I have come to the conclusion that I am just going to trim my fenders lip. It seems to be much easier, safer, cheaper... I have seen many guys go this route and not one has said it was a mistake. Ya it wont have a smooth finish like a fender roll. But I am not ever planning on selling my Evo. If anyone thinks this is a bad idea or has reason why fender rolling is better I would like to hear their opinions on it or reason why.

 

Im not hear to poke holes in your plans but the EVO shop I work w/in So Cal will not cut rears for 2 distinct reasons:

1. You are loosing the double thickness of the fender lip. The double material thickness adds strength, helping to keep the fender straight & true
2. You have sacrificed the painted edge & will need to treat that open sore to prevent rust / corrosion. You will have to grind the cut edge smooth so there is no rough or sharp edges to ensure the paint prep lasts.

This is my opinion: Rolling fenders is art form that should be done by a Pro & takes time. Its the amateur that settles for the cut

 

2 things the pro's have less of than hobbyists.

 

^^^ Time is money & a professional roll & pull is not cheap

 

im come to learn that all shops care about is lining their pockets, taking pride in their work comes second to doing the job fast.

 

+1.

Do it yourself OP.

 

So are u guys saying to just stick with my thought of trimming and not rolling still? Im really on the fence. He makes valid points. But sealing it im not worried about. Losing strength tho? Is that legit?

 

that is EXACTLY why i did it myself. if i payed 200 plus dollars and got a car back with cracked paint and wavy fenders id be ready to kill someone.

instead im fully responsible, and if i didnt tell you they were rolled you wouldnt be able to tell. my paint cracked along the fold underneath and thats it. i had never done it before.

the fender has 2 layers for a reason. the x's even have a support built in that you have to try and roll around. so yes its legit.

 

This is where I would like GTijoejoe to chime in and see if he has any counter response. In the quote above he seems to be very confident in trimming.

 

Gtijoejoe any thing to make a rebuttal?

 

I am highly confident in trimming if done correctly.

Allow me to give myself some integrity to my opinion, I'm an automotive engineer, I design chassis components, although I'm not a body designer I do have some understanding of sheet metal capabilities and processes.

My first question to the doubters is have you ever witnessed and properly trimmed fender? Have you ever witnessed a production no lip fender?
My assumption is no (I'm allowed to assume) but you probably have some conceptual understanding of what is best, good, or OK in theory to fender modification.

Trimming the fender lip will make the fender less stiff, no doubt about it.
Trimming the fender lip's excess up to the spot weld will still decrease the stiffness of the fender, but only marginally (prob < ~10%)
But thinking the fender is made specifically to that spec (with the lip) because of stiffness would be the wrong assumption. Often times (especially on performnace cars ) we think everything is done for a performance purpose, but really that lip is more driven by cost from manufacturability and handling purposes.
For instance, having a much shorter lip is more difficult to make, may require extra forming processes (ie, trim dies), requires different welding processes, risk of damage from handling.... etc

In all, decreasing the fender's stiffness from trimming is not going to be substantial unless you actually cut the entire lip off flush with the exterior body surface. Trim the fender only in the needed area to gain clearance, and keep the spot welds.

Did you also know that rolling the fender decreases the fenders stiffness? You may think it increases it but it changes the cross sectional shape, the 'L' shape of the fender is more stiff than 'U' or double 'l' shape you give it

Many trim the fenders, I have not personaly heard of any concerns from say CBRD who 'comments below' trims fenders on any of their or customers cars, if done properly, you should have no problems. In fact there are tons of F'd up rolled fenders, so far no threads about trimmed fenders? (I'm sure some must exist)

 

we have been doing both for a long time-

both have their limitations etc...

many times we will use the roller to widen the fender slightly before trimming-

cb

 

I had my rear fenders rolled by a performance shop, it took an hour and a half $150, and i was very sastified. None of the paint chipped on either side, there was no waves in the paint, people can't tell even after I tell them they've been rolled.

I know my experience isn't the same as everyone elses, so I'm just saying that I'm all for getting you're fenders rolled by a shop/place that does it frequently.

 

Gtijoejoe I love you. Haha. No, but seriously thank you for your in depth explanation on your reasoning why fender trimming should be considered. I am going to trim mine for many reasons now. If u have any tips on it that would be great although u have done enough already. I have worked in the metal trade (hvac) for ten years now and have alot of experience working with metal and snips. I am going to be using a pair of blue slightly offset snips that are quality for they are titanium snips and cut through just about anything. I know how to cut without making fish hooks and a bad cut in general. But any other tips or tricks would be great because my wheels will be arriving next week.

Once again thank you, because if this works you will have saved me time, money and some uneeded stress in fender rolling. Im sure now I will get the "fender rolling works just take your time" posts but this to me is better for lots of reasons. I will be posting back to this thread when I am finished to let everyone know how it went. And to show you some pics of my ride.

 

Trimming will gain what, 1/4" at most?