Fender removal?

[TJ86]

So I'm getting tired of looking at my peeling paint and decided Im gonna try to tackle some body work this weekend and try to get some primer on. How do I take off my front fender so I can bang out the dents? I know where all the bolts are that have to be removed, but what about the part of the fender that runs under the hood? Are all those little dimples welds or some kind of compound? Do they have to be drilled out or pry apart? Will I need to weld that back in upon re installing the fender or are the bolts good enough to keep it in place? Thanks

[Chevy53]

I think you just gotta unbolt it, try it and find out before you drill anything


-Ziggy-

[cancritter]

no drilling nessasary....just unbolt.....if a older truck is good chance bolts are rusted that hold to inner fender....in that case both fender and inner will have to be removed and chances are you still wont be able to seperate innner fender from outer...basicly is a retainer for some bolts holting innner..bolt rusts and when you try to remove it breaks inner retainer weld that holds it in place thus just ends up spinning and you cant remove bolt to seperate inner and outer fender...just a warning...all may not go as planned...on mine just threw out fender and inner and replaced with new...for under 400$ is good investment if your gona keep truck as front fenders alwayys rust....undercoated new ones before installing

[TJ86]

There is no rust at all on any body panel the truck was ziebarted and has held up very well it's just dented up. I had all the bolts almost all the way out where it should have easily moved around but it wouldnt budge. I tried to put a flat head between where the fender is dimpled under the hood and it didn't want to lift up off of the dog house I guess where its attached

[cancritter]

get bolts in fenderwell above tire ect?
those weld spots you see on uper part of fender hold fender together with part of inner substucture,,,and those are attached to your inner fender in engine compartment...it comes off in 1 piece...thought the same re those spot welds on fender when l did mine

[85chevyman]

the dimples are spot weld that connects outer panel to structure. fenders are bolt ons. IF too much damage it can sometimes be cheaper to just a buy a new fender. IMO. remember to write down where you have shims on the fender so it lines back up correctly.

[TJ86]

Yea I could get a new one even for free but who can brag about new and free. I got this truck as a baseline for what I want so I can just make it into what I would like to drive and I want my hands to work every piece of this bad boy. And all my friends are into hot rods, trucks, cars ect. so if anyone ever needs help maybe I could have learned by doing my truck and provide some help. I LOVE!!! Learning new things so I have to do all the work myself. It was just born in me.

[85chevyman]

post some pics of the damage. hard to help over internet but a word or two of advice can go a long way

[TJ86]

Yea I'll get some close ups of the damage tomorrow and get them on here. I'm really surprised on how good the body looks for being an 89. Do you by chance know how to load them from an iPhone or should I just go at it from the ol laptop?

[cancritter]

laptop to start..then when ya got time or help sort out how to do it over phone for future..photobuckets yer friend

http://photobucket.com/