[123pugsy]

Edits above were figuring out how to post a Paint picture.

I've got it as a JPEG now and its posted below.

A solid block of hardwood something like the pic can be used to open the bend, hopefully without heat. You could use the same block using heat as well, just wet it and keep spritzing with a squirt bottle occasionally.

[123pugsy]

To bend more, make up a block similar to the pic below.

Try without heat first but if it doesnt work, no problem, we'll get you thru the polishing process.

[27Tall T]

As the bar sits on the fender now, one pad on one side sits flat on the fender as it should, the other pad hits the fender at the bottom bolt, but the top part of the flange (where the bolt goes through) sits away from the fender about 3\16" meaning it should be bent down (have to bend the bar down a wee bit at the first angle). Maybe I should work on the other side as I would have to open the bend. Trying to figure out the lesser of two evils.

[123pugsy]

You can only work on the side that the mounting pad is not contacting properly.

I'm still not sure which side has the problem, but I assume the side where the bucket is almost touching bend #1 is the problem side.

[27Tall T]

That's what I've done. The side that is the problem is the passenger side and it was where the bucket was touching. Now that it isn't touching anymore because I bent it according to your drawing, I have to bend it now at the next bent part to get the pad into line. That's very hard to do without heating because there seems to be no way to do it properly on a press. Thanks for taking the time to address my problem.

[123pugsy]

You're half way there.

There may be just enough room to make up a wood block for the bottom if you use a rod on the top with a rounded end to push down.

In the pic below, you would cut a 1" slot out of the block at the green dotted lines.

[27Tall T]

This may be the answer to the problem and so will give it a shot. Thanks for all the feedback.

[Alan levin]

Where did you buy it? I`ll know not to go there.

[hoffy]

Had same prob with my ss headlight bar, had to do a lot of surgery, cutting and welding to get it right. It will polish out perfect with no color difference. I use black emery compound on a sisal buff to remove surface imperfections, this is first stage. Second stage is ss compound on a spiral sewn buff. Third stage is white rouge on a loose buff.

[Richard Head]

I ran into this problem a couple of months ago. The bend actually dented the headlight bucket, which I had to fix. I ended up cutting part way through the bends, straightened them out a bit and then TIG welded it back together. I think Vintique's jig must be messed up, because I haven't had a problem with the smoother ones that Bob Drake sells.

Dave

[27Tall T]

Originally Posted by Alan levin

Where did you buy it? I`ll know not to go there.

If I knew that I would certainly tell the world. Lost my invoice for the bar and therefore cannot yell at anyone.

Hoffy, was your bar made in the USA or was it a chinese version USA?

[lowflyinghemi]

Yes you can bend stainless with heat and it will polish back as good as new --- providing you are very slow and careful when you apply the heat. Take the time to let the heat transfer very slowly all the way through the bar until it is cherry red hot. Keep the torch a long way from the bar and do not melt the surface. Bend it slowly and keep it cherry red by applying heat mostly to the short side of the radius but still all around. If you apply most of the heat to the long side of the radius it will be softer than the inside of the radius and the metal will superficially pull apart on the surface creating minute splits that you will not be able to polish out. Let it cool naturally. It will turn a dirty black/brown and sometimes a golden rust color after heating but polishing brings back the beautiful shine that we all love in stainless steel. For polishing I use an aggressive polish to get the dirty color off the stainless and finish up with the green stainless polish. I do not know what this does in regards to the integrity of the material but for a head light bar, a custom stick shift, or special mirror brackets (that is what I bent) there is no problem. I would not do this on a suspension part. I know we heat and bend forged steel and it seems fine but stainless is a very different metal with different characteristics and it could fail.

[Rex Stevens]

here is another method,the bend close to the pad,and also the pad it self,take a small grinder,cut a notch on the side you want to open up,bring the notch together,weld with 310-16 or 316-16(stick rod)or tig weld,do same with pad or you can tack both down side by side and use one as pattern and use the aforementioned procedure.