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Cycle Fenders - How To....

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by fiftyv8, Jul 2, 2008.

  1. fiftyv8
    Joined: Mar 11, 2007
    Posts: 5,394

    fiftyv8
    Member
    from CO & WA

    I have a 27 model T fenderless hot rod project happening and although I know it is not all that cool, I would like to run cycle fenders.

    Can anybody give me some useful tips on the how to's and dont do's and any tech stuff and the where get the actual fender, home made or what?

    I'd like to post a couple of pic's of what I have but never have been able to attach stuff. Frustrating as hell.

    Any ways I am in you knowledgeable hands.
     
  2. pitman
    Joined: May 14, 2006
    Posts: 5,148

    pitman

    You will benefit from using lightweight steel tubing for your mounting brackets, along w/necessary flat stock where they are to be bolted to the axle. Might want to flare, or stand off (ever so slightly), the trailing edge of the fender, so there's no chance of catching the forward turning tread.
     
  3. gashog
    Joined: Dec 9, 2005
    Posts: 984

    gashog
    Member

    Cycle fenders are cool, but you need to make sure those things are mounted real good so they don't vibrate and blow off the car! Fenders are required in many States. I think typical regulations call for 110 degrees of tire coverage (35 fore and 75 aft from the centerline). I made the ones for my A from a 35/36 spare tire ring. Here's a link to a thread I posted a while back:

    http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=166313&highlight=gashog+fender

    With the way I have them mounted, I can take them off in about 5 minutes, but I really like the look and never do. I run the car on the interstate with no problems. The fenders don't vibrate or rub the tires, and I can sit my fat @$$ on them when I work on the engine :)
     

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  4. bct
    Joined: Apr 4, 2005
    Posts: 3,154

    bct
    Member

    use round stock on the vertical strut...i ran flat bar on mine and it would crack near the mounting surface on the brake backer....the round stock and bushings made mine bullet proof so far...the horizontal bottom strut takles way less abuse i left mine flat but should change them over to round just for esthetics..
     

  5. Shifty Shifterton
    Joined: Oct 1, 2006
    Posts: 4,964

    Shifty Shifterton
    Member

    When you look at how they're mounted on bikes, remember they're mounted on both sides. The way you'll have to mount em cantilevers the weight. The width of the fender is literally the length of the lever that turns the fender's weight into twisting force on the mount. Look for a good strong fender that needs minimal internal reinforcement. The point about using hollow supports is an excellent one. Good luck
     
  6. gashog
    Joined: Dec 9, 2005
    Posts: 984

    gashog
    Member

    Lots of ways to skin a cat :)
     
  7. bct
    Joined: Apr 4, 2005
    Posts: 3,154

    bct
    Member


    i should mention that i live on a logging road and there are washboards and pot holes that will kill an average car ...i think that flat bar looks better and may work in your application...
     
  8. fiat128
    Joined: Jun 26, 2006
    Posts: 1,426

    fiat128
    Member
    from El Paso TX

    "Back in the day" wasn't it common to make them from spare tire covers? I would like to see a nice tech thread on this as I plan on doing them too. I was thinking that with all the custom motorcycle parts available these days that would be the thing to do. Get some bike fenders and cut em down.

    I think flat bar would work good if you put a strengthing rib on the partwhere the bends are, sorta like this. That's how I was planning to do mine
     

    Attached Files:

  9. gashog
    Joined: Dec 9, 2005
    Posts: 984

    gashog
    Member

    Yup, that's what I used (see post above). 35/36 spare tire cover. Here's the thread:
    http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=166313&highlight=gashog+fender

    The 1 1/2" x 1/4" bar is about the perfect thing for the braces. You have to use some huge tube to match the stiffness in the 1 1/2" direction and you don't need all that much in the other. It's a little springy over the foot or so length of the brace, but will hold my 200 pound @$$ without bending.
     
  10. bct
    Joined: Apr 4, 2005
    Posts: 3,154

    bct
    Member

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    i made my second attempt like 4 bar ends ...i also used the spare tire cover....i ran a rib up the center then two sectional braces ...one for each strut ...folding the front seam was the fun part... amazingly easy
     
  11. Thats how these were made from the early 60's. Spare tire cover ring and some flat bar with strengthing rib.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  12. gashog
    Joined: Dec 9, 2005
    Posts: 984

    gashog
    Member

    I'm not sure you can make these things stiff enough so they won't bend. Welds make me nervous on things that vibrate, so I stuck with rubber insulation and all bolted connections. Works great up to the 70 or so mph I've had the car and about 500 miles of road time.
     
  13. bct
    Joined: Apr 4, 2005
    Posts: 3,154

    bct
    Member

    i agree that they should flex some ...the idea is to spread it out so there is no weak link.... a friend has a set that bolt to 3 of his backing plate bolts on his spindle...very rigid...his fenders are glass w/braces molded in, he used an inner tube for the form...very light...looks like shit
     
  14. fiat128
    Joined: Jun 26, 2006
    Posts: 1,426

    fiat128
    Member
    from El Paso TX

    bct, those look great! What car was the spare tire / fender part from?
     
  15. gashog
    Joined: Dec 9, 2005
    Posts: 984

    gashog
    Member

    Absolutely. It's a little trickier to mount these things correctly than you first might think. The 1/4" rubber makes a good shock mount for the metal fender and no fear of welds cracking with a bolted joint. You do need to make sure the loads are spread out so you don't get a localized fatigue failure.
     
