Best way to fill holes from former fender flares? (2 Viewers)

[LC64]

What’s the best Way to fill the holes from the former fender flares? I plan on covering the lower half or 1/3 with raptor liner when I can. Just not wanting large noticeable lumps or bumps if I can avoid it. Any links to videos would be a huge help. TIA

 

[LC64]

What’s the best Way to fill the holes from the former fender flares? I plan on covering the lower half or 1/3 with raptor liner when I can. Just not wanting large noticeable lumps or bumps if I can avoid it. Any links to videos would be a huge help. TIA

View attachment 2267795

Just to add on. I’m thinking body filler or steel stick since I’m not a welder Again. TIA

 

[voodu3]

I used plastic push in caps with butyl tape on the back. They’ve been on for three years and still going strong. I used them for my old roof rack holes too. You can paint them to match your truck if you want them to blend in. Not as fancy as welding, body filler and paint but it worked for me.

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[Rusty Marlin]

Short of welding, everything else is "what's second best" and what you can live with.
I've been pondering this myself, I have a 450 that eventually I want to de-flare. One of my thoughts is to fill them similar to how medium holes in drywall are filled. A thin backer is set up with a way to hold it against the backside of the hole, while it is glued in place. then the hole is filled and sanded smooth.

What I envision is a piece of .01-.015 shim stock super glued to a small nail. Clean the back side of the hole with acetone, (reach in with bent q-tip?) Butter the nail side of the shim with JB Weld or equivalent, gently roll the shim and manipulated through the hole from outside and pull it into contact on the backside.
When the JB Weld has cured, pop the nail off the shim, sand down the surrounding paint, fill with bondo and prep as usual.

I have not done this, it's just a process I've been thinking about.

Some things that have occurred to me:
1) The JB Weld is gooey, it might fill in the step for me.
2) The JB Weld will probably bond the nail head to the shim as an over cap and prevent popping the nail off the super glue. Cut the nail and grind down to match body panel?
3) Leave the flairs alone.

 

[Jormungandr]

I recently did this and used a steel epoxy.

 

[450LX]

3m metal gutter tape on mine. Al's bed liner and violas holes are gone.

 

[Cruzerman]

What’s the best Way to fill the holes from the former fender flares?

You asked what the best way is. Welding is the best way.

 

[Pascoscout]

I did the push pins for now. Holding strong after a year. Plan to weld them once I can save up for a paint job.

 

[General Grant]

.023 wire and a used fender or land cruiser sheet metal of some sort so the thickness is the same. You won’t need to be a master fabricator, but will be a master tack welder by the time you’re done. Small tacks to not heat up the area and blow through until all of the gaps are filled. 90 degree die grinder with various grits to smooth it and prime paint to your taste. I did a road race car i built in high school with this method and 15 years later it’s still holding up.

 

[Broski]

Welding is by far the strongest, But unless you can get to the back of every weld the you have to worry about a rust spot where the paint got burned off. I have been doing a lot of welding on my reg, But I filled those holes with fiberglass impregnated Bondo. First I sanded the area then I used a metal chisel to create a small dimple down, I did this going almost side ways the chisel making little nicks in the hole in 3 or 4 places for the Bondo to bite onto. I did most of the holes two and a half years ago and not one has come out, Even with hard wheelin & banging it into rocks

 

[MEATWAD]

I recently did this and used a steel epoxy. View attachment 2268054

Did you use anything like metal tape as a backer or just work it in there? JB Weld Steel Stik or Blue Magic Quick Steel?

 

[hawnzilla]

You can get to the backsides of all the holes. Just have to remove door panels and rear panels. No need to insert from outside. For front fenders you can reach all the holes from under hood, door jams and underneath. I welded up all the holes on mine and my brothers. It's a lot of work! I figured we could avoid body filler but man is that paint, primer and zinc coating thick after grinding down all the spots.

Probably be less work to use jbweld, tape, fiber Bondo etc. If you use fiber bondo id use a mesh on backside to help hold it. Maybe not needed but would last long term. It would be ugly but no one will be looking in your door panels or behind the plastic trim.

If I monstalined another I'd seriously consider tape over welding everything up again!

 

[Broski]

You can get to the backsides of all the holes. Just have to remove door panels and rear panels. No need to insert from outside. For front fenders you can reach all the holes from under hood, door jams and underneath. I welded up all the holes on mine and my brothers. It's a lot of work! I figured we could avoid body filler but man is that paint, primer and zinc coating thick after grinding down all the spots.

Probably be less work to use jbweld, tape, fiber Bondo etc. If you use fiber bondo id use a mesh on backside to help hold it. Maybe not needed but would last long term. It would be ugly but no one will be looking in your door panels or behind the plastic trim.

If I monstalined another I'd seriously consider tape over welding everything up again!

This is the what I'm working on now Fitting 39s on a 80 with a low lift. I can say with certainty that theirs no way to get to the back sides of the holes to sand prime and paint to stop Rust after welding on the front fenders with out taking them off.

As you can see theirs only 2 small hole to get to the inside of the finder and at that you would have to remove the ABS module, charcoal canister, Fuse Pane and tons of wiring. Theirs just no efficient way to rust proof after welding besides of coarse removing the finder.

 

[tacocat]

The second best way: Try pop rivets big enough to fill the hole and fill and sand with steel epoxy, but only if you are going to line it.

 

[LINUS]

A PO of my old 450 used pop-rivots & had Rhino-liner shot over the flares/body cladding areas.

~3/16” of bedliner over those big of pop-rivots & you have to look real hard for the button-head left behind, I was sorta impressed how well it turned out when I figured out how it had been done.

 

[Enders]

I used aluminum tape on the backsides of all the ones I could get to, then filled with body filler, sanded and bed lined. even in direct light, you cannot see where they were.

 

[Jormungandr]

Did you use anything like metal tape as a backer or just work it in there? JB Weld Steel Stik or Blue Magic Quick Steel?

I used foil tape as the backer and Quick steel for the epoxy
Worked well, had to get real flexible for a few of the holes but has been holding up just fine.

 

[LC64]

I used aluminum tape on the backsides of all the ones I could get to, then filled with body filler, sanded and bed lined. even in direct light, you cannot see where they were.

View attachment 2282057

Very nice!

 

[FJsapper]

I posted this earlier today in the other similar thread. I used fiberglass filler over drywall tape. Blended in really well. You can’t tell except for a few spots. Then monstaliner over that. If I was painting it I would have gone a different direction.

 

[RWD]

Has anyone tried to 3D print a disc type thing that has a stepped surface? The back would be slightly larger than the fender hole and the face would be the size of the hole and as deep as the body sheet metal. When glued (?) into place from behind, the surface of the disc thingy would sit flush with the surface of the fender or door. Maybe make them with a flexible crease/hinge down the middle so you can fold and insert them from the outside. Put a small hole in the center of the disc and insert a piece of fishing line with a knot in it to use as a handle to pull the disc in place and hold it there until the glue dries. Just a thought.