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I am going to make my own fenders

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by DanStew, Jan 6, 2004.

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  1. DanStew

    DanStew Preowned Merkin salesman Staff Member

    After seeing all these tube fenders they are selling now, i decided that i am going to make my own. :D :D

    I really liked the flatfender look when i chopped off my fenders about 3 years ago. And now the fiberglass fenders are are not what i wanted. I have decided to make my own fenders.

    Looks easy enough. But instead of using Steel tubing i am going to use conduit. I am not expecting my fenders to hold my jeep up agains a rock, but the conduit will make the fenders stronger than the stock ones anyway. So now i need to get the conduit and bend it, get some sheet metal and cut it and weld to to the conduit. Then for the inside fenders i am going to use rubber sheeting that i will attach to the conduit framework with wing nuts so that i can take the rubber off real easy and be able to access the engine compartment a bit easier.

    Cool thing bout the conduit is that is is galvanized, and i can get galvanized sheetmetal. I will have to be careful when welding the stuff together but it should be very very easy to do. And probably very cheap. I will have to buy the conduit bender (which shouldnt be much) I just have to draw up some plaans and take some measurements and i can have nice looking fenders at the fraction of the cost :)

    Has anyone made their own fenders???
     
    DanStew, Jan 6, 2004
    #1
  2. SandhillMike

    SandhillMike Moderator

    Dan, be sure to grind off the galvanizing where you are welding. The fumes are very toxic.
     
    SandhillMike, Jan 6, 2004
    #2
  3. DanStew

    DanStew Preowned Merkin salesman Staff Member

    Thanks Mike!!! Oh yes.. the stuff can be real nasty. grind it off.. drink some Milk, lots of ventilation. that stuff can be wicked. i dont like messing around with it. heck i try to hold my breath when doing it.

    Actually does regular primer adhere to galvanizing?? I am thinknig bout getting some more of th ecold galvanizing solution and repaint it all, then primer and paint with regular paint so that I can delay it from rusting again :)
     
    DanStew, Jan 6, 2004
    #3
  4. plunkinberry

    plunkinberry Member

    Dan, the holding yer breath doesnt work. I've seen welders get real sick trying that method. Too much of it can be a real bad thing and everyone is different, so it may effect you differently.
     
    plunkinberry, Jan 6, 2004
    #4
  5. DanStew

    DanStew Preowned Merkin salesman Staff Member

    :shock: :shock: I wont hold my breath. Not like for 2 minutes or soemthing, but i understand. I will grind it off where i weld. I really dont like to get sick unless it is from the brown bottle ;)
     
    DanStew, Jan 6, 2004
    #5
  6. H8PAVMNT

    H8PAVMNT Rub his head for luck

    Dan why bother with conduit? Too risky. Find something else.
     
    H8PAVMNT, Jan 6, 2004
    #6
  7. DanStew

    DanStew Preowned Merkin salesman Staff Member

    Conduit is pretty cheap. they may even make it without galvanizing. I have welded galvenized before, just have to take some precautions. Just going to make myself some good looking fenders for inexpensive prices so i can bang them up and not think twice. I guess i just have to tinker with the jeep :)
     
    DanStew, Jan 6, 2004
    #7
  8. blevisay

    blevisay Oh Noooooooooooooooo! Staff Member

    Dan nothing really sticks to Galvey.......
    You could clean the area with vinegar ant try or they do make a primer that is suposed to stick. (I have had bad luck with it)
     
    blevisay, Jan 6, 2004
    #8
  9. Sharp

    Sharp Sponsor

    Dan, There is thin wall steel tubing available. The 3/4" OD, .065 wall tubing can be bent with a conduit bender. It works really well and doesn't have all the ill effects that come with a galvanized metals. My .02 cents worth............
     
    Sharp, Jan 6, 2004
    #9
  10. michigan_pinstripes

    michigan_pinstripes I'm not lost, I'm wandering

    15 years ago, I brazed some heavy galvanized sheetmetal that a guy wanted used to re-man the rusted out rockers on his car (don't ask, it was a Valiant). It was real hard to heat evenly and of course toxic. It did work and I used Zinc Chromate primer (also toxic and banned from do-it-yourselfers now). I probably shaved off a year of my life and I won't do that again.

