Fender mounting

[rooster]

My buddy was asking how are the fenders were mounted. Were hoping to mount my fenders this weekend. I look at all the pictures on this forum but can't really see how differant ones attached thier fenders.

Can someone give a a clue.

[TRAIL-OF-TEARS]

I just drilled holes in the fender and screwed it to the side using #10 3/4" hex head screws. It works for me.

[SteveH]

I went a little further, used 1/4 X 1 1/2" elevator bolts at the top thru the wood, and 1/4" bolts thru the frame at the bottom.

[Denny Unfried]

I threaded inserts into the plywood 1/8" shy of going through. Then the fenders are attached using 1/4-20" cap screws & fender washers. This leaves it clean and smooth on the inside. Of course this works only if you are building a solid sided tear.

Denny


Ghost image showing fender in place.

[rooster]

Three different ideas, eneany, meany, miney moe....

SteveJ, I'm a retired machinest and #10 screws seems a little light, not that they won't work, I just sort-a over build. Like the Titanic.

SteveH, 1/4-20 seems a little along my style, going with stainless steel and castlelated nuts. What are elevator bolts anyway, never heard of them?

Now, Dennys idea was rather cool, but I don't want to do that much work.
I hope I don't come accross that I'm lazy, just tired a little.

Did any of you use fender felts?

Thanks for the ideas.

Jim,

[SteveH]

What are elevator bolts anyway, never heard of them?

Jim,

An elevator bolt is like a carriage bolt, only better. It has a bigger head that is flat. If a 1/4" carriage bolt has a head that is about 5/8" in diameter, an elevator bolt's head would be about an inch in diameter. I used them to bolt the floor to the frame also, only 3/8" size.

[ALAN GEDDES]

Don't forget to put a little RTV or something to prevent any wood damage. A lot of water gets thrown up inside those fenders.

[SteveH]

Allen,

You are right about that. I sealed up all the fender bolts with silicone and also installed fender welting between the fenders and trailer. Should keep it dry.

[Steve Frederick]

I used threaded inserts like Denny, Actually I stole the idea from him!!
I added blocking to the walls where I planned to mount the fenders. (The walls are an insulated sandwich) I used 1/4"-20 stainless bolts, fender washers with a dab of marine RTV.

[norm perkiss]

I used T-nuts. Drilled and set them in the 1/2" ply before closing up the inside and putting on outside skin. I used SS hex bolts and caulking with vinyl fender beading. Seems to be working perfectly.

[rooster]

Thanks guys for the info. Now I have to locate elevator bolts tomorrow and hope they don't look at me funny. My riend is installing my shocks for me, what a buddy. Larry Sorensen added shocks to his tear after he used it awhile. Some of the hwys. up here aren't the greatest after a winter of frost heaves push up the hwy. in places.

Later, Jim

[Roly Nelson]

Just to go off on another tangent, I made my fenders out of 1/8" plywood and 3/4" pine. I cut a curved groove into the side of my tear, and a matching groove into the outside fender section. Then glued, clamped them together and installed about 50 glue-blocks ;on the underside, to add strength. The whole mess is coated with Line-X bed-liner and even though it is a bit different, seems to be working out fairly well. (it evens passes the jump-on-the-fender test)

The new 6 footer has HF standard fenders, screwed tightly to solid wood framing in the tear floor. I guess when the screws rust off, the fenders will fall off. Oh well, as I say if it's wood, it' good. (does that mean if it isn't wood, it isn't good?) Naw, just different.

Roly, finally turning my goofy ideas into reality.

[asianflava]

Man, looking at your setups makes me think that I need to beef mine up. I used 3/8 in bolts thru the solid portion of the wall and 3/8in bolts with T-nuts on the hollow parts. All use (approiately enough) fender washers. I only have 4 bolts per fender. Maybe I'll add 2 more bolts on each side. I didn't want too many because the T-nuts show on the interior, I figure I could live with 2 showing.

[SteveH]

Rocky,

I've only got 4 each 1/4" bolts per fender in mine and it's got about 8,000 miles on it already with no problems so far.

[TRAIL-OF-TEARS]

I had first used just some #10 5/8" self tappers but after about 6,000 miles the drivers side fender started to loosen up so I replaced the self tappers with the metal screws. got about 7 screw each side. They seem to be very solid.