ChrisJamesAuto

Fender Rolling FAQ

How much does it cost?

How do I contact you?

I live in Towson, MD - but can not perform work at my place (apartment).

What is fender rolling?

  • Fender rolling is the folding of the fender lip, into the quarter panel.
  • A good fender roll with have the inner lip of the fender flush against the panel, also called a "flat fender roll".

Why have the fenders rolled?

  • A fender roll will allow you to run wider wheels/tires.
  • Lowered cars may need to prevent the fender from rubbing against the tire.

Should I get my fenders rolled?

Good question! I recommend dialing in your fitment before ordering wheels and tires. Usually, if you're reading this it's too late. In my professional opinion, this is the order you should be getting wheels/tires.

  1. Spend a few hours researching wheel/tire combos on forums. Vehicle specific forum sites (miata.net), facebook groups (NA Miata Owners), and Fitment Industries Gallery are all invaluable resources.
  2. Decide on your wheel type (RPF1), your wheel diameter (17), and the wheel width (9). While the width is important, I find the offset (+38mm) is what makes or break a good fitment. These 3 numbers are CRUCIAL to getting a good wheel fitment. For example,
  3. Decide on your tire size. This is where your research plays a big part. Say I decided to get some Indy 500, a very well regarded brand. I could go 205/45R17 and not need and fender roll, 235/45R17 and maybe need a flush roll if I am lowered, or a 245/40R17, and need a fender roll and pull all around.
    1. The difference here is both the width, and the aspect ratio. For the 205/45 tire, that means I have 205mm of width side to side, and a 45% profile ratio. This profile refers to the size of the sidewall, relevant to the tire. The aspect ratio is very important when it comes to fitment.
  4. You've got your new wheels, tires, and stock suspension, lowering springs, coilovers, air suspension, or lift kit installed now! But your tire is rubbing on the fender. What now?
    1. Get an alignment. A decent amount of vehicles can avoid a fender roll, if they dial in the camber ahead of time. This is easier said than done.
    2. After trying for camber, if you're still rubbing, you could adjust the ride height (Assuming you have coilovers or air suspension). Try raising the vehicle a few inches, and if you have adjustable spring rate, crank that up!
  5. I'm set on my wheels, tires, camber, and ride height. But my fenders are still rubbing - Now is when you should get a fender roll.
 
Fender Rolling Explanation

What is fender pulling?

  • Fender pulling is the pulling of the fender lip outwards along with the quarter panel. A mild fender pull might not be noticeable unless pointed out, but most fender pulling can lead to flaring of the fenders, paint chips, wavy body lines, and pulling of the quarter panel out.
  • Fender pulling is not recommend in most cases, as the risk of damage is much higher. Paint chipping, rust, fenders cracking are all possible with a fender pull. If you have your fenders pulled there will be a waiver you must sign due to the risk involved.
  • Some cars cannot have fenders pulled. Specifically, almost every Lexus rear fender, and WRX's front fenders shouldn't be flared/pulled (leads to major body panel gap).

What is fender shaving?

  • Fender shaving involves the use of an angle grinder or dremel, to shave back the few millimeter of fender, instead of rolling.
  • Some cars are best with a fender shave - like those ineligible for fender rolling. Those that have bondo on the fender, or very thick fender walls like older JDM vehicles. Vehicles that need the absolute max amount of space, would be best to shave the fender lip, then pull the actual bodywork out.
  • You can clear more tire (we're talking the difference of a credit card) with a fender shave, but run some more risks. A good fender shave will have the area taped off beforehand, and sprayed with a rust inhibitor after.
  • As of now, I do not offer fender shaving. I would love to, but it's just not something I am comfortable doing for a customer yet.

Should I pay a professional?

  • I provide this service, because I once tried to roll my fenders with no experience. I chipped the paint, flared the fenders too much, and ended up putting a widebody on the car since I hated the look. I found this niche auto service I can provide, and happen to enjoy doing it too!
  • Here's a great article about fender rolling 101 from Drifted.com
  • You're not paying just for a fender roll, it's the experience and knowledge I have from over 200+ vehicles worked on
     
    Fender Roll Diagram

How long does it take?

