Eastwood Fender Finisher
By Gordon DeWitte
Ever had that annoying problem where the 90° fender flanges are digging into the over-sized tires you’re putting on your exotic supercar? Yeah, me neither. But, just in case you run into this issue, Eastwood’s Fender Finisher-Hand Fender Former Tool will fix it for you. The $80 tool allows you “to roll fenders without having to remove the wheel!” and ease that troublesome factory edge. A heat gun is suggested to warm up the paint so you can form without damage, but you should be able to do the job in less than 30 minutes. The Fender Finisher has molded hand grips, a durable power-coated finished, and comes with two extra replaceable rubber pads.
A video is available at the manufacturer’s site.
Eastwood [Manufacturer's Site]
September 8th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
I actually have that problem right now on my lowered Dakota. $ 80 is over-priced unless you plan on doing this on many vehicles. Eastwood also sells a roller version which is a lot more and requires you to remove the tire. A cheap alternative is to use a body hammer to move the metal. Most tires only hit about a 3 inch spot on the top of the fender. Doesn’t take much to move it. You can use snips or a grinder to cut reliefs into also.
September 8th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
For my race car, I used a heat gun and a sledge to do most of the work, then finished with strips of steel and vice grips kinda like that tool, but significantly cheaper. The vice grip portion gets the lip really flat, which is important if the rules specify fender rolling allowed but no flaring. If you’re working with this rule, you’ll want to hit the inside of the lip with a wire wheel first to get the undercoating out so it can be as absolutely flat as possible.
September 8th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Once upon a time we used wooden baseball bats to do this.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Most Toolmongers could make this tool themselves.
September 8th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Of course you could just get tires and wheels that will actually fit in your wheel wells. Your wheel bearings and other suspension components will thank you also.
September 9th, 2009 at 11:11 am
@JB: that is a totally false statement. Most larger tires and wheels will not affect wheel bearings or suspension components. If you want proof, see my 194,000 mile Dakota which has had the wheels on it since 1999. Never had a problem with bearings or suspension.