55.2-59 inner fender splash guards after Mustang 2 installation

[unclebrad]

When my truck got its Mustang 2 kit installed, the inner fender had to be cut open a bit, for the upper control arms.

I was at a car show a few weeks ago and saw where a guy had installed something that covered that area, preventing tire splash from getting into the engine area.

Does anyone make such a thing commercially?

[Kevin_C]

I've considered riveting in a strip of rubber.

[unclebrad]

As I recall, the one I saw was a metal "framework" with a rubber piece that laid over the control arm.

Wish I had taken a picture now.

[dsraven]

it would be kinda hard to make a universal fit splash gaurd due to differences in axle center line and other factors but if you wanted to build a steel one yourself you should likely put the suspension through a complete cycle upwards to ensure the existing hole is not going to contact the moving parts. then build the gaurd around that and make it removeable in case you need to do control arm bushings or other front end work at some point in the future. some studs welded onto the part could have nuts on the back side of the inner fender to secure the panel and then nobody sees the fasteners or if you don't mind seeing the screw heads you could use rivet nuts on the inner fender and fasten it down that way. a strip of foam tape would work as a gasket. build a pattern from posterboard and use tape to put the parts together in mock up.
my inner fenders have a huge hole due to the strut type suspension with upper and lower control arms. I will be changing the struts so when I get to that job I will remove the strut and put the suspension all the way up and see how I can make a bubble to cover the hole. I'm with you on the splash thing, I hate a dirty engine.

[mr48chev]

That is going to be a work on your fabricating skills thing. If you still have the pieces you cut out you have something to set on the bench and measure from and get the general outside shape from.

Dsraven hit on the one thing that is a must, they have to be removable. It is near impossible to adjust that front end if they aren't.

Metal, rubber, metal and rubber as far as the material is your call.

[unclebrad]

Yeah, I can tell this is going to take some thought...

[dsraven]

posterboard is your friend. tape too. once you get it like you want it you could form it from light sheet metal and if it works youre done or you could transfer that to some 18ga and make the real deal final copy.

[leegreen]

I'd probably do some kind of formed metal box to bolt to the inner fender.

If metal working doesn't work for you, another option, once you have a carboard or poster board shape to fit, is to cover it with clear packing tape then layup a couple layers of light fiberglass on or in it. The packing tape will mainly release cleanly when you tear the box out of the fiberglass, then you can do some filling, sanding, paint and done.

as an example, here is the mold for the bottom half of my glove box, before packing tape.

I wanted the box as deep as possible and had to work around heater box.
Masking tape will become part of the fiberglass, don't use masking tape as the final layer.

[dsraven]

if the sheet metal thing is out of your wheel house then the fiberglass idea would be easier. do a little research of your own on the methods. there are 2 types of fiberglass resin, waxed and unwaxed. the waxed stuff requires you to scuff it between coats whereas the unwaxed stuff is made for doing "layups" of several layers without the scuff requirement to remove the wax. there is a cloth called stitched wovwen roving that has the mat on the back side and chopped strand on the front side. it gets a job done in a short time because it gets thick in the first application. if you have a fairly smooth mold, like no sharp corners, this would work well. if you have some sharp profiles then possible use chopped strand which can be mixed up in a cup and peressed into those sharp spots prior to a cloth applicaction over top. cloth usually likes to retain it's flat shape so tight little concave spots get a bubble easy, the chopped strand under the cloth can help with that. when the shape is all done and youre rerady to finish the side you see you can apply gel coat over the top. the final coat of whatever should be a waxed product so you can work with it easier. gel coat can be sprayed rolled or brushed on, sprayed requires a large tip. I did the underside of my daughters boat a few years back and bought a gel coat gun with the correct tip.thats overkill for this though. there is a mold release product if you think you need it. most molds are made with slightlyt tapered edges soo the product can get out of the mold, if you use a cardboard mold it can simply be a single use mold. I suggest to fasten the mold down to something so it retains its shape when laying up the glass over top.
whatever you do, post up some pics of the process. i haven't seen a retail version of what youre after. a lot of guys use rubber flaps. I am not sure what I will do with mine, it's got a big hole so maybe a bubble over top of that or simply fab up some new inner fenders that are closer to the engine and cover all that stuff. there are guys who have made really nice looking inner fenders that cover the suspension and look awesome.

[dsraven]

a link to the stitched woven roving so you can see what it looks like
https://www.islandwaterworld.com/fib...1-2-oz-re01877

[leegreen]

unless you let it get really hot while setting you won't need to wax the packing tape, it will pull right off in my experience.

You can use waxed resin for a layup as long as you don't let it dry. The nice thing about waxed is the final part is not sticky. unwaxed needs paint to stop it from being a bit sticky. The bad thing about waxed is getting the wax off before paint or more fiberglass, Sanding or acetone does it.

I'd skip the fancy combination cloth and just use 2-3 layers of 6 oz, and build those layers before the resin kicks. Save the biaxial cloth for more significant projects

[dsraven]

some decent cotton reinforced rubber would be fine as well, with a metal perimeter to bolt through. like some treadmill mat or light conveyor belting. semi truck mudflaps could be another source but may be too thick and have less cotton structure. another thought is to fab something from sheet plastic which can be heated and formed. if fabbing with fiberglass you can also make the pattern from foam, cut and sand to get it like you want it, then fiberglass over it.

[leegreen]

better use epoxy if you use a foam plug, polyester resin will eat it.

[dsraven]

unclebrad, you have any ideas on what you will do? interested in a "you build it" cover or looking for a simple bolt on?

[unclebrad]

Originally Posted by dsraven

unclebrad, you have any ideas on what you will do? interested in a "you build it" cover or looking for a simple bolt on?

Well, I was interested in seeing if there was something available as a bolt-on, but maybe there isn't. It is beginning to look like, if I want them, I will have to make them myself.

There are some good ideas here. I'm not sure about what materials I would use but, in the past I have started projects using a cardboard template, so will probably make up a couple sketches and do that first.

At the moment, I am leaning toward sheet metal but could change my mind depending upon what goes through my mind as I make and test fit the template.

I am working on a couple other things on the truck at the moment so won't get started on this for a little while. Maybe some other ideas will pop up in the meantime...

[_Ogre]

i have a similar sized cutout on m y 58 truk and haven't noticed a lot of splash in the last 36K miles since the rebuild. i thought about black rubber over the openings, but really haven't needed it. our trucks are open underneath a lot more than newer vehicles

[my56chevytruck]

Like Ogre, I too have a similar cutout on my 56 and never seen much of any splash on the suspension to worry much about it. You have time to see one way or the other before making something.

[mr48chev]

One problem with things like this is that as a group we all have totally different levels of fab skills and ability to visualize and then create. Add to that we normally have no idea of what tools and equipment one has in their garage or shop or if they have the skills to operate them.

The main thing is that anything you make to cover an MII control arm on the inside of the engine compartment has to be removable to access the bolts and the cross shaft to align the front end. That is an absolute unless you went the front end mechanic hating you.

The reason no one makes and sells them as each truck is set up slightly differently and some depending on the engine and exhaust have clearance issues that others don't.

[leegreen]

I was reminded of this thread when I looked at an old stamped steel bread pan with nice rounded corners that is full of nutsnbolts in the garage, you could trim up a couple of those to work quite easily.

[Stepside Jim]

Now I come with a different mindset when I have something like these splash covers.

I look forward to this type of work, I start thinking about the material, the shape, does it need to be removeable, what tools do I need, does it need to be a certain shape to fit the rest of the inner fender design. My goal is to use this as a way to enlarge my abilities of my craftmanship.

I'm also one that if I'm making something like this cover, and it's not turning out as I like, it's a small piece of metal, I start all over, it's not a waste, it's learning, it's cheaper than going to college.

Ok, anyway, this spring I had to make some covers, coincidentally this topic is going, so here's some I made this past spring. it's a 56 Ford, they had a terrible design with how they made a large outgoing bulge in the inner fender. I had to first make metal to bring my cover location back over the upper control arm mounts. Then the owner was always commenting on how he liked the NL logo on the shock mounts. I knew the front end alignment would require space for adjustment and the inner fenders were made with rounded curves. Mine are rounded, easily removeable, shows the NL logo, all is good.

I'm having issues getting the pics posted, Ill get them on shortly...I keep getting some security token missing post thingy , hence blocking my picture download.

[unclebrad]

Originally Posted by leegreen

I was reminded of this thread when I looked at an old stamped steel bread pan with nice rounded corners that is full of nutsnbolts in the garage, you could trim up a couple of those to work quite easily.

Ha! Great minds, and all that.

I have been planning to go over to the local restaurant supply place this week to see if they might have some deep serving trays (I just learned they are called hotel pans, or steam pans.) like you see at catered events.

Ideally they will even have a lip where I can drill holes for screws/bolts.

Not sure how deep mine needs to be yet, but they appear to come in 2-1/2. 4, and 6 inch depths.

Here's an example on Amazon... https://www.amazon.com/Winco-SPF4-4-...51&sr=8-9&th=1

[Tempest67]

nice work Stepside Jim, those look really good (factory)

[unclebrad]

I agree with Tempest67. That is some very nice workmanship there.

I will definitely be using the clip idea for the screws!

[Stepside Jim]

Thanks guys, and yes, I use the heck out of those clip nuts. Sometimes they need slight alterations for your specific project. Also, once done I use a small model brush and dap some satin black on them, I've found the black oxide coating on most anything starts rusting too soon.

[dsraven]

I just broke down and bought a rivet nut tool. It has a bunch of different sized mandrel and rivnuts. It works great. Google rivnut, rivet nut or plus nut and you will see what they are. Kits are pretty cheap or you could buy just the inserts and make your own tool, pretty easy to do that and several youtubes on it as well.