowly roll the lip.

Don't try to roll the lip in one shot no matter what tool you use to do it.

I have done several cars with this method and it worked well. This was long before fender rollers were a thing.
 

drewcrew

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You can roll the lips with a ball bat that you hate and a helper. Have the helper roll the truck forward and backward as you slowly roll the lip.

Don't try to roll the lip in one shot no matter what tool you use to do it.

I have done several cars with this method and it worked well. This was long before fender rollers were a thing.
That is how I've done it for years. A few years ago when I did my truck I had an audience. Two of my neighbors watched and looked at me like I had lost my mind. Good times.
 

sewlow

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I've heard not so good reviews on those Eastman rollers.
I've seen fenders rolled with baseball bats between the tire & the fender lip too. That doesn't always work out well either.
I did mine with a hammer & a wedge dolly. I prefer that method as it's more controlled. Not so all-at-once brutal.
Only about 2' needs to be rolled, but I did about 30" just to be sure.
Don't try to bend it all at once. Do a bit at a time. Work the lip starting from that center mark out to the 15" on either side.
It may take 3 or 4 rounds of hammering to get the lip bent up enough to clear the tire, working back-n-forth out from the center.
Putting the dolly up against the inside of the lip will help to prevent any dents to the outer skin of the fender if you happen to miss, & the dolly makes for a nice roll to the lip.
Patience! Bend a bit at a time. Keep working it till your happy with the result.

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Erik the Awful

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I hate the 'fender roller' tools, but every time I've tried to use one, it's been on a vehicle with a doubled-steel fender or really thin sheetmetal that just bends back. I haven't tried one on a GMT400. I would probably use rags and channel locks, working my way around slowly, to fold the inner lip upwards.
 

someotherguy

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I hate the 'fender roller' tools, but every time I've tried to use one, it's been on a vehicle with a doubled-steel fender or really thin sheetmetal that just bends back. I haven't tried one on a GMT400. I would probably use rags and channel locks, working my way around slowly, to fold the inner lip upwards.
Ergggg.. dunno if I'd go after it with channel locks. Sounds like a guaranteed way to bend the outside edge of the fender.

Seriously; the small sledge works like a champ. I've even been.. uh.. less than careful and just whacked the crap out of a few of 'em. Again, on OEM sheetmetal only. Aftermarket will crater if abused.

Richard
 

1madmouse

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I need to do this . Thinking my sheetmetal hammer or small sledge and dolly would be safer, along with a rag. Then start at the middle like sewlow said and go slow. I have done other trucks and my old ChevyLUV, they turned out ok.
 
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