1994 rear fender rot

[esulkowski]

what is the least expensive way to repair fenders ?, do bushwackers help ? any other ideas...thanks for your time

 

[Seabronc]

The least expensive way is to teach yourself how to do basic body work, and using body putty is not a good method either. Covering up rust doesn't get rid of it, and to quote some one Else's article on rust, "Rust Never Sleeps". I know from personal experience that using Bondo or some other similar method only delays the inevitable. You can do that to hide the rust while you dump the problem on someone else, but if you intend to keep the truck it is only a short term solution and you will be doing it again. Believe me it isn't hard to do most of the basic repairs, especially if you have ever done wood working :huh: . Yup, especially the finishing part.

The best thing to do is to cut out ALL the rust and replace it with new metal. You can buy anything from a repair panel to a complete skin, and with the right tools you have it licked. OR get out your handy dandy cordless reciprocating saw, a few batteries and go to your local friendly junk yard and start cutting / . Put on your Goalie mask and go to town h34r: , cut more than you think you actually need, that allows you to make a more precision cut when back home. Finding donor trucks with good wheel wells sometimes takes a little looking but it is possible. Then make sure you take care of any surface rust the parts you gather before putting them on your truck.

As far as I can determine, Ford designed the rear splash guards to collect mud, salt and moisture in all the right places to get you to buy a new truck after it caused the rot out. They have perfect gaps to make sure the rear door posts get filled up with junk as well as along the wheel well opening and rear quarter panel. If you look at them you will see a 1" gap front and back which allows this to happen. After having repaired such damage I designed my own set of guards that keep that from happening.

I've posted some of these before, if I can do it so can you, and it will make you one with your truck, her force will be with you @-) . The last picture is of the Ford splash guard (front of tire) and the ones I designed for replacing them. Mine seal right up to the quarter panel. The Ford has a tab to keep it away from the panel, that is the gap I mentioned before.

Good luck,

>-

 

[Broncobill78]

what is the least expensive way to repair fenders ?, do bushwackers help ? any other ideas...thanks for your time

There's not much I can add to SeaBronc's reply. There just aren't too many ways around this one. Fenders are actually pretty easy because you can just go to the junkyard & unbolt one from any F-truck or Bronco & go home & put it on yours. A junkyard fender runs about $30. If you want to get *real* spiffy then bring it down to your favorite local body shop or Maaco & show them your truck & give them your paint code and have it sprayed the correct color. I've done this a couple times and it cost about $90 for them to do it for me. Alternately you can go to any PPG outlet with your paint code & they'll mix up any color you want & put it into a spray can for you (2 cans is generally plenty for a single fender, 3 cans will do both fenders)

Now quarter panels are a whole different ball of wax. Quarters are a bitch because they're welded on, can't be unbolted and usually run at least $100-$125 from a junkyard & $250 new ($300+ if you buy an original part thru Ford). Once they start to rust through there isn't a lot you can do to save the panel. If it's not too bad clean it up (by that I mean sand till you hit bare metal), coat it with a rust preventer & repair it from behind with fiberglass. Once the fiberglass has cured you can fill in the rest of the hole with body putty (Bondo), sand till smooth then prime & paint (again using the PPG spray bomb). If you can weld thin gage metal then repair panels are an option, they're usually pretty cheap. And finally there's always the Bushwacker option. With the flares you can take out quite a bit of material and still have a good looking truck when you're done, but just be sure & get some bigger tires for it. NOTHING looks sillier than a Bronco that's had 4" of fender trimmed, is wearing those huge bolt-on Bushwackers and is sitting on 29" tires. I've *seen* it done and driven along beside the guy pointing & laughing. Don't go that route.

And you can always take it to the bodyshop & pay them the roughly $2K it costs to have a pair of quarters replaced.

 

[Seabronc]

In general Dave and I think a lot alike on this issue and the following is not an argument to say he is wrong, because he isn't. However, I just don't believe in Bondo patching for a permanent fix, temporary, yes. From past experience, the edge of the fix has eventually started to show rust (not immediately, but within a year to a year and a half). I think I may have some pictures of that. It could also be that there is something wrong with my Bondo patching technique. I have just recently, within the past two years, started using POR15 in preparation of new body parts and, from what others that have used it for years tell me, that is the thing to do. One fleet mechanic I know, that turned me on to POR15, says that he has never had anything he treated with it come back for another treatment. There are other similar products like it that probably do as well, but that is what I use. The main thing is that you have to cut all the rust out till you get to good metal, then pick your method of patching, fiberglasss or new metal.

