Help fitting flared guards

[Mark B]

Hi All!!
While she's off the road i'm attempting to fit my flared guards at the moment and have a few questions...hopefully someone can point me in the right direction.

Can anyone tell me the best method of fitting them, without screwing/bolting them in (for the moment).?.They need to stretch a little to fit the contours nicely..What are some methods that you guys have used successfully? Please excuse the bad resolution of these pics, it's from my phone camera..

http://www.buga.com.au/index.php?option=com_gallery2&Itemid=8&g2_itemId=9640&g2_imageViewsIndex=1
http://www.buga.com.au/index.php?option=com_gallery2&Itemid=8&g2_itemId=9635

[ben]

sure.. the best method is to pop the flares out of the mould while they are still green.. then strech them to the body while they are still green. then they will set in that position. using screws..

of course your flares are not green anymore.. you could ring up the bloke you got them off and tell them they dont fit properly. get him to make some and get them off him in the same day and you will be able to pull them into shape easy

 or do your best to try to pull them into shape by screwing one side into the correct position first them gettting someone to pull it while you screw. probably try this first.. less hastle.. and guarenteed no abuse.. lol

[eddy]

I can only think of one three simple methods that I prefer to fitting the fibreglass flares, screw, bolt or pop rivet. I have had vans with flares moulded on but then you are stuck with them so when you crack them (not if .... for sure they will get damaged) you have to repair them on the van or make a hell of a mess removing them. I personally prefer having the option of removing the flares when I want to do repairs or replace or to go back to a different wheel combo so I use roofing self drilling screws that come with a rubber washer to seal the water out, the screws are visible so I paint the whole underneath in black. To get a nice finish I place masking tape where the flare meets the body and then use fibre fill and body filler to make the joins exact, I then remove the flares when the fill has cured and shape the join so when it goes back on you can hardly see the line, have a look at my gallery where I did some work to the campa van, you will notice that there are no big gaps showing between the flares and body joins. I don't spend the same energy on the air dam as they are prone to stone damage and any large stone will knock out the filler if it hits in the right place. hope this helps, there is a bit of work involved but in my humble opinion worth the time. I did all four flares in a few hours.

Don't put the flares under too much stress to make them fit cause it may backfire on you especially if you are getting an expensive paint job, the other option is to mould them onto the body but that is a lot of work, pop rivet the flares on and glass over them both sides, however when water gets under the fibreglass you will have rust occurring.  I am no expert and other beddites who are better schooled than I in this department may have better advice but the method that I prefer and use has caused me no dramas and provided a neat finish for my daily drivers (sorry don't do show vans)     

[Mark B]

Thanks Ben! Getting the flares green would have been ideal, but i'm gonna just have to do with  what i've got for the moment. And your right, it will be a little less abusive 

Eddy - thanks mate, appreciate your time! Just wanted to clarify a couple of things you mentioned. Please forgive my ignorance/in-experience =)

I understand about the masking, then filling and shaping - great advice! The bit that's confusing me is the screws.. How do you mean that they are visible? I have looked at your gallery and I can't see any screws when i zoom in on the guards.. I can't even see the top of the screws around the guards anywhere !?! Do you fill over these as well, so it's a smooth surface?? Where on the guards do you put the screws?

 Far as I can tell from your flares, they seem to be fitted without being able to see any visible screws or screw holes etc. It looks great! Maybe I am missing something here..Cheers

[eddy]

no worries MB the screws are fitted to the underside of the flare, so you only see the screws if you look under the flare, the flares I have are from van craft and come with a lip that matches the wheel arch contour (under the flare) I note that yours are different, can you not attach them from the under side? if not then you will have probs if your only method of attaching is by the surface, in that case I would recommend pop rivets and set them below the surface by countersinking the hole and fill over the top of the pop rivets to get a flush finish but you will then have to finish painting with them on the van I am in Ringwood North if you want to have a look, I have the flares off and will soon refit them to the tow van but I am off to Shepparton tommorrow and not back till late Sat night then off to the nats in Geelong on Sunday but I do have Monday off and will be working on the vans   

[Mark B]

Thanks heaps Eddy, thanks makes heaps more sense to me now =) you're right, i don't have the inner lip option on my set of guards..thought i was going crazy  will see how i go over the weekend and might give you a hoy to come have a look..i'll be in ringwood putting my new engine in  enjoy the nats

[bunger64]

Hi Mark its Brad here i sold you your kit you should have called me could have helped you but  its great to see you have sorted out give me a call 0419 518472

[ben]

hey brad. me and eddy had a look at fitting the flare kit too.. the front lip sat pretty good. but the flares were not that good of a fit thou.

how have you attached the kit to your old van? did you just screw through the flares then bog over the screw heads or something? and i guess if you ever need to get them off you just have to dig out the bog. correct?

cheers
ben

[bunger64]

No mate they are urathaned on and they fit very well if you have standard undamaged gards all my glass is prefitted on a shell before its sold .i went over to Eddys today  he a mate of mine

[ben]

ok. how did you attach your front flares to the front spoiler? and how did you attach the flares to the guards and make look good?