how to align fenders with the door?
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TECH Fanatic
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,050
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From: Odessa, TX
how to align fenders with the door? my cars fenders stick out about 1/2 inch on the bottom behind the wheels. its the same on both sides. idk how to get them lined back up. please enlighten me with your fbody all knowing! lol i will post pics tomorrow its dark outside.
A shop did it for me for $100 for both sides, I think it's usually because of improper jacking locations bending/breaking the bracket that holds it on.
Mine looked like:
If anybody has some techniques, I'd like to know as well!
Mine looked like:
If anybody has some techniques, I'd like to know as well!
Ok, someone jacked your car up on where the fender bolts to the body, and it bent outward under the weight of the car.
Option 1- look under the fender, there should be two bolts holding the fender to the frame. If both bolts and the tab they go through are intact; take a vice grip and bend the metal back inwards till the fender is flush.
Option 2- if the bolts are sheared off and the tabs are mangled, you will need to drill up through the underside of the fender somewhere where there is metal above it. Then put a couple bolts through into the metal above.
My was like this when I bought it, fixed it with option 1 on one side and 2 on the other.
Hopefully someone can post pics of what I'm talking about.
Option 1- look under the fender, there should be two bolts holding the fender to the frame. If both bolts and the tab they go through are intact; take a vice grip and bend the metal back inwards till the fender is flush.
Option 2- if the bolts are sheared off and the tabs are mangled, you will need to drill up through the underside of the fender somewhere where there is metal above it. Then put a couple bolts through into the metal above.
My was like this when I bought it, fixed it with option 1 on one side and 2 on the other.
Hopefully someone can post pics of what I'm talking about.
the fix is the same for TA's or Camaro's. you can take the bolts out and bend the tab back then bolt the fender back to the tab. either way, that is the problem, someone jacked the car up using the tab as a jacking point.
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Yeah, the tab underneath the car that aligns the fender with the body gets all bent up from the dipshits at the tire shops lifting your car carelessly. Put a 2x4 up against the tab and give it some good smacks with a mallet and it'll bent back out. You'll certainly need someone to hold the 2x4 in place while you go to work with the mallet. It worked like a charm on my car.
Yeah, the tab underneath the car that aligns the fender with the body gets all bent up from the dipshits at the tire shops lifting your car carelessly. Put a 2x4 up against the tab and give it some good smacks with a mallet and it'll bent back out. You'll certainly need someone to hold the 2x4 in place while you go to work with the mallet. It worked like a charm on my car.
I should mention it's a good idea to put a rag over the end of the 2x4 where it makes contact with the tab, that should prevent the undercoating from chipping off of it. Also, DON'T MISS THE WOOD AND HIT YOUR CAR WITH THE MALLET! Thankfully that didn't happen to me but I was scared as **** that it was going to happen.
I should mention it's a good idea to put a rag over the end of the 2x4 where it makes contact with the tab, that should prevent the undercoating from chipping off of it. Also, DON'T MISS THE WOOD AND HIT YOUR CAR WITH THE MALLET! Thankfully that didn't happen to me but I was scared as **** that it was going to happen.
Twice I've had that happen even when I've told people at the testing station & a tire shop not to jack it there! Had to bend it back with a vice. The second time I had to adjust the bolt behind the door mirror, because the fender was pulled out half an inch!
The last time I made them jack it from the sub frame & the guy looked all pissy because he had too go through the 20secs of trouble unscrewing the rubber mounts off the 4 point lift to screw in shorter ones to fit under the car.
The last time I made them jack it from the sub frame & the guy looked all pissy because he had too go through the 20secs of trouble unscrewing the rubber mounts off the 4 point lift to screw in shorter ones to fit under the car.
i wouldnt recommend banging anything into place. the fender is fiberglass which attaches to a thin metal tab. break that fiberglass piece and you might have to get a whole new fender. just unbolt the fender and bend the tab back.
Last edited by cookba; Aug 13, 2011 at 07:21 PM.