As you can see, these rear...
As you can see, these rear wheelwells barely have enough room for the 20-inch wheels on the truck. After some work, though, we won't have to worry about tearing up the new 23-inch combo.
One of the biggest problems with lowering just about anything is tire clearance. It never fails that once you get your rig low, the tires rub every time you hit a bump. There are many ways to keep this from happening. The most obvious one is ordering the right offset. But what if the style of rim you like doesn't offer the correct backspacing? You end up modifying the body. You can roll or trim the lip, but that will give you a small amount of clearance; if you need more, some bodywork will be needed.
In our case, we wanted to stuff a set of 23-inch Rozzi Vixen rims under a Supercrew. The truck has been dropped with a DJM kit and rolls 20s, but we want to go bigger. The problem is that the combo we have now already rubs, so upsizing the diameter of the rim and tire would just make matters worse.
The Supercrew's bedsides are constructed out of fiberglass. As a result, rolling the lip with a bat is out, so bulging the fenderwells was kind of a no-brainer. We hooked up with Rick at Primo customs in Chatsworth, California, to have him show us how it all goes down. Rick has been doing this sort of stuff for years, and he pointed out that this whole process can be done on a fiberglass or a steel-sided bed; the glass cloth will adhere to both materials. If you have a steel-bed truck and are not comfortable welding and forming sheetmetal, then this might be a realistic way for you to do it.
1. To get started, Primo laid...
1. To get started, Primo laid a tape line down for the cut. The cut line was put toward the top of the factory bulge. All that has to be done is to bridge the gap instead of also trying to recreate the transition.
2. A quick check was made...
2. A quick check was made to make sure any inner structures or wires will get cut.
3a. Out came the air saw,...
3a. Out came the air saw, which made quick work of the fiberglass bedsides.
6b.
4. The surrounding area is...
4. The surrounding area is ground down to give it some "tooth" for the new 'glass to bite and make a strong bond.
5. Primo bolted up the new...
5. Primo bolted up the new Rozzi rim and did a quick visual to see how far the area needed to be expanded.
6. An inch at the top would...
6. An inch at the top would be sufficient to clear with the tire installed. Some of the lower piece needed to be trimmed so a nice transition could be maintained. Primo warns not to cut into the wheelwell's body line; altering that would throw off the similarity of the front fenders.
7. Now the piece is measured...
7. Now the piece is measured for reference; this will help in laying out the other side.
8. Duct tape is used to hold...
8. Duct tape is used to hold the piece in its new location; this will keep it from flopping around while you work and prevent the fiberglass cloth from sagging down in the hole.
9. Some strips were cut out...
9. Some strips were cut out of the fiberglass cloth and laid on the flare. Primo uses a cloth instead of matting because it's easier to work with and lays down smoother.
10a. The resin is mixed with...
10a. The resin is mixed with the hardener per the instructions. Primo picked up a gallon of resin at the local hardware store; nothing special, but just make sure you get enough.
10b.
11. Primo likes to use a roller...
11. Primo likes to use a roller with a foam pad instead of a brush to apply the resin because you can roll out any air pockets and it will push the edges of the cloth down.
12. The cloth is applied in...
12. The cloth is applied in overlapping layers for strength and to provide a smooth transition. This will cut down the amount of body filler needed later on.
13. While the resin is "kicking...
13. While the resin is "kicking off," or drying, Primo pushes the low areas out. You have a few minutes to manipulate the material before it becomes too hard.
14. After three applications...
14. After three applications of the cloth material, the area is left alone to dry before the initial grinding is started. Primo chucked a Flexovit wheel into his grinder for this job.
15. Once the big imperfections...
15. Once the big imperfections are knocked down, a dual action sander, or D/A, is used to smooth out the flare.
16. Primo blows the area off...
16. Primo blows the area off after sanding to remove the dust left in the small pinholes.
17. Plastic body filler is...
17. Plastic body filler is spread over the entire area.
18. Before the mud completely...
18. Before the mud completely dries, Primo breaks out the "cheese grater" file to do the initial shaping and cut down on sanding time. This is where years of knowledge and talent comes into play. Take your time, and remember that you can always add more mud.
19. The contours are smoothed...
19. The contours are smoothed out with 80-grit sandpaper by hand and with a D/A.
20. Another skim coat is applied...
20. Another skim coat is applied to the area for final sanding. As you can see, the bedside now has ample clearance for the bigger rolling stock without looking like a dualie. Stay tuned for an upcoming issue where we go over how to do the finished bodywork and paint.