Straightening fenders? How?

I actually got to get out last weekend and wheel my junk a bit. As a result I now have 2 tweaked fenders.

What's the best way you guys have found to get them straightened back out?

Did you tweak the sheetmetal or the arches?

The sheetmetal isn't a big deal, just a hammer, dolly, or a little heat.

The arches are thick and have a rolled lip on them, so straightening them is a bit harder as they aren't as forgiving. Particularly if they have creased.

Wow, that was fast!!!

No creases, I just tweaked the arches on a couple (rear driver and front passenger).

I'm with you on the sheetmetal, my question is on the thicker metal of the arches.

My arches had a couple of bends and I used a variety of things. C-clamps and wood blocks, a large hammer, a really big adjustable wrench, and welding type vise grips with the big wide jaws. Had to heat a spot or two as well.

I used a BFH and a lot of heat. My fender flares on the bed were pretty bad. They look almost perfect now. One of them ended up having half of it skimed with a slight coat of filler. I just couldn't get out all the little BFH dings. I am happy actually how well they turned out. I spent better part of a day working them over.

when you say heat are you talking oxy/ace torch or can I get it hot enough with a propane/MAP torch?

Map gas might get it hot enough. I use propane with my cutting torches, much cleaner for shop use. Map gas should work, I think it burns hotter than propane. Keep a bucket of water handy with some rags for shrinking the metal once you get it hot.

I made a tool just for straightening them out.

I used pre slotted "Uni-Strut" channel. Two pieces of channel iron, angle iron or whatever you have on hand would probably work just as well. Cut the two pieces about 30" long Place them back to back and drill one hole in each toward one end, and then another hole in each about 10" or so in from the opposite end. Stack 2-3 washers between the holes and them bolt the pieces together. This leaves you a slot between the two channels to slip over the fender flare... Slide it over the flare 90* to the bend and give it a tweak.

Gives you the leverage you need to bend that thick metal. Not a final tool for the last step before paint, but it gets the bulk of the job done.