Guard Rolling Tips?

[V28VX37]

So I thought I'd have a go at rolling the rear guards using one of those cool roller tools, didn't get very far.

Basically the inner lip is pretty much horizontal at the moment and I don't seem to be able to adjust the tool short enough to get the roller at the right angle. It's sitting too sharp against the edge of the the lip, which wants to eat into the roller rather than being bent back. See photos below.

User error? Any tips?

Here's the best video I could find on how to use the roller:

And yes I'm heating the lip & paint first.

[niZmO_Man]

Jacked the hub up?

[Ben C34]

Jacking up would make it worse I think. I would tap it with a rubber mallet. Or undo shock so hub can drop more.

[V28VX37]

Jacking up would make it worse I think. I would tap it with a rubber mallet. Or undo shock so hub can drop more.

Yep I did that, it dropped the LCA by an inch or two but still not enough space to get the right angle for the roller. I'm surprised that you can't adjust the tool any shorter...

[MagicMikeZ32]

Use the newspaper method of creating the clearance required.

Shamelessly stolen from the 300 forum. I used this to get my rears to fit and it works a treat!

First of all, you're going to want to jack up the rear by the tow hook, and remove he rear wheel. The you're going to want to disconnect the lower mount of the rear shock.


Remove the nut and bolt, and swing the lower mount out of the way.



Make sure the lower mount is clear of everything. You do not want it to catch on anything.

With the car in the air, and the wheel at full droop, this is what it looks like:

Not too bad, but remember it will camber in a bit, like so:

The fender just catches the tire, so rubbing will occur.

Next, you're going to want to heat up the fender, from where I'm point at, and to the right. Use either a heat gun, or if you're brave, a propane torch, lol


You want to hit the fender from the bottom and up, to heat up the lip of the fender on both sides.


Next, grab about less than a thumb's width of newspaper for the initial treatment.

Again, I'm using mechanic's paper floor mats. It works just as well.

With the fender heated, stuff the newspaper into the wheel arch, between the fender and tire. Make sure to have the newspaper span the whole area you heated up, or else you'll pull one section more than the other.


Then you're going to drop the car slowly, until the tire touches the floor, and the wheel begins to tuck itself inside the fender.


Now, it will make some noise it is just the sound of the fender sliding over the newspaper. Let it sit for couple of minutes, to give the fender time to cool off and take shape. You're going to want to then raise the car and remove the paper. Drop it back down to where you're tucking tire, like so:


You're going to want to check for rubbing issues. What I do is take some thin paper, and slide it between the tire and fender:



If the paper snags, then you still need to pull more. The tire was touching the fender in the area between where the paper is placers in the two pics.
Again, heat up the fender, and grab more paper.


Rinse and repeat as needed.


You can see the fender slowly taking a flat flared look


Just as a warning, the driver side fender will require more effort to pull, due to the gas cap there reinforcing the fender. So don't freak out if you need significantly more newspaper on the driver side than on the passenger side.

Keep repeating the process by adding a slight amount more newspaper at every pass. My passenger side took 2 passes. Driver side took 4. Again, this is normal. And here are the results:

[V28VX37]

Thanks MagicMike, I was more looking for tips on how to adjust the roller but that's a good alternative DIY approach

[R33shaun]

doesnt look like you need it much shorter, try cutting the outer sleeve of the tool down to just before the lock bolt thread. that might give you enough

[V28VX37]

doesnt look like you need it much shorter, try cutting the outer sleeve of the tool down to just before the lock bolt thread. that might give you enough

Thanks man, that's a good idea. Unfortunately it's mate's tool so can't really go modding it, I think I'll let someone else do this job..

[V28VX37]

Ended up getting this done at a shop, they used a different type of roller that had more adjustment (and seemed more sturdy in general).

The technique itself is pretty simple, just make sure you keep heating it thoroughly and all the time!

[V28VX37]

Followup, turns out that passenger side is perfect but they cracked the paint on driver's side, not brilliant. I guess it's just like with anything else, you get what you pay for...

I applied some clear coat straight after but now couple of weeks later I'm noticing some rust coming through I'm going to try putting some more clear in there but I think that's just a temporary fix.

Can anyone please recommend a paint/body shop in inner Melb who could fix this up properly?

Thanks guys.

[V28VX37]

Got this patched up at a local shop for a reasonable price.

Moral of the story - don't get a backyard guard rolling job as fixing it up will cost you more than rolling it in the first place...