One of the most common modifications to a desert truck is the installation
of fiberglass fenders. These fenders are made from a laminate of glass
fibers and resin, coated in a gel coat (usually white, however Hannemann
Fiberglass offers an optional black gelcoat). Fiberglass fenders
and bedsides are flared out more than the stock sheet metal, allowing
for greater tire clearance. Fiberglass is also up to 75% lighter than
the steel body components. Below is the recorded installation of Glassworks
brand front fenders onto a 1998 Ford Ranger. The process will be the
same for all Rangers, however some other makes/models require drilling
of spot welds and other modifications, which will take much longer.
If you have questions regarding a particular application, feel free
to inquire on our forum. Popular manufacturers
of fiberglass products are Hannemann
Fiberglass, Glassworks
Unlimited, Perry's
Fab n' Fiber, and Boatec.
• A decent selection of metric and standard sockets, extensions,
and wrenches.(5/16", 9/32", 5.5mm, 8mm, 10mm were used in
this application)
• Screwdriver
• Hand drill and bits
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1) Unbolt the stock fender. Open your hood, and start loosening
the bolts along the hoodline with a 8mm or 5/16" socket.
Gather bolts and set them in a safe location, you will need to re-use
these later for the fiberglass installation. |
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2) Remove the bolt behind your bumper. You may want to remove
your bumper at this time, as a socket may not fit. If not, proceed
by using an 8mm or 5/16" wrench. |
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3) Remove front corner lamps with a phillips head screwdriver. |
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4) Once the corner lamps are removed, you will find an additional
two fender bolts holding the fender to the core support. Remove
these and set aside for later. |
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5) Remove mudflaps if eqipped. Use a 9/32" socket.
Simply pull hard to remove the plastic rivets. |
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6) Unbolt the inner fender. There will be several bolts placed
near the edge of the fender and inside the wheel well. There will
be two different size bolts. Use 5/16" and 5.5mm
sockets or wrenches to remove them. After the fenders are on, you
can cut the inner fender to fit if you feel it is necessary to keep. |
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7) Behind the mudflap/inner fender tab, you will find another
bolt holding the metal fender on. Unbolt this and set aside for
later. |
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8) Open both doors. In the door jam you will find yet another
bolt holding the metal fender in place. Using an 8mm or 5/16"
wrench and an extension, remove these bolts and set aside for
later. |
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9) Once all bolts are removed, pull off the stock sheet metal
fenders and set them aside. If they do not pull off easily, chances
are you missed a bolt. Once these are removed, you will find (on
98+ Rangers) that the driver's side inner fender has a vacuum ball
attached to it. Remove this with a 10mm socket and mount
it securely in another area that is clear of the cycling suspension
or tire. A common place is next to your fluids box or inside the
fender near the front headlight. Once the vacuum ball is secured
in a new location, remove the entire inner fender. |
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1) Set the fiberglass fender in place. Most fenders
will have indentations in the glass roughly where the holes should
be drilled. Double check that these marks line up properly with
the core support bolt holes, and use a permanent marker to make
a visible mark for drilling. Make any adjustments that are necessary. |
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2) Remove the fender and begin drilling with a 1/4"
bit. Be sure to use a mask and safety glasses, breathing fiberglass
is not healthy. |
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3) Put the fender back in place and hand tighten the
fender bolts to keep the fender in place for testing alignment. |
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4) With the fender bolts hand tightened, close the
hood and check the alignment. Also, open and close the door to test
that it does not rub. In our case, the fender lined up perfectly
and no adjustments were needed. |
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5) Reinstall the corner lamp to check for excessive
gaps. If all is well, fully tighten the fender bolts and corner
lamp in place. Use larger washers beneath the fender bolts to spread
the force and prevent cracking. Do not overtighten the fender bolts. |
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6) Repeat process on the opposite side. Line up fender
and mark for drilling. In our case, this fender did not line up
with the hood line as planned, so we re-drilled the holes after
test fitting to bring it closer in. You may need to re-drill or
bore holes as necessary. |
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7) Test the alginment by closing the hood once again. |
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8) Reinstall the corner lamp to check alignment. If
it appears to line up well, you may tighten the fender bolts and
corner lamp bolts at this time. Also check the door clearance by
opening/closing the door fully to check for rubbing. |
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9) If both fenders are lined up to your liking, double
check that all bolts are fastened and the bumper is tight (if removed).
Once everything is checked and tightened, you are done. Enjoy your
new tire clearance! |