Also, you no longer need to weld replacement panels on. Do, however, use a crimping tool for the metal overlap areas, it makes blending the patch in easier. A lot of body shops now days are using high tech epoxy cement to put them together and they hold just as good as welding. The advantage of epoxy bonding over welding is that welds are where galvanic rust starts and epoxy bonding doesn't . Just look around at some of the rust spots, look close, at the center you will often find a spot weld. Galvanic rust starts there because that is where the electrical paths travel when using the body and frame as ground for electrical connections and almost all auto manufacturers do. Once a rust spot starts, it just keeps going and can rightly be called cancer because it acts the same way. If you find a blister in the paint, look under it, 99% of the time you will find a rust spot.

Like Dave said, if you can afford it, then let a professional shop take care of it. Not to tell them their business, but stipulate that you don't want to be bringing it back in a year or so for the same fix. Get some sort of warranty.

If you can't afford a big bill from a shop, no ego crush here, I'd rather spend my money elsewhere and do the job myself. There is lots of info on the net on doing this yourself, from patch panels to entire skin replacements. Your enemy in doing it yourself is you getting impatient. Time wise you can either do it as a part time project, which may take the truck down for a while or take time off other stuff and go at it. Maybe you have a friend who can help.

Believe me, if I can do it you can. I taught myself how to do both body work and painting, I'm still learning and experimenting. To me it is fun, satisfying and relaxing.

Blah, blah, blah. Sorry, :wacko: I'm now stepping down off my soap box. :blush: @-)

Good luck,

>-

 

[walnuts75]

what is the least expensive way to repair fenders ?, do bushwackers help ? any other ideas...thanks for your time

I had the same problem with my bronco rotting in all the standard areas. For most of the spots I either harvested metal from my burnt up Jeep Cherokee or just used extra sheet metal we had laying around on the farm. I used rivets to stick the new metal on, then I used bondo to patch up the areas. I cut out a lot of old metal out to esure that no rust would be left behind. I tried to patch up the fenders with sheet metal at first, but I learned that sculpting the curves on the rear fenders is very difficult. If you go to http://broncograveyard.com/bronco/c-188 you can get just the arch of the rear fender for about $40 a peice. That's what I did for the fenders, but everthing else is just sheet metal I had laying around. Add that to about $15 per gallon of body putty then the primer and its really not that expensive, definatly a lot cheaper than going to a body shop. Here's some pictures of what I did. This was also my first major project so let me know what you think. It just takes a lot of time and patience to get it as close to perfect as you can.

 

[Broncobill78]

Once AGAIN SeaBronc is right. While Bondo is not a good option, it is AN option. If I had to grade them from top to bottom I would suggest #1, having a shop do the work it will come out best but it will also cost you about as much as a new engine, #2, use patch panels because then everything is still metal & still pretty much the same gage and looks good while the body contours all match up, #3 cut everything out and repait it with bushwacker cut-out flares while running larger tires. It'll look good and who's to know ? #4, repair it with fibergalss and Bondo. This is last on the list because SO many guys have the tendency to cake on the bondo. It should NEVER be applied more than 1/16" of an inch thick anywhere but too many backyard bodymen have used it as a cure-all or something that will hide their sins long enuf to sell the truck to someone else. Bondo is the favorite tool of the ****/criminal/scammer. Don't get me wrong, it has *legimitage* use in the world of body-work but it's best used as something that fills in MINOR surface imperfections & scratches. More often than not you'll start to clean up your truck for some bodywork and suddenly a 3lb chuck of it will fall off from somewhere. Bondo should be used for *finishing* work, nothing else. You just want to use it to give y ourself a smooth skim coat to hide scratches and pain on.

