How to Create a Flair with no welding

Tools and material

Layout and Determine Material size

Cut out blank

Reference Lines

Create Flanged edge

Shape Flange

Shrink Edge

Test Fit

People ask me about my flairs all the time. I am not a sheetmetal guy but this is how I made my flairs.

This procedure worked for me, you may need to significantly alter dimensions to arrive at what you want.

You should be able to buy all needed tools brand new for less that $500.

Tools and Material

Tools needed: Bead roller, Shrinker, leather hammer, steel block

Material is .062 3003 H14 aluminum sheet

Layout using wheel dia and desired width

Draw a 180 degree arc with the radius equal to your tire diameter”A” The centerpoint should be 8” below the bottom of your sheet

Determine width of desired flair(distance from car body to outside wheel)”B”

Add A to B and using the same center point draw a second 180 degree arc

Material must be at least as wide as 2 times A+B Height is A+B - 8 inches

Cut out Blank

Using tin snips, a Sabre saw, or a Bandsaw, cut out your shape

Add Layout lines Layout lines enable you to shrink

symetrically from both sides of the flair centerline

Bead Roll 3/4” Flange

The bead roller is used to bend / form a 45 degree flange on the wheel opening of the flair. This will provide a defining edge between the flair face and tapered portion.

Adjust your rollers so they force a groove into the backside of the flair.

Set a stop on the backside of the material so the 3/4” flange will be consistant.

As you crank the material thru, lift with your left hand to force the material to bend upward

Hammer rolled flange to straighten Using a smooth metal

or wood block, support the rear of the flange while hammering with a leather or plastic hammer.

Object is to smooth out ripples and provide fairly flat surface to insert into shrinking dies

Shrinking The Flange

My shrinker is a kick press that I modifid to accept shrinking dies from one of those $180. Units

In the picture I am using my foot, you will be pulling a handle both do the same job

Starting at the center start shrinking the flange on 2” centers, go from the center out in both directions.

The more times you do it, the tighter the radius of the flair will become, I usually end up doing the whole thing 3 times on 2” centers, alternating my starting point.

After Shrinking

Flair now has almost finished shape

Reshrink to fine tune shape

Fitting to the car

This the hardest part, basically, lay the flair against the car and trim it to conform to the shape of the existing fender.

Draw a centerline on the fender and align the centerline of the flair with it.

Make sure the flair is centered front to rear and is high enough to allow for wheel movement.

You can still see the old flair that has not yet been removed, am using blocks to hold new flair in place

Attaching the Flair

Trim the flair until it follows the contour of your car to your satisfaction.

Make sure centerlines are aligned and height is correct.

Draw a line on the car along the outside of the flair.

Remove the flair and draw another line roughly 1” inside the line just drawn.

This second line will be your cut line to enlarge your wheel opening.

Now is the time to figure out how you are going to attach your flair.

A video I shot shrinking

http://overbeckmachine.com/Fiesta/shrinking_flair.MP4