Front fender flex ???

[Jerry]

I am working on my second TR3A and both seem to have a lot of flex in the front fenders. IE: right in front of the doors. Has anyone ever added some stiffner pieces behind the panel or am I worried about nothing?

Jerry

 

[tdskip]

They'll be fine mounted up - off the car they don't have any attachment points so they wobble.

 

[M_Pied_Lourd]

Hi Jerry,

Just working on mine now as well.

A couple of things I noticed.

Make sure that the splash guards are installed with new rubber gaskets behind the fenders.

Make sure that the bottom of the fender is in good shape. There is a little closing piece there that adds some structure. Of course, bolting the fender along the bottom helps as well.

Having said that, I still find mine is a little week at the leading edge behind the front wheel.

Cheers,
M. Pied Lourd

 

[Jerry]

I did forget about the splash guard behind there. But it was there on my last car and we still got some flex.

Jerry

 

[Jerry]

I have to replace the bottom of the drivers fender. Question for you. Is it better to weld from the front or back of the fender. It seems that grinding the excess weld off would be less picky from the back but perhaps there is another reason to weld on the front???

Jerry

 

[tdskip]

Hi Jerry. Don't think it really matters too much IF you get good and even weld penetration. That said most will weld from the front (external facing) side since there is usually enough weld material there to grind flush.

 

[MDCanaday]

jerry you have to make sure to weld the repair patch to the fender while it is bolted up to the body.This is critical . welding distorts the metal quite a bit even if you are very cautious, and if the fender is just flopping about on a bench you will likely be hunting a new wing.You also need to find some one who owns a panel stud gun.You will not need studs, but high spots can be heat shrunk in seconds with this tool which will tighten up this area of the fender so it dont "oilcan"
MD(mad dog)

 

[Brinkerhoff]

MD , you are right. I use the stud gun with the heat shrinking tip exactly for this repair. The metal is so flat and thin. Even by hammer welding the new piece in place I still oil canned the panel and had to shrink it down. Repair it with the fender in place and use a 36" long metal yardstick as a straightedge to see the high and lows, keeping distortion in check. Kevin

 

[Jerry]

I have a stun gun with the heating tip, but it came with no instructions. So you indicate to use the gun to heat the high spots, how long to heat??? Do you need to tap it with a hammer also?

Also, after welding the fender in place, do you take it off and then hammer your welds flat or just grind them down?

Thanks for your help!

I got the new outer sill just about ready to put on.

Jerry

 

[Brinkerhoff]

Jerry, you are using the flat dime sized head for shrinking. When steel heats to a blue color it expands , when it cools it contracts more than it expanded and the cooler metal surrounding it pushes it toward the center of the hot spot causing it to shrink slightly more than it expanded. Hitting it with a hammer and dolly will cool it faster and stop the shrinking effect. Find a high spot with your 36" long metal yardstick ( what I use) and square the tool to it. Push in and press the trigger for half a second . That should heat the steel in a dime size spot to the dark blue you want. You want to use a circular pattern if the high spot is large. The entire flat area of the panel may need to be shrunk. Be careful, its easy to overshrink ! The metal will keep shrinking as it cools so only do half a dozen spots at one time before letting the metal cool back down. Re check with your straightedge constantly. You'll find the metal will be easier to work with a hammer and dolly after its been shrunk. I usually butt weld with a mig welder or my gas torches. Hammer and dolly as I go to keep the weld small and easier to finish off. Of course fit the patch carefully and space out the welds first and shrink the metal to keep it all in check as you go. I replaced the main floor pans in my TR3 and had a big oil can in the center of the panel . Took it out with the shrinking tool in ten minutes. Kevin

 

[M_Pied_Lourd]

Kevin,

Could the same process be done using a traditional spot welder with the tongs on either side of the panel providing the localized heat?

Cheers,
Tush

 

[Jerry]

Thanks Kevin,

This forum is very useful for lessons.

Jerry

 

[Brinkerhoff]

Tush, I've not tried that but it might work . It might be too small a hot spot to cause a shrinking. Kevin

 

[M_Pied_Lourd]

Thanks Kevin.

Cheers
Tush

 

[PatGalvin]

Jerry
I can show you how to do this. I've had to shrink both fenders after welding patch panels (doors too). They are otherwise distorted and have serious oil cans. Not that difficult to remove. Can do with an oxy acetylene torch setup or can do with stud gun. Shrinking metal is kind of fun, once you get the hang of it and gain some confidence.

Pat

 

[Jerry]

Sounds good Pat. I will have you look at my front disk brake caliper also. It does not look like the one on my old TR3A. It is extra long and says Girling with either an 8 or a B on the cup. Here is a picture.

Jerry