Most stock cars don’t have a particularly sporty or aggressive look unless they’re performance cars created for going fast. If you have ever thought about modifying your vehicle, one of the first things is different wheels, commonly, larger than factory-fitted ones.
Although there are thousands of options when it comes to wheels, some are more iconic than others, and just getting any larger wheels won’t cut it. The problem is that some wheels can’t fit onto specific cars, no matter how long you thought about fitment and tire size.
If this happens, there’s one thing you can do to improve the chances of fitting your dream wheels on a car – rolling fenders.
Here’s what you need to know about rolling fenders, and how to do it.
The Reason For Rolling Fenders
Rolling fenders isn’t and shouldn’t be done for aesthetic purposes because professionally rolled fenders are no different compared to stock fenders for the untrained eye. If that’s the case, why roll fenders at all? Well, if you’re in the process of modifying your car, whether it’s for better looks or handling, rolling fenders might be a necessity to avoid destroying your tires.
The inside of the fender is much sharper than people might think. Fitting wider wheels and tires might look good on your car, and it might help you gain more stability around the corners, but it’s also likely that your tires will hit the fender at some point. When this happens, the fender itself can cut the tire. Replacing tires isn’t cheap, but more importantly, such an accident can cause a health hazard if it happens while you’re cornering at speed.
So, the number one reason why you should roll fenders on your car is to properly fit your aftermarket wheels and tires. This can be either fitting wider wheels or lowering your car as much as possible. In either situation, the fender might become an obstacle, so rolling the edges should help.
Is Rolling Fenders A Safe Solution?
In all honesty, rolling fenders is safe, but there are some things you should know before you decide to roll your fenders. First of all, you can only roll metal fenders. If they’re made from any other material, the only thing you’ll do is break them.
This process requires patience, experience, and the right set of tools. If the right tools aren’t used, or you try to rush things, there’s a large possibility of damaging the quarter panel. If this happens, you risk needing additional bodywork done on the car.
To keep things on the safe side, a special tool for rolling fenders must be used. The best way is to let an experienced person do the job for you in case you don’t have the experience or tools to do it yourself.
Step-By-Step Guide To Properly Roll Fenders
If you decided to roll the fenders on your car, it’s a good idea to go through the steps to make sure you don’t forget anything.
The first step is to lift your car and place it securely on jack stands. Removing the wheel where you want to roll the fender is also required unless you plan on rolling fenders with a baseball bat or metal pipe. We strongly recommend using a tool made specifically for rolling fenders, but if you don’t care about the bodywork and need to roll the fenders quickly, you can use a bat or metal pipe instead. In this case, you’ll need to keep the wheels on, and you won’t need to jack the car.
Once you remove the wheel, the next step is to remove the fender liner, if you have one. Some cars have it, some don’t. They’re usually held in place by plastic clips or screws, so removing them shouldn’t be too complicated. Make sure you’ve removed all the plastic pieces from the fender. You’ll need to use a heat gun on the fender, which can melt the plastic easily. After everything is removed, make sure to thoroughly clean the inside of the fender. You can use a pressure washer to remove all the debris that can cause an issue once you start the rolling process.
An important step you don’t want to skip is to check whether the fender is made of metal, and whether or not it was worked on before. You can use a simple magnet to check if it sticks the same to every part of the fender. The filler will easily break under pressure, so if you’re not sure whether any work was done to the fender, don’t forget to check before rolling it.
After you’ve cleaned, checked, and prepared the fender, you’ll need to secure the fender roller tool to the hub. This is usually done the same way as you would secure the wheel, but just in case, read the instruction manual.
Position the tool to the edge of the fender, and slowly start heating the fender lip with your heat gun. The heat of the lip should be just hot to the touch because at this temperature, it will be easier to bend the metal, and the paint will become flexible. This way, it won’t crack, and you’ll get the best results. Make sure you do this in small sections.
It may take longer than expected, but being gentle and taking your time will ensure you’ve correctly rolled your fenders without causing any damage to the paint or fender. To avoid any imperfections, never roll more than three-quarters of the heated area. Also, slowly heat the lip of the fender because too much heat can lead to cracks, but too little heat will do the same. If you’ve never rolled fenders before, take your time and don’t rush.
The same process should be repeated on all corners of the car where you need to roll your fenders. After you’ve successfully rolled the fenders, let the metal and paint cool off naturally before fitting the wheels back into your car. This shouldn’t take more than 10-15 minutes.
The last thing you need to do is lower your car and test the fitment.