The Ford Barn

mngreen · 11-01-2016, 01:45 PM

My front fender bracket on my 31 Cabriolet cracked and broke so I ordered a new one. Any helpful tips and/or tricks to remove and replace?

Thanks!

d. · 11-01-2016, 04:51 PM

I think I would try to use a proper sized wrench and some of your favorite penetrant (pb blaster etc.)

SeaSlugs · 11-01-2016, 05:15 PM

nooo, lemon pledge and channel locks!!

but yea should be straight forward. Be careful of scraping paint so may need a buddy to hold the headlight bar or something.

Jacksonlll · 11-01-2016, 06:03 PM

It will be tough. I did one last yr. The new one won't fit, so you have to force it to fit. Stick with it and have some good drifts on hand.

mngreen · 11-02-2016, 08:11 AM

So perhaps start the new one at one particular end (frame or fender?), then the other end, and the light bar bolts last?

Kevin in NJ · 11-02-2016, 09:08 AM

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You will not like my advice, but based on experience with original brackets...

Here is my advice which may be a lot more work then you expect...

You need to start with just the light bar and both brackets. I would not even consider a repro bracket, get an original- but that is just me I guess.

You need to mount the light bar on the riveted in brackets. Your goal is to make the ends of the light bar match the surface on the brackets exactly. You know when things are getting close when the bolts go in easy.
I cold bend both. i used a large diameter piece of pipe I had laying around and a heavy metal bar about 4' long.
Each time I stepped back and made sure everything looked even including the arch of the light bar.
After a lot of work I got stuff fitting good then I moved on to putting the fenders in place.
With the fender on I moved the outer edge of the bracket to get the in line with the edge of the running board.

Now I realize you may have issues with an existing fender you do not want to remove. I know what I say will work, you might be able to figure out a better way for your car.

FWIW, later i bought a pair of NOS fender brackets. I made a jig from the NOS to check the brackets. I was surprised to find what I made correct on the car by eye was almost a perfect match to the NOS.

Karl Wescott · 11-02-2016, 10:06 AM

Kevin's advise is good. Unless you need to go with the repro bracket.

If you go with a repro bracket start by fitting the fenders and the headlight bar WITHOUT the bracket. Then bend the repro bracket as needed TO FIT THE CAR. When installed the bracket should not touch the fender except at the headlight bar mount and the outside bolt point. Any contact might cause wearing and paint or fender damage. The top corners of the repro bracket tend to tip up slightly with a sharp point, they should be sanded to a slight radius.

An old body shop trick to keep (steel) fenders straight on the side is to twist the bracket so the tip is about one half inch in front of the outside bolt... pull the bracket back to bolt to the fender. The slight tension will help keep the side of the fender straight. (Do this with fiberglass and the fender will crack!)

Fiberglass fenders do not need the support to the outside of the fender, only as far as the headlight bar. Feel free to cut off the excess on a repro bracket, save an original for a car that will be shown for points. You are not getting any restoration points anyway. (Do this with steel and the fenders will crack sooner!)

The original brackets came in three flavors, two stamped and one forged. The current repros are of the common stamped version. At one point there were cast iron repros of the forged version. If you end up with one of those it will break when you bend it. No loss.

mngreen · 11-02-2016, 02:40 PM

I have ordered the stamped repro bracket from Snyders.

The car is completely restored, sans the broken fender bracket. It probably cracked after I tightened up the light cross bar bolts a number of months ago (added tension, not smart

) along with the normal car vibration/flex, etc.

I do not intend to remove the fender or light cross bar, just remove the broken one and install the repro with the fender in place.

mngreen · 11-06-2016, 06:56 AM

Well, I am happy to say that the reproduction front fender bracket from Snyders was a PERFECT FIT! All I had to do was spray paint it black.

No need to bend it at all....took about an hour for the whole job.

Many thanks to Snyders for providing a high quality part!!

TerryH · 11-06-2016, 11:23 AM

That's great news and good that a new repro part works so well.

11-01-2016, 01:45 PM	#1
mngreen Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Rancho Santa Margarita, CA Posts: 155	Front fender bracket replacement My front fender bracket on my 31 Cabriolet cracked and broke so I ordered a new one. Any helpful tips and/or tricks to remove and replace? Thanks!

11-01-2016, 04:51 PM	#2
d. Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 510	Re: Front fender bracket replacement I think I would try to use a proper sized wrench and some of your favorite penetrant (pb blaster etc.)