If you have problems up front I really think you're best off just buying new(used) panels from a yard and installing them but if it's in back then like Fred posted you really ARE best off taking the time to learn how to repair it yourself. It's a trial & error thing that you CAN learn on your own with help & advise from people online or you can also usually find a local Voke school that offers night classes and learn there. Often you can bring your car/truck in *AS* your project and have the benefit of a licensed teacher to help walk you thru the repair. It's really hard to beat that as an option.

 

[walnuts75]

It is better to get whole new panels put in, but I figure I could do it now for as cheap as possible. I'm a recent college grad and have no money at all. As soon as I get the funds I want to get whole new front fenders. I was just looking for a quick and easy fix. As for the rear fenders I will just see how long they last. I think its pretty solid and will hold up well. When I get older and richer I plan on becoming less dependent on body putty for any future projects.

Also, here's and interesting story about body putty (since we're on the subject). When I was 16 years old I got that Jeep cherokee. The rear quarter panel was completely smashed in. Instead of replacing the panel or trying to pop it out with a prybar, I decided to use body putty by the gallon to sculpt a new panel. The putty was honestly 3-4 inches thick. It was a big spot. It was a daily driver until I was 21 and somehow the body putty held. When I got the Bronco, the jeep became more of a recreational vehical. I put that thing through **** and the putty held up. Back in July it caught on fire and sat for about four months, but still the putty held. Recently, I was curious as much force would take to dislodge the putty from its position. So I took a sledge hammer to the putty and hit it as hard as I could. The only damage I did was gave it a little crack. Body putty really is a cheap fix and I would not recommend piling it on 3 inches thick as I did, but it does have some strength to it. Also on that Jeep, I punched a lot of holes in the metal to help the putty hold on a little better. I just wanted to tell that story. I'm not ecouraging the use of body putty. I'm really not sure what my point is since I gave an example of how great a gallon of bondo in one spot held up. I quess I'm just sharing my experience.

 

[BroncoJoe19]

what is the least expensive way to repair fenders ?,

What happened...??? Don't REAL men use duct tape anymore?

Duct tape, and a can of spray paint... man you can't get any cheaper than that!

It'll look like $hit, and last about a year, but it'll still look better than cancer, and will leave plenty of money for beer. Just make sure that you use good quality duct tape.



OK... where's my hammer?... just hit me in the head with it.

joe

 

[walnuts75]

What happened...??? Don't REAL men use duct tape anymore?
Duct tape, and a can of spray paint... man you can't get any cheaper than that!

It'll look like $hit, and last about a year, but it'll still look better than cancer, and will leave plenty of money for beer. Just make sure that you use good quality duct tape.



OK... where's my hammer?... just hit me in the head with it.

joe

Wow. That is probably the best answer on this topic so far! Just make sure you put primer on the duct tape so that the paint can stick better! Otherwise it will just flake off. Then use the money you saved to buy a case of Bud!! I like your thinking, Joe!!

 

[Justshootme84]

what is the least expensive way to repair fenders ?, do bushwackers help ? any other ideas...thanks for your time

The cheapest way is to cut out the rusted areas, which leaves you more room for the wheels. You'd be surprised what 2 inches all around the wheel opening will remove in terms of rusted metal. And it can be done to look near-stock, if you take your time and roll the outer edge over the inner panel. IF trimming the opening doesn't get all of the rusted area, then the patch panels or replacements are the best option. Fender flares will cover most of the area you've cut out, but are easily torn off when 4wheeling.

I've learned over the years that "Bondo does not hold to air". IF you try to cover rust holes with body filler, it will not hold and will quickly flake off or crack loose. Save the bondo for small dents. And while I haven't used it yet, I hear that the body seam glue is the ******* compared to welding. It's very, very hard to weld thin body panels. Even with a MIG, it's real easy to burn thru, and then you have a bigger hole than you started with.. LAstly, if you have serious rust issues on the rear quarters, take a look at other areas of the Bronco. It's likely that the floorpan, tailgate, rocker panels and cracked B-pillars will need work if you plan to fix'er up real nice. I lucked out on the 84 Bronco when I had it repainted. The only rust area was the bottom-center of the tailgate, which I had "leaded in" with hot lead instead of using body filler (there is none on the whole rig). JSM84