I have been driving my mercury and have found if I turn too tight my front tires rub. I have brand new g78's on the front and just need to clearence them a little so they dont rub. what is the best way to do this do I find some fender lips and weld them on or do I just modify what I have. they dont rub real bad just when I turn real sharp.
Back in the day my buddies and me would roll our fenders with a baseball bat between the tire and fender (there's probably a million web search results that will show you how). But they make a purpose built fender rolling tool that you can use to do this, which a lot of auto parts stores and tool rental places will have. I just used to heat the area with a heat gun to minimize paint cracking, and if I did chip the paint at all I would just fill it in with clear finger nail polish (it's usually on the inside of the fender). Here's a pic of the one Eastwood sells.
thats a good idea but mu fender lips are round so this option won't work. I am thinking the only way to fix is by cutting out the lip and then putting in a lip from a different car
'52-'54 Ford and Merc lips work well. Ether posted some build pics HERE: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=229300&page=7 This one is flamedabone's (lifted from the same thread.)
thanks I really like the look of the 52-54 lips but will have to see if I can dig some up. will have to check with a few locals and see what I can come up with. I just want to get pointed in the right direction. yes I could live with It the way it is but would like to get the bugs out so I can dive it without the chance of runing the white walls.
This is the unit I used for mine (Avatar) it worked great. But if I where to have that problem again I'd get a rim with more back space or a smaller tire.
You did'nt say if you had stock suspension. If you do you can weld material to the end of the steering stop bolt. My brakes and suspension aren't stock but you can see here the steering stops I made to eliminate the same problem--- http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=349439
I dont have stock suspension, it has a 72 buick skylark chassis. I think I could get a it to work buy maybe offsetting the wheels in or just by making a small recess in the existing lip. I just was looking for ideas for what other have done. I know I could go with a smaller tire but I just bought the tires so I really don't want to buy a different set. here is a pic of the car so you can see how the tires sit in the wheel well.
You can do some hammer work on the inside of the lip. This way the tire will rub on a rounded (hammered in) surface rather than grab on that edge of sheet metal. Stock lip has that edge that digs into the tire. But da Merc is gonna rub, scrape, drag if you're lowered like someone said, cost of being cool.
Mike, good point I am thinking about doing just what you said hammer and dolly the lip and live with it, and if the price of being cool is a little rubing and draging I guess I will live with it.
I took electrical conduit and bent a piece to follow the wheel opening and welded it to the lip. It won't stop the tire rubbing but will keep the tire from catching the lip. I was told to do this by someone that has been around Merc's for longer than I have been alive so it is traditional. Neal
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