Am I less likely to need to roll the fenders since I have Volvo fender liners?

thehackmechanic

thehackmechanic

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As per prior threads, I just installed staggered Alpinas and new 225/50 16s and 205/55 16s. These accentuated the high stance of the car, so I found an old set of springs from a 2800cs that I parted out many years ago and cut a coil off them and installed them. I have not yet driven the car as I'm waiting for two rear Bilsteins to arrive.

I've read, with great concern, the fender lip rolling issue. Many years ago I installed Volvo fender liners under the front fenders to keep the spray out (these days it's almost academic; this is a rarely-driven car). If I roll the fender lips, I have to take out the liners as they'll have nowhere to mount to in the front (same issue those with CSL arches complain about).

My question is: It makes sense to me that the tires are less likely to catch the lip since the liner is overlapped and screwed to it. Does this make sense to anyone else? Does anyone else have this same combination of liners, Alpinas, and a lowered car?

--Rob
 
If anything you would need to roll the fender lips even more now since with the fender liners you have one more layer of material making the clearance even less.
 
Hey Rob,

Not sure on the liners, but I'd assume they'll no longer work, as a rolled fender lip is very tight on the fender.

I do know that I installed the 16" Alpina setup, took the car for a few drives, and had no fender contact. Every car is different, and the board does have members that don't have contact issues, so I thought I was in the clear.

Took the car out for a longer drive that included I-95, and saw rubber strips hanging from the tires afterwards. Not cut deeply, no fender damage, but contact none-the-less, so not good. As far as I could tell, the contact wasn't from cornering, but instead, from highway speeds and suspension compression.

Anyway, I did roll the fenders very carefully with a small sledge hammer w/towel wrapped on the head, and a heat gun. Call me crazy, but this is my preferred method as I didn't want constant outward pressure on the fender lip, and this method gave me a nice period-looking profile on the roll. Looks great, no paint loss, and no more contact.
 
fender liners

Rob,

I have a similar setup. I've the same wheels, tyre sizes, and fender liners on my CSi. Bilsteins and standard springs ( not lowered ) . No issues with rubbing.
 
Fenders

CookeD,
Could you post a picture of the result using your method for the rear fenders? Could anyone please post a pic of the rears rolled? Don't want to lose patience and end up with a butcher job just to save my tires!
Thanks
 
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Fronts rolled, not rears, but can provide a pic if it would help.

Rear clearance is not an issue with my 16 x 8.
 
Rolling front fenders

Of the 360 degree arc formed by the front fender opening it is only the upper approx. 45 degrees that is of concern from contact--after rolling that upper 45 degrees there should be no contact. With "proper care"--meaning take your time--when rolling that section little if any paint damage will occur

US spec cars seem especially notorious for rubbing issues--as with removal of the 3/4" spacer from the the upper strut contact beneath the housing--the useless piece of hardware that DOT had mandated--to raise the lights & bumpers to suit their standards--the rubbing can be very serious even running on the original 14" stock wheels with 195 or 205/70-14's fitted--and especially when turning the front wheels and quickly entering a dip of a driveway entrance or similar that will actively compress your springs--or when driving the pot-holed roads in the North East and upper Mid-West.
 
My fuzzy recollection (I had liners 20+ years ago) is that the tires will rub on the liners and likely wear them away. Better than rubbing against the metal fender lip. I think I took the liners off because they rubbed on the 225/60-14s on imitation 14x7 "Alpinas I put on back then.
 
I am trying an intermediate solution; planned, but not field tested. I want the car lowered but I also want the fender liners. I think Carl's front springs lower the car around ±44 mm. I add back in 6 mm for the fixed camber plate and 5 mm for the slightly thicker top rubber spring mount I have installed (from W&N, they have three thicknesses). Total lowering is closer to 33 mm. Hopeful thinking perhaps? I also used a slightly thicker rubber spring pad in the rear to balance things out (3 dots).
 
Fender contact issues

Contact is not necessarily minimized by what you are suggesting--unless you can prevent your suspension from deflection that naturally occurs on dips, bumps and the like in the roadway, especially when turning and experiencing deflection.

The BLUMAX has tested this front fender contact issue for over 38 years--and even with stock original suspension, spacers in place, etc. rubbing and cuts in the edge of tread occurred when BLUMAX was nearly new--solution then as now is rolling the front fenders--no issues with the rears--so leave them alone.

Today, since December 1995, have run with the Carl Nelson spring set, heavier sway bars, Bilstein HD's all around and for seven years on 14" stock wheels with tire sizes ranging from 195/70-14, 225/60-14 and 205/70-14 and briefly with 215/60-14. Today, and for past seven years no change in springs and shocks, but with Alpina 16" staggered that are mounted with 205/55-16 front and 225/50-16 rear never an issue since "rolling the fender lips" issues.

I somehow fail to understand why there are so many theories that are expounded upon and other attempts at solving this problem that go on when--the simple process (often referred to as KISS) of rolling the upper 45 degrees of the front fenders SOLVES THE PROBLEM!!
 
Fenders

Well,
If anyone has been following any of my posts...I did run into a contact problem with my rears. I started with 16 X 7 ET 11 spec. and had modified my rears to an ET 24 spec. by installing 2 1/2 inch outer lips to make 8 inch. The standard formula of 205/55 and 225/50 for tires. Contact was maybe 1-2 mm on the sharp fender edge. I was able to narrow by rolling, reducing the dimension by aprox. 3/16'' and also now have a round and smooth edge for the aforementioned 45 degree arc. Raining here today, so no test drive yet, but I hope not to have any more worries, especially since I have a set of the Carl N. lowering springs, installation of which is on the back burner. Anyone have advise for me prior to install of the springs?
 
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