How To Trim Wheelwells for Bigger Tires

Sidewall-rash whitewalls are a common result of the tire bulge kissing the rear inner fender lip. These P275/60R15s on our ’Cuda smoked the sidewalls on every bump. The offending fender lip hangs over the tire like a knife, leaving minimal clearance. Sorry dudes, no one rides in the backseat.
Sidewall-rash whitewalls are a common result of the tire bulge kissing the rear inner fend
The first step is marking the offending area. The lip outside these two arrows will never cause a problem and can be used later if we add the wheel-lip molding. We just trimmed the molding flange in the area of the roll and used double-sided autobody trim tape to attach it; instant camouflage.
The first step is marking the offending area. The lip outside these two arrows will never

To work the lip back, brace the outside of the fender with a block of wood like a dolly. A few layers of heavy duct tape will protect the paint during the process (not really a big deal on our primered ’Cuda). The roll will do almost no damage if your quarters are metal, but filler and fiberglass won’t flex and will likely blow out if the car’s a bondowagon.
To work the lip back, brace the outside of the fender with a block of wood like a dolly. A
We used a rubber-coated, shot-filled dead-blow hammer to roll the lip back. It leaves a much smoother bend than a ball-peen or claw hammer. A buddy braced the quarter-panel from the outside with a 2x4 positioned directly behind the hammer blows. Don’t try to get it bent back all at once, just work the lip making passes with overlapping blows from one side to the other.
We used a rubber-coated, shot-filled dead-blow hammer to roll the lip back. It leaves a mu

After a few passes with the hammer, the lip is rolled up tight against the inner panel and remains almost perfectly smooth.
After a few passes with the hammer, the lip is rolled up tight against the inner panel and
The gain in tire clearance was impressive, allowing full suspension travel with no interference and no sharp edge. Notice there was no distortion to the outer panel.
The gain in tire clearance was impressive, allowing full suspension travel with no interfe

We needed more front tire clearance on our ’Cuda in the lower front corner to run our choice of wide tires. Uptight resto freaks would scream in pain over us hacking a set of 󈨋 ’Cuda fenders, so we worked at night.
We needed more front tire clearance on our ’Cuda in the lower front corner to run our
Mark out the fender line as needed. Using a strip of tape as a guide will help carry a smooth curve from the wheelwell line above.
Mark out the fender line as needed. Using a strip of tape as a guide will help carry a smo

Saw loose the corner if it forms into a boxed end, as with our fenders.
The fender lip’s flange is bent out flat with the fender using a hammer and dolly up to where the new line diverges from the original.
The fender lip’s flange is bent out flat with the fender using a hammer and dolly up

Work the area slowly up and down with the hammer and dolly, using many light hammer strikes until the lip is bent out dead-flat in the area needing reshaping.
Work the area slowly up and down with the hammer and dolly, using many light hammer strike
With the dolly now at the backside, the lip is hammered back into the new line (transferred here to the inside of the fender).
With the dolly now at the backside, the lip is hammered back into the new line (transferre

Slowly work the area back over with the hammer and dolly, persuading it a little at a time.
Slowly work the area back over with the hammer and dolly, persuading it a little at a time
With the lip bent over to the new line, we switched to an "H" dolly and hammered from the outside to fine-tune the corner. Again, use many light hammer blows instead of trying to kill it.
With the lip bent over to the new line, we switched to an "H" dolly and hammered from the

To keep the detail work to a fine level, a small wedge was cut out of the corner so that the lower and side flange lips could be brought together and boxed.
To keep the detail work to a fine level, a small wedge was cut out of the corner so that t
Next, the new-formed flange lip was marked for trimming the excess material to the original line. A strip of masking tape for a marking guide will keep the width consistent.
Next, the new-formed flange lip was marked for trimming the excess material to the origina

A cutoff wheel in a die grinder made for a quick and clean cut to the original width. Final cleanup of the edge was done with a file.
A cutoff wheel in a die grinder made for a quick and clean cut to the original width. Fina
The last step was a short weld (or brazing) in the corner where the lower and side lips butt the boxed corner. A light filing after welding and it was perfect.
The last step was a short weld (or brazing) in the corner where the lower and side lips bu

With only a sanding and a coat of primer (no bondo required here), the finished form of the reworked lip looked sano, and the tire/ wheel combo cleared our reworked fender with ease.
With only a sanding and a coat of primer (no bondo required here), the finished form of th
The fender of this Dart had the front wheelwell line moved by nearly 1-1/2 inches to clear the meaty P235/60R15 ’Stones (the suspension work involved would be another story). Not a speck of filler or putty was needed to finish off our handiwork. Even the most sharp-eyed observers usually fail to pick out the trickery.
The fender of this Dart had the front wheelwell line moved by nearly 1-1/2 inches to clear

Back when early Camaros, Darts, and Mustangs came off the line, an F70-14 tire on a 14x51/2 wheel was considered a serious doughnut. These days, unless you're stuck in the resto rut, shoehorning oversize meats is job number one.

You need mega meats for serious digs off the line and canyon-carving handling--but what if you mount 'em up and they just don't fit? In the rear, the most common problem with adding wider wheels and tires to an early body type is the inner fender lip coming down like a guillotine, slicing jagged whitewalls into those delicate sidewalls. Old-school solutions abound from the drag racing days: long spring shackles, air shocks, and the like. In the '70s, carving out the quarters and adding bell-bottom fender flares was all the rage with street hipsters. But, that was the '70s. Today, one of the easiest backyard solutions is simply rolling back the offensive inner lip to score an extra 1/2 to 3/4-inch of clearance. Anyone who's tried following the old-time magazine myth of sliding a wooden baseball bat between the tire and the lip and rolling the car forward to magically roll the fender lip knows that this ranks as one of car crafting's all-time urban legends.

The rear of our '71 'Cuda was shoed with vintage 15x81/2 mags and pavement-devouring BFG P275/60R15s. After a short period of road duty, the T/As developed a bad case of sidewall rash, consummated by the sidewall getting too intimate with the fender lip. Purists would have us in the stock for altering the sacred sheetmetal on the rarest of vintage E-bodies, but we didn't care. We rolled the wheelwell lips as shown. While it takes two sets of hands, the roll-over is only a 15-minute deal. By working the lip back a little at a time, you should be able to complete the job with no external damage to the quarter or outer paint. Up front the situation was somewhat different. While at the rear the location of the tire to the body was basically fixed in a straight line, up front we had to consider clearance as the steering was slapping against its stops throughout the suspension's travel. All too often, hanging broad rubber off the front spindles leads to the tire catching a fender corner as the wheels swing into a turn. The familiar quick hack here is to pull out the Sawsall and nip off the encroaching sheetmetal, but the razor-cut edge just looks chopped and unfinished. The trick way to meddle with the factory metal is to pull out a hammer and dolly set and rework the lip into whatever line is needed for clearance. The end look is so subtle, it's almost impossible to pick out.