Crooked front fender.

Hi all,

I noticed after I painted my front fender that it was crooked, figured it would correct itself once put in place, but when I mounted it today (without a front tire I might add), it forced the forks to twist slightly and the front fender looked more crooked on the bike..

So.. Does anyone know a way to bend it back without destroying the paint?!

 

Re: Crocked front fender.

Sure. Got a bench vise?

Here's your challenge: The front fender itself is not the whole issue; it's merely following the fender brace. Inside the front fender "shell" is a really heavy-duty stamped brace.

I've had to straighten even new fenders.

Clamp one mounting "ear" in a bench vise, and gently but firmly bring the fender into alignment with it, front-to-rear. Repeat for the other side. Measure the distance between the ears with a caliper and match it to the forks.

What I do to protect the paint is line the vise jaws with about 3 or 4 layers of good stiff corrugated cardboard and then finally a piece of cotton "chamois cloth" (old flannel shirt) or terrycloth. If you manage to press the fabric pattern into the paint, it will easily rub out.

A properly adjusted fender will "slot" into place and be straight without tugging on the forks one bit. You'll find the blasted fender brace is stiffer than you realized.

 

Re: Crocked front fender.

i'd put the wheel on first, then do the string wheel alignment thing, then make the fender right to the wheel

 

Re: Crocked front fender.

Thanks, I'm currently bending and twisting all I dare to in the vice, maybe there is hope yet. But it's off about 7-8mm sideways (ie one "ear" is 7-8mm in front compared with the other)

But I will continue to massage it in to place!

 

Just so you know, you'll have to bend it PAST where it needs to be. The metal will have a certain amount of 'springback'. So, if you're only going to the final position, or not even getting there, you'll never get it to line up. You'll HAVE to go a little past the finish point, allow for springback, and if it is slightly too far the other way after springback, that's ok. Keep in mind that metal tends to have 'memory' It was bent quite a ways, so if you have to bend 'backward' a touch or two, it will be easier to go backward to put it in line now.

It's not just a fender that you're bending....there is a very strong steel fork brace inside of the fender. THAT is what you're fighting against the most.................

Dave F

 

It sounds more twisted than just bent.

 

well yeah........that's why I was talking bending forward and back, not in and out. Yeah, definitely twisted....................

 

is it hard to get that brace out of that fender?
I was hoping to work a bit on it as mine has a lot of rust.

 

It's spot-welded in.

 

I had to straighten the twist out of my(son's) Seca fender. I screwed the fender to a couple 3' long pieces of 2x6 so the wood extended down from below the fender. I flipped it over, stepped inside the fender and used the 2x6s to torque the fender straight.

Be careful not too go to quick or too far. A little at a time till it's right.