11-01-2016, 05:15 PM	#3
SeaSlugs Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Central, IL Posts: 3,968	Re: Front fender bracket replacement nooo, lemon pledge and channel locks!! but yea should be straight forward. Be careful of scraping paint so may need a buddy to hold the headlight bar or something. __________________ 1929 Model AA - Need long splash aprons!

11-01-2016, 06:03 PM	#4
Jacksonlll Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Michigan-- Member of Oakleaf of MARC Posts: 1,686	Re: Front fender bracket replacement It will be tough. I did one last yr. The new one won't fit, so you have to force it to fit. Stick with it and have some good drifts on hand.

11-02-2016, 08:11 AM	#5
mngreen Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Rancho Santa Margarita, CA Posts: 155	Re: Front fender bracket replacement So perhaps start the new one at one particular end (frame or fender?), then the other end, and the light bar bolts last?

11-02-2016, 09:08 AM	#6
Kevin in NJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: South East NJ Posts: 3,398	Re: Front fender bracket replacement Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) You will not like my advice, but based on experience with original brackets... Here is my advice which may be a lot more work then you expect... You need to start with just the light bar and both brackets. I would not even consider a repro bracket, get an original- but that is just me I guess. You need to mount the light bar on the riveted in brackets. Your goal is to make the ends of the light bar match the surface on the brackets exactly. You know when things are getting close when the bolts go in easy. I cold bend both. i used a large diameter piece of pipe I had laying around and a heavy metal bar about 4' long. Each time I stepped back and made sure everything looked even including the arch of the light bar. After a lot of work I got stuff fitting good then I moved on to putting the fenders in place. With the fender on I moved the outer edge of the bracket to get the in line with the edge of the running board. Now I realize you may have issues with an existing fender you do not want to remove. I know what I say will work, you might be able to figure out a better way for your car. FWIW, later i bought a pair of NOS fender brackets. I made a jig from the NOS to check the brackets. I was surprised to find what I made correct on the car by eye was almost a perfect match to the NOS.

11-02-2016, 10:06 AM	#7
Karl Wescott Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 1,289	Re: Front fender bracket replacement Kevin's advise is good. Unless you need to go with the repro bracket. If you go with a repro bracket start by fitting the fenders and the headlight bar WITHOUT the bracket. Then bend the repro bracket as needed TO FIT THE CAR. When installed the bracket should not touch the fender except at the headlight bar mount and the outside bolt point. Any contact might cause wearing and paint or fender damage. The top corners of the repro bracket tend to tip up slightly with a sharp point, they should be sanded to a slight radius. An old body shop trick to keep (steel) fenders straight on the side is to twist the bracket so the tip is about one half inch in front of the outside bolt... pull the bracket back to bolt to the fender. The slight tension will help keep the side of the fender straight. (Do this with fiberglass and the fender will crack!) Fiberglass fenders do not need the support to the outside of the fender, only as far as the headlight bar. Feel free to cut off the excess on a repro bracket, save an original for a car that will be shown for points. You are not getting any restoration points anyway. (Do this with steel and the fenders will crack sooner!) The original brackets came in three flavors, two stamped and one forged. The current repros are of the common stamped version. At one point there were cast iron repros of the forged version. If you end up with one of those it will break when you bend it. No loss.

11-02-2016, 02:40 PM	#8
mngreen Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Rancho Santa Margarita, CA Posts: 155	Re: Front fender bracket replacement I have ordered the stamped repro bracket from Snyders. The car is completely restored, sans the broken fender bracket. It probably cracked after I tightened up the light cross bar bolts a number of months ago (added tension, not smart ) along with the normal car vibration/flex, etc. I do not intend to remove the fender or light cross bar, just remove the broken one and install the repro with the fender in place.

11-06-2016, 06:56 AM	#9
mngreen Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Rancho Santa Margarita, CA Posts: 155	Re: Front fender bracket replacement Well, I am happy to say that the reproduction front fender bracket from Snyders was a PERFECT FIT! All I had to do was spray paint it black. No need to bend it at all....took about an hour for the whole job. Many thanks to Snyders for providing a high quality part!!

11-06-2016, 11:23 AM	#10
TerryH Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Fountain Valley, Calif. Posts: 937	Re: Front fender bracket replacement That's great news and good that a new repro part works so well.