How to be SLAMMED without RUBBING: An informative guide to fender mods on most Hondas
Ok, so after getting many PM's inquiring on how I rode so slammed and claimed to do so without any rubbing... I've decided to do a write-up on what I did to modify my front fenderwells in order to achieve lock-to-lock turns with no rubbing at absolute dumped status. Anyway, here's a rough step by step guide on how to rid your ride from the dreaded rub. I know for sure these tips work on Civics and Integras from 1992-2000. Much older or much newer vehicles may have slight variations, but I would guess not by much.
Also, if a mod could please make this a sticky, I'd greatly appreciate it.
I'll try to make this as understandable as possible. lol. And maybe sometime I'll get around to taking some pictures to help further explain these steps.
Tools needed:
Dremel tool (very helpful, but not 100% necessary)
Sheetmetal shears (common type w/ yellow handle)
Big fucking hammer (metal head type. You won't get far with a rubber mallet)
Flat head Screwdriver
Razorblade
First thing's first. Do you have fender liners? If so, do you want to keep them? If you don't, doesn't matter. Just a lil less shit you gotta do. If you do, once you jack up the front end and remove your wheel, you should see some of the fender liner that's already been rubbed through (one spot closer too the front, one spot closer to the rear). Using the dremel (or sheetmetal shears), cut out ONLY the upper middle section of liner where it's been rubbed. You may need to pry off some of the clips that attach that section of liner to the inside of the fender well with the flathead screwdriver in order to remove section. When finished, the front and rear sections of liner should still be intact and attached and look completely stock and unmodified when car is dropped back down to normal height. Be careful not to get any of the plastic shrapnel discarded from the dremel on your skin cause that shit will burn the FUCK out of you and make you want to go inside and watch TV instead of working on your car. lol
Next, you'll then see the exposed culprit of what's causing your rubbing when you hit bumps and such... that damn pinch welded sheetmetal body seam that sticks down about 1/2". Using the sheetmetal shears (or dremel if you have a GOOD cutting disc), cut slits in the thin areas along the length of the seam (you'll know what I mean when you see it) every 2-3 inches or so.
Then using the big ass hammer, hammer the lip flat up against the frame. Make sure you hammer it BACK TOWARDS the fender and not towards the strut assembly or your upper control arm will get sutck and it's just a big f-ing mess that you will NOT want to deal with at this point.
Once flat, inspect the curcumference of the actual fender arch in and along the inside and you should see where it's been rubbing against the lip where the liner attaches. Holding the flathead screwdriver HANDLE in both hands (tip pointing down towards the ground), with your thumbs pressed against the outside painted part of your fender, fold the lip inwards so it sits flat and flush against the inside of the fender. This is a BIG pain in the ass and requires a bit of elbow grease, but it's the best way to not crimp and wrinlke the fender, as using a pair of channel locks or a hammer will do. Do this slowly and you shouldn't have any problems with the paint chipping. If you see some paint start to buckle, run the razorblade along the circumference of the fender arch, so if paint should chip, it will stop at the cut before it reaches any visible point on the outside of the car. Your tire really only rubs on two points of the fender (which you should see due to those two spots being rubbed down to bare metal) one closer to the front, one closer to the back, so try and get those points really flat... and try pulling outwards on the fender arch (gently, but with enough force to actually do something) to squeeze a few more millimeters of clearance away from the tire. Every little bit helps. As stated above, refrain from using channel locks or vice grips to pinch the lip down, or a hammer to knock it flat, 'cause you'll just end up distorting the shape and body line of the fender.
Lastly, check around for any other spots on the inner fenderwell that's been rubbed to bare metal. If you don't have a super wire-tucked or shaved bay, you can get away with tapping on the rubbed sections with the hammer, "pushing" those sections inward towards the bay. I did this on my brown coupe and it was nearly unnoticeable from the enginebay... and nobody can see behind your wheel anyway. It'll cut down a lot on scrubbing with high offset wheels, due to a higher offset placing the barrel of the wheel closer to the inside of the fender.
DONE!
Remember, wheel/tire combination has A TON to do with how much you scrub... not just height... plus of course camber and offset come into play when you get this low. Here are some examples of cars I've done these mods to and how LOW they can be with NO rubbing whatsoever:
**bonus tip for preparing fenders for extra gangster wide/low offset wheels**
If you're planning on running any sort of wheel wider than 7" with an offset of any lower than +30, you'll probably be needing to do some more drastic modifications when being slammed. To do so, start by having a buddy nearby cause this is a two man job. Have one of you get into the car, in gear and ready to drive forward. The other needs to have that big ass hammer ready. lol. Hold the head of the hammer in both hands and place the handle between the tire and fender arch where they meet (near the back section... just imagine if it were a clock it would be around 8 position). Have the friend drive forward SLOWLY as the hammer forces itself to be sandwiched between the tire and fender. Gently "see-saw" the handle towards you and away from you forcing the inner lip on the fender to flatten out towards the inside and slightly "pull" the arch outwards. Reverse the process slowly once hammer is run all the way through. Please take notice of paint and if any chipping occurs, run the razorblade along the arch of the well to take care of that. I hear a heat gun works just as well (or better), I've just never used one so I can't say. Also be VERY CAREFUL to not over do it and start buckling, crimping, or distorting the natural curvatures and bodylines. It is meant to be a subtle, slow process that within time stretches the metal outward and away from the tire.
Indeed there are more (and probably better) ways to go about doing these steps as I've stated I'm sure... and if any other people have any recommendations, tips, or shortcuts, please by all means DISCUSS and POST THEM!
Disclaimer:
Also please notice this is intended to be only a guide on what I have personally done to my own cars. Use your own descretion when following these steps and again, DON'T OVER DO IT! This is only meant to be a means of a quick and inexpensive way to cut down on some of those annoying rubs and scrubs everytime you hit a bump or make a turn. The "right" way to roll fenders, as always, is to rent a fender rolling machine, or to get it professionally done. I can not take responsibility for mistakes, mishaps, or misjudgements on your part which cause any damage to your vehicle. Just be smart about this people.
Good Luck!
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Originally Posted by The BUCKY
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nice and smooth
:idb:
