making rear wheel well, need some good advice

[lortech]

I have always beena do it your self person, and a mechanic. I want to take on the challenge of repairing my own rear wheel wells in my truck. I figure, if I can BUY radius angle bend sheet metal, the rest should be not to hard.

Here is a 3d illustration of what my truck rear wheel well looks like.

And I want to know, can this type of sheet metal be purchased in picture two? Curved radius bent sheet metal?

Idea would be to cut the curved radius bent sheet metal and weld it to a piece of curved metal I formed or tack welded to the existing inner wheel well, then tac weld it to the green wall you see in the 3d image. Is this how its done if no fender is available? I have no body tools other then what I do have to cut out with a angle grinder, sheet metal sheers.

Thanks much.

[sharpscriber]

How are you going to form the concave shape there? With limited tools you will only be able to have right angle corners and can't radius the shape you want.
That's a fun project but is so much cheaper and easier to find some to fit already made even if you have to cut it out of an existing old vehicle. Your measurement skills will be extremely useful there.
Hope your search goes well.

[striker12300]

How thick is the material? You might be able to do it if you had access to a shrinker/stretcher.

[device]

with the right tooling i could make that real easy on my trumpf machine..

with a power hammer and an upper and lower die mimmiking that concave shape you could punch that out..

[lortech]

Ive been told by a body shop, or a guy who has done this before..why do it? it would take less time to just goto arizona and buy a old land cruiser. Problem is, I do not have 2,000-5,000 dollars for a replacement truck, airfare, hotel and food cost and fuel to travel 1,500 miles, or border taxes.

The thing is, I don't care. My labor is free. I am bored If I am not working. If I have the tools, I can do it. I never stop until its done..or very tired

It is also a learning experience. If I did it once, I would learn alot from it. Yes, I would need a shrinker stretcher to create the 90 bend where it would be welded to that wall colored in green. I would first have the sheet metal cut to size on sheers. Then put a lap bend in the end where it would be eventually welded to the wheel well. Then put a 90 degree bend on the other side, that matches up with the green side wall. Once that is done, use a shrinker stretcher on it to match the radius curve of the wall opening and outside wheel well, then weld into place. I would not mind even trading labor for a sheet metal shop, if thay allow me to use of of the gear like shrinker stretcher. I love working.

I have all summer to do this, but only intent to do this in short order. Its not raining

[sharpscriber]

If you want the work and you have the time but no machines available then your shrinker stretcher can be just a hand crimper and hammer. Just crimp and hammer it. It will shrink. Just have to have the hammer face the proper size to catch at least three crimps together and hammer carefully. It will shrink if done right. Not to much crimp and just the right amount of hammer face and blows.

You can hand contour your own concave fender wheel by hammer blows and crimping.

They contour ship bulkheads by heating and quenching with water. It will distort metal to where you want it to go but that is a learned art.

You've got a tough fight on your hands. That's why I suggested surfing for an alternative. Body panel hand contouring is done and if you can master that certain end result then you will be the man!!!

[lortech]

Originally Posted by sharpscriber

If you want the work and you have the time but no machines available then your shrinker stretcher can be just a hand crimper and hammer. Just crimp and hammer it. It will shrink. Just have to have the hammer face the proper size to catch at least three crimps together and hammer carefully. It will shrink if done right. Not to much crimp and just the right amount of hammer face and blows.

You can hand contour your own concave fender wheel by hammer blows and crimping.

They contour ship bulkheads by heating and quenching with water. It will distort metal to where you want it to go but that is a learned art.

You've got a tough fight on your hands. That's why I suggested surfing for an alternative. Body panel hand contouring is done and if you can master that certain end result then you will be the man!!!

I will probably not follow the same dimensions as the old wheel well. Obviously it was stamped and it has a gradual bend near the inside top edge. But all I really probebly need is shrinker,streather.

It is 16 guage steel

[sharpscriber]

If it's just an angle iron type of rolled ring with the outside flange like in pic 2 then you can do that by hand. Clamp the angle between two pieces of hard block or 4x4 two a foot long and lock them down somehow to a sturdy solid foundation. Or you can cut a 1/16" slot in a tree stump. If you have the sides raised with wedges or other item that won't mar your metal with marks and gouges, you can take an 8 lb. maul and beat the curve into it. I've rolled many inside and outside flanges and sometimes coaxed them into shape with the angle ring between two sturdy I beams or columns.

You'll get the idea after seeing how much radius you need on them. 16 ga. should be easy to radius. Good to have a final radius hard material that won't bend or break over the top of it as you hit the center spot and move it the same distance for the next whack. The tighter the slot the less it is likely to curl the outer flange. Best to start off with a 90 deg. piece. If it is flat and you want to do it by hand you can by using strong clamping pressure to hold it against a sharp bending edge and use the maul and preferably a straight block to hit so that it won't have sledge hammer marks in it.

[lortech]

Originally Posted by sharpscriber

If you want the work and you have the time but no machines available then your shrinker stretcher can be just a hand crimper and hammer. Just crimp and hammer it. It will shrink. Just have to have the hammer face the proper size to catch at least three crimps together and hammer carefully. It will shrink if done right. Not to much crimp and just the right amount of hammer face and blows.

You can hand contour your own concave fender wheel by hammer blows and crimping.

They contour ship bulkheads by heating and quenching with water. It will distort metal to where you want it to go but that is a learned art.

You've got a tough fight on your hands. That's why I suggested surfing for an alternative. Body panel hand contouring is done and if you can master that certain end result then you will be the man!!!

I had a company put a sheet metal bend with a brake and then used a shrinker stretcher to create the curve that follows the bend of the fender ledge. I was going to start on installing it the other day, when I found the other edge of the inner wheel well was weak from rot "rolling my eyes". Anyway, The sheet metal shop is closed today and would love to hack away and get this rolling. I could take a piece of sheet metal with a bend in it, and split it at verios sections at the top, then cut v shaped pieces to slide into those areas and mig them in.

What do you all think?

[cactassdupree]

I think because of the compound nature of the beast, and limited tools, you sir would be better served purchasing some kind of after market part. That is unless you have access to a junk yard and you can find one in good enough shape. Then by all means have at it.
dupree