  16. DrJ
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 9,419

    DrJ
    Member

    Lots of cars had them but '35-'36 Ford ar wht's pictured above.
    Whatever you find that is the right radius to clear your tire diameter. EG: 14" radius tire needs a 15"-17" radius cover.
    One cover makes 2 front fender
     
  17. gashog
    Joined: Dec 9, 2005
    Posts: 984

    gashog
    Member

    I've got the same 35/36 spare tire ring on mine (see above). Perfect radius for the 550x16's.
     
  18. Jimmy2bottle
    Joined: Dec 29, 2004
    Posts: 233

    Jimmy2bottle
    Member

    I gots one of them spare tire rigs for sale right now... dirt cheap..
     
  19. bct
    Joined: Apr 4, 2005
    Posts: 3,154

    bct
    Member

    hey thanks for lookin past the rust and the discs....yep 35-36 spare....I used the other part that covers the side walls and wheel for a shop clock...looks great...i'll finish this season of tweaking and will paint this winter...
     
  20. Spend alot of time on the front brakets, they really take punishment. I have cycle fenders on the rear also, and they really dont move much at all....Here is the way they are on my car.

    Don


    [​IMG]
     
    alanp561 likes this.
  21. fiftyv8
    Joined: Mar 11, 2007
    Posts: 5,394

    fiftyv8
    Member
    from CO & WA

    Guys, I am over whelmed by your replies, usually I get a couple smart comments and that is all.
    I appreciate the pic's as they show the detail I am looking for.
    I never considered round bar, not a bad idea and I got one of those 35 Ford wheel covers somewhere.

    WHAT DO I
     
  22. fiftyv8
    Joined: Mar 11, 2007
    Posts: 5,394

    fiftyv8
    Member
    from CO & WA

    Guys, I am over whelmed by your replies, usually I get a couple smart comments and that is all.
    I appreciate the pic's as they show the detail I am looking for.
    I never considered round bar, not a bad idea and I got one of those 35 Ford wheel covers somewhere.

    WHAT DO I USE
     
  23. fiftyv8
    Joined: Mar 11, 2007
    Posts: 5,394

    fiftyv8
    Member
    from CO & WA

    Guys, I am over whelmed by your replies, usually I get a couple smart comments and that is all.
    I appreciate the pic's as they show the detail I am looking for.
    I never considered round bar, not a bad idea and I got one of those 35 Ford wheel covers somewhere.

    WHAT DO I USE FOR THE REAR
     
  24. fiftyv8
    Joined: Mar 11, 2007
    Posts: 5,394

    fiftyv8
    Member
    from CO & WA

    Guys, I am over whelmed by your replies, usually I get a couple smart comments and that is all.
    I appreciate the pic's as they show the detail I am looking for.
    I never considered round bar, not a bad idea and I got one of those 35 Ford wheel covers somewhere.

    WHAT DO I USE FOR THE REAR TIRES AS
     
  25. fiftyv8
    Joined: Mar 11, 2007
    Posts: 5,394

    fiftyv8
    Member
    from CO & WA

    Guys, I am over whelmed by your replies, usually I get a couple smart comments and that is all.
    I appreciate the pic's as they show the detail I am looking for.
    I never considered round bar, not a bad idea and I got one of those 35 Ford wheel covers somewhere.

    WHAT DO I USE FOR THE REAR TIRES AS MY REARS ARE TOO WIDE FOR THE
     
  26. fiftyv8
    Joined: Mar 11, 2007
    Posts: 5,394

    fiftyv8
    Member
    from CO & WA

    Guys, I am over whelmed by your replies, usually I get a couple smart comments and that is all.
    I appreciate the pic's as they show the detail I am looking for.
    I never considered round bar, not a bad idea and I got one of those 35 Ford wheel covers somewhere.

    WHAT DO I USE FOR THE REAR TIRES AS MY REARS ARE TOO WIDE FOR THOSE COVERS?
     
  27. fiftyv8
    Joined: Mar 11, 2007
    Posts: 5,394

    fiftyv8
    Member
    from CO & WA

    Guys, I am over whelmed by your replies.
    Never considered round rod, great idea and also I have one of those Ford 35 spare wheel covers.

    What could I use for the back as my rear wheels are a little too wide for the 35 cover and I only have one cover so that will work for the front.

    The pic's have been great really helps me get my head around the detail.
    Thanks, Russ.

    More is still good if you have any other pic's or comments.
     
  28. jambottle
    Joined: Apr 11, 2003
    Posts: 564

    jambottle
    Member

    back in the 50`s we used the flat bar braces that are,sorry ,were used to brace the cross bars on the telephone poles.they were galvenized and strong enough ,that you could sit on them to work on the car.(i guess i must have weighed a lot less as a teenager?)we also used the 35-36 tire covers.it took two because you could use the flared ends with the finger loops for the leading edge of the fender and get a free finished edge.
     
  29. lowsquire
    Joined: Feb 21, 2002
    Posts: 2,567

    lowsquire
    Member
    from Austin, TX

    the one thing that nearly every one doesnt do and is the simple secret to making a strong cycle fender, is each strap must have TWO mounting points on the baking plate or spindle PER STRAP. one bolt can not give any rigidity by definition, it simply acts as a pivot, Ive just finished reparing single bolt brackets on a customers car, and while my reinforced repair will last a while, itll break again. as in most cases, simple physics supplies a better solution.here are mine, these gaurds do not even move at 100mph.

    [​IMG]
     
    oliver westlund likes this.
  30. fiftyv8
    Joined: Mar 11, 2007
    Posts: 5,394

    fiftyv8
    Member
    from CO & WA

    I have just been told one trick from a local guy I know who said " always line your braces up with the radius line between your spindle and tire so that when you fold the arm over the tread part of the tire it is always flat and parrallel with the tread surface".

    Sound like a good idea.

    Any idea what thickness materials I should be considering?
     

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