    Your theory is good using conduit but I wonder if there is something similar out there at steel yards that is bendable like conduit. Large diameter re-rod for concrete might work and would give you solid steel to weld and grind for a nice edge radius. The problem is getting it heated evenly with the sheetmetal. Just a thought, maybe something to experiment with! You would have to braze/weld both sides to prevent trapping dirt/moisture underneath. With that kind of strength, your fender could not only hold up against rocks but MOVE some too!! :D
     
    michigan_pinstripes, Jan 6, 2004
    #10
  11. DanStew

    DanStew Preowned Merkin salesman Staff Member

    The Conduit was my first choice just because i really cant get to the steel place with my work hours, and i still do not know what the size of the differnt tubing and steel that is available. I was going to get some flat stock to run along the grill and weld the conduit/tubing to that, have that go to the tub and either use some more flat stock or angle iron. And then have an angled piece fro mthe bottom tub corner up to the fender hoop. The conduit just came to mind first this morning whan i was brain storming this up. I was thinking bout how to keep the dirt and water out from the seem underneath the tubing and sheetmetal. I was going to use sema sealer in teh tub to eliminate the crevice, but maybe just welding another pice of sheet metal there to elminate the crease would be better.
     
    DanStew, Jan 6, 2004
    #11
  12. grumpy

    grumpy New Member

    Hey guys when welding galva. it is recommended that you drink about a pint to a quart of regular milk. I know this sounds like a joke but when I was welding galvi. in fab shops they would furnish the milk for us. It is supose to neutralize the poison you ingest. Also I would not use galv. pipe, even if it was free, it's just more work, with the grinding and all. Use black pipe and paint it any color you need, and drink a coke instead. ;)
     
    grumpy, Jan 6, 2004
    #12
  13. william_cj3b

    william_cj3b 3BOB driver

    I used to work in a trailer factory. Drinking milk probably helps, but it sure is hard to keep down in 100 degree temps wearing full welding gear when you have to bend over or lay down to weld something :?
     
    william_cj3b, Jan 6, 2004
    #13
  14. w3srl

    w3srl All-around swell dude Staff Member

    Galvy is waay too much trouble to work with IMHO Dan. You grind away the any potential benefits, and it is a cast iron b$$$h to get primer/paint to adhere to, as Billy said. Go fer the steel tubing, even if you have to um, 'cough cough' burn a 1/2 sick day to go and get it. ;)

    Mild steel is much easier to work with!
     
    w3srl, Jan 6, 2004
    #14
  15. manden68

    manden68 Member

    manden68, Jan 7, 2004
    #15
  16. Jeepnut67

    Jeepnut67 New Member

    I'm going to be building my own fenders too and am just going to use mild steel 1/2" tubing, with sheetmetal welded on to make the flat surface and the liner between the tire and the engine. I do like the rubber idea though, it would be nice to be able to remove that sheet to access the engine, but then again what do you really have to access down that low on a regular basis?
     
    Jeepnut67, Jan 8, 2004
    #16
  17. jason

    jason Member

    i have a tubing bender now but before that i had a cheap pipe bender to fab with, but before the pipe bender if i needed to do somthing like your talking about i would just cut and weld the SCH 40 3/4 pipe into a fender shape maybe using three or four cuts to make the contour of the outside and lay the sheet metal on. SCH 40 pipe is cheap and you can get it probally at the same place you are getting your galve pipe, just trying to save your kidneys mine locked up when i welded galve and felt like there where in vise, jason.
     
    jason, Jan 10, 2004
    #17
  18. 84cj7er

    84cj7er Thats not a pillow....!!!

    I welded galvanized for two months at a shop i work at part time ...Boy did it suck!! :oops: :cry: We had the special hoods with forced in oxegen and filters on them and you could still feel it at the end of the day..Glad its all over!! Milk.. it does a body good!!I thought about making my own fenders also but i was wondering are they street legal?? Thanks
     
    84cj7er, Jan 11, 2004
    #18
  19. Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Spark plugs?

    I've had the 1 pc for so long I can't remember how easy getting to the back plugs is. Probably worse now that I have the power brake unit in there.

    When I go back to the regular front sheetmetal I'm just going look for a way to quick-attach the whole fender.

    Street legality will be a localized issue - probably not an issue of who made them, but do they cover the tire enough. Here in MI I think legally you're not supposed to have more than 1" of tire sticking out past the fenders.
     
    Boyink, Jan 11, 2004
    #19
  20. Johnnie Mayeux

    Johnnie Mayeux New Member

    If you can get to the steel dealer in your area look at 1/2" dia. steel rod, it is stronger and not too much heavier than the conduit. It is easier to weld; if you get some 5/64 6013 rods. all you want to do is stiffen and round the edge. Please post pics of the finished product.
     
    Johnnie Mayeux, Jan 11, 2004
    #20
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