BC

Got the rear taken care of...

Need to get the fronts a bit out, maybe just fold in the inside lip.

This aluminum is NOT flexible, and kinda brittle.

Any ideas?

Red UFO

blow torch and robotussin?

Gretch

Brendan, have you tried a baseball bat? push up and out as you roll back and forth. Use an old wooden bat. Take your time.

BC

I used a rolled pipe about 8 inches in dia on the rear. I had expected that this would really distort the entire fender on the front. I don't have to worry about breaking paint. They are in primer right now.

Ketchmi

I roll them frequently with no problem. They are not brittle at all but if you use a good quality heat gun (Not the wife/girlfriend's blow drier!) you will minimize the paint cracking. If there has been any excessive undercoating or bodywork you will know it right away. The aluminum will fatigue much sooner than steel but on a single hard bend, it rolls with the best of them. Regardless of what some folks say, use the proper rolling tool. A Louiville Slugger ain't it! Tire Rack has one that they loan out but it's usually booked months in advance. I'd let you use ours but you are too far away to personally deliver it. (or hunt it down when I need it)

BC

928 spec. are supposed to have one to loan out.

mark kibort

baseball bat works fine, just be careful. metal pipe ---NOOOOO . ooops, too late brendan.

depending on the tire clearance, the bat can be easy. you roll the car backwards and forwards with the bat, making sure that the lip folds under by pushing up as was said. do it in small increments and you will have no problems. the bat is good as you start with the neck and can end up with the fat end.

the rolling machine would be good for the front, as its the lip only, HOWEVER, the rolling machine is useless for the rear, where the bat really is valuable. not only does the bat fold the lip under, it gently bows out the rear fender too . you basically have a rolling machine with the car rolling backwards and forward with the bat.

Mk

BC

I already rolled the rear fenders. I did it the right way with the car stripped to bare metal, well, to the galvanized metal, so the metal pipe did very well. Whats the problem with the metal pipe? I suppose if there were paint there it would bad, but I said the car was stripped.

I guess I was fishing for some tips to deal with the aluminum.

The problem is the car is engineless, so I think I will have to have some friends stand on the cross member and recreat the correct ride height so the tires can push up on the pipe.

Thats why the actual correct tool as Dave suggested seems good as it does not require the tire and fender to be in a certain position - infact no tire there at all.

mark kibort

that may be better! need the tire for the bat.
as far as metal pipe, you seem to get a better more uniformed push out with wood.

Mk

Ketchmi

Hey Mark, the proper tool works on the rear just fine...............

I have used it on several cars this month and it will flare the fender as much as you want to flare it. I fit 11" wheels with a 45mm offset and 295-35-18's on an 89' S4 without cracking the factory paint. It looks mean as hell! Oh yeah, 8"ers on front with 235-40-18's and rolled lips with no rubbing.

BC

Sounds Good Dave.

Now I just have to get one.

mark kibort

this is 335s and 275s on 63mm rear off set, 83mm front offset on 9.5s and 11s

it does look mean

mk

BC

Do you have pics of those 295s? I have some 265s on the 10s I will put on the 78 to be safe for innitial use, but I'd love to go wider. My lip goes out and down. There were some pics somewhere:



https://rennlist.com/forums/928-forum/194268-an-update-on-the-78-restoration.html

BC

I gotta say Mark, I love your car, but it is so far from being a stock S4, engine, computers, body, and everything else, its nuts.