  • From start to finish, 2 fenders average 45-60 minutes, and 4 fenders around 90 minutes.
  • This includes jacking the vehicle up, wheel removal, fender rolling, reinstall, and torquing the wheels down.
  • Fender pulling is estimate only, could be 10 minutes for a Miata, or 4+ hours on a Mercedes (Found that out the hard way!)
  • Test drives are at your discretion. Like 90% of client not go for a test drive, since once the fenders are rolled, there's nothing more I can do for your fitment. For those that do go for a test drive, and are still rubbing, I always recommend more camber, then considering smaller tires or wheels.

Is a fender roll safe for the paint?

  • Almost always, YES! All vehicles are inspected prior to completion of work, and after discussion with the owner we will find a solution that works.
  • If your vehicle has had previous bodywork (rust, body filler, fresh paint) it may leave to undesirable results, which is dealt with on a case by case basis.
  • When your fenders are rolled, the paint is heated up with constant checks of the temperature, ensuring the the paint is hot enough to roll without chips, while not too hot to melt the paint (sweet spot is 125f-135f).
  • However, you are having bodywork done if the fenders are rolled. No vehicles are designed from the factory to have the fenders rolled.
  • With dozens of vehicles rolled, we are comfortable with our process, and ensure that all customers are informed during the process.

What vehicles can have the fenders rolled?

  • Japanese, Korean, and German vehicles after 2000's almost always can! On some American made cars, and almost everything pre-2000 the fender is made of a thicker material which makes it very difficult to roll the fenders.
  • Not every vehicle is the same, searching your make and model + "fender roll" will usually result in forum posts. For example "Pontiac G8 Fender Roll" results lead to g8board.com with many members saying it is possible, and they may list what wheel dimensions (size, width, offset) and tire size they are running. This can help you decide if the fitment you're trying to run is possible with a fender roll.
  • By far the most common car that gets the fenders rolled are the Subaru WRX's, and the BRZ/FRS/86 platform. The WRX can have the rear rolled flush, and flared - while the front can only be rolled flush.
  • I've seen a lot, from Acura Integra, Toyota Crown Majesta, Nissan 300ZX, even a Toyota MR2. Send me a DM to see if we've done your model before!

Are there any vehicles you won't work on?

  • I do not perform work on
    • Honda S2000's
    • Vinyl wrapped, or recently painted
    • Vehicles that are in an inoperable state
  • S2000's require a fender tab relocation, and I'm still not comfortable completing it on a client vehicle. Sorry!
  • Vehicles that do not have an engine, or need major work generally lead to other "issues" when rolling the fenders.
  • Vehicles with vinyl wraps are a headache to fender roll. Since I need to heat the fender up to prevent the paint chipping, it will burn the vinyl wrap. You might see some on youtube and forums that did it without any issues, but I disagree - you either ruin the wrap, or chip the paint underneath.
  • Vehicles that have had recent paint work need to wait a minimum of 8 weeks before I will roll fenders. If you accept the paint chip risk before 8 weeks, you will have to sign a waver.

I can't do the work at my place, can we meet in a parking lot?

  • If you have access to a garage/shop it is much appreciated, but not a necessity.
  • If you do not have any area to perform the work (and read this far), I have a driveway I can roll your fenders at in Joppa MD. It's about 3 minutes from Sheetz for GPS estimate. I do not mention this anywhere else, so you must mention that you found this in the FAQ.
  • 601 Pulaski Hwy, Joppatowne, MD 21085
  • The cost for fender rolling in Joppa, is $240 for 2 fenders, $340 for all 4.

What other services do you provide?

As of now, ChrisJamesAuto focuses solely on fender rolling.

This website has other information about my dayjob (IT stuff), and my hobby of collecting license plates.

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