Remove front fenders

[Russell Reay]

In a couple recent posts one reader has recommended lifting the body a few inches to remove the front fenders. I am in the process of fitting my fronts to the car, and don't see the need to lift the body. What am I missing?

[Keith True]

On the 30 that nose cone piece of the splash apron is welded to the fender.Now,a lot of them were bolted on the fender by owners over the years to use a 31 fender,my 30 is has them bolted on instead of welded.You need to take the front body bolts out,and slide the fender out of there.You only need to raise the body 1/4 inch or so.If you don't remove the front fender braces first you will need to raise the body a lot more,then give the fender a twist to get it out.

[nkaminar]

If you can install the front fenders without lifting the body, all the better for you.

I removed my front fenders to re paint them. I lifted the body 3 1/2 inches in the front and 1 1/2 inches in the back and put blocks between the frame and the body. Besides being able to remove and re install the fenders, I was able to check the serial number on the frame and take a photo in case there was any issue with the serial number in the future. I am also replacing the rubber pads between the frame and the body where it is bolted. The old pads have lost all flexibility and just break apart when I try to bend them, and have been flattened to paper thin in places.

Removing the fenders this way allows me to replace the webbing under the fenders that goes between the fenders and the frame. It also allows me to inspect the flatness of the frame to look for any bending. My hood did not fit well but the frame is not bent so I think just replacing the pads will fix that.

I made a U shaped cradle to lift the front part of the body using a floor jack. In the back I just used a 6 by 6 about a foot long between the jack and the body (shown on the cement floor in the photo). I did not lift very much so I did not have to unhook the electrical wires or some other things. I checked to make sure that nothing was binding as I lifted the body.


By the way, it helps to loosen the fender braces in front when removing the light bar.

[jb-ob]

One of the few Ford designs that asks 'What were they thinking '?

[Keith True]

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By the looks of the rust on those fenders,and none on the splash apron,I would guess those apron pieces are ones somebody drilled and bolted on,instead of original welded ones.If they are bolted on there is no need to lift the body to remove the fenders.Just look to see if they are bolted on or spot welded onto the fenders.