tube fender build

Got started on my tube fenders finally. I do have some issues that I will deal with when I do the body. For now I will just build the second fender as mirror image of the first one. My body sits a bit crooked on the frame. At one point it is off by about an inch. Because of that my hood doesn't sit quite right. But that is another project for another day. Overall the fenders are coming out good. My fenders were rotted and bent beyond repair. I also wanted to look like a "wannabe"

I used 3/16 X1.5" for the mounting straps. I used 1" sched 40 pipe for the fender tubes. I bent the pipe with a harbor freight cheapo bender. I still need to pull the tube back off and finish weld it all. Then I am going to skin the last hole. I am maintaining the stock inner.



more pics here

 

Looks good. Im building some right now. i used the same pipe bender and it worked good. skined mine with diamond plate and made the fender wells out of diamond plate as well.

 

That's pretty much what I had planned to try. I had not even thought about just using pipe. I was going to have some tube bent. Pipe should be fine though. Its not like they are a REAL structural part. They look GREAT so far. I'm going to have to look into the Harbor Freight bender now. Post pics when you are finished !

 

Huntman, I saw yours, one of many I looked at before I chose the direction I went. Gixx, thanks, that pipe is a lot stronger than a lot of people give it credit for. I will add pics to the link I posted as I go. I am also using the pipe on the rock rails I started. They will be in another post when I get a little further along.

 

Looks good! Just a thought...the part that's not skinned yet on the side, has anyone thought of makeing a tool box there? the "skin" hinges out for access.

Just an idea

 

No havent thought of a tool box there.. good idea though. Jeeptherapy, keep us posted on how they are coming along and i cant wait to see the rock rails, i wanted to make some for myself, i just dont want to drill my body.

 

I have been debating if I want to make the side panels as weld on pieces or bolt on pieces. I think they would look good either way. With bolt on pieces it would be nice access for tightening header bolts, working on the clutch linkages or working on the starter. I was thinking like 4 tabs welded around the inside and then just cut the metal to fit. As for making a tool box there I am not sure there is enough room to make anything worth while. I will have to take a look (and a few pics) today. I don't move very fast so it will probably be a while before I make any real progress. Have some vacation coming up. Going up to copper country, as far north as you can possibly get in Michigan without one heck of a swim.

 

Well I got a little further on the fenders. I am probably as far as I am going to go with them for now. I pretty much just roughed them in. I decided to weld the metal to the tube. In retrospect I wish I would have done the tabs. I did do tabs for the inners and it was significantly easier than trying to smooth out the welds on the sheet metal. All in all I am pretty happy with them. I can now really tell just how out of whack the rest of the body is. I do need to get the body straightened out a tad on the passenger side so I can get a rock rail on there.

http://loki.llamaporn.org/gallery/v...ers/?g2_statusId=x2cb518bf&g2_navId=x027c8c07

 

I forgot to mention the hardest part. When I did the strap along the back side of the fender I welded a nut on the top hole. Then the tube went over the nut and was welded in place.

The hardest part was getting the bolts back into the hidden nuts from the inside. The parking brake on the drivers side and the heater box on the passenger side hides the holes. I really thought that hidden nut was important to the strength of the fenders though. I would do the same thing if I had it to do over.

Another issue that I had was the nut plates on the inside of the grill framing. I ended up taking the headlight buckets out to gain access to put nuts on the inside.

 

Looks really good.

 

They look good. glad to see them coming along. i like how you used the stock fender wells and made the tabs, looks good. how did you smooth the side piece out into the fender? looks like its all one piece. Keep us posted on the rock rails.

 

jeeptherapy, I am currently undergoing the same situation, but with the lift laws and tire issues here in our wonderful state of Utah, I had to radically modify mine to cover the tires, I am using full width waggy axles under my CJ. Believe it or not, I am aslo using the same materials, and possibly even the same bender. My bender sits atop a bench, hydraulic jack centered, with six different sized dies, two rollers which can be set into one of six positions.

 

Sorry for the slow reply Huntman. I spot welded the sheet metal to the tube and then ground and fiber-glassed around them. It actually came out pretty good.

I am thinking at some point I will probably have to add some form of a fender flare on there. Would like to see some pictures of yours. I also don't like the tire sticking beyond the fender like that. Sounds like the same Bender.

 

Well, I finally got a few extra minutes to blow, I am going to throw in one of my pics for comparison notes. As stated, I have to comply with Utah laws, so I decided to see how this turns out.

 

maniac,

Interesting approach to solving the problem. I would be interested in pics of the completed project when you get a chance. I have a folder full of pics of different tube fenders and would like to add your pics.

 

I may have some free time this weekend to throw together a few pics and a write-up. I wasn't sure if this approach was the way to go, so I built two sets, one standard set, and one wide version. The latter definitely caught my interest, the rear fenders will also see a set of tubes.

 

JeepTherapy, i have thought about some flares as well, but tires sticking out past the fender dont bother me so idk if i will. if you want some more pics just let me know and maybe i can like e-mail them to you or something like that.

 

Huntman, I think I got some good ones of yours from your post. One day I will get all that together in a gallery.

 

sounds good!!

 

jeeptherapy, I took some time and uploaded my current photos to my webshots, you may take a look at some of those pics of the fenders if you would like.

Caution, there is a major undertaking of my jeep conversion in progress.R) It is in a hacked state.

The link is here: http://rides.webshots.com/album/559983110gMAOFc