[Bee4Me]

I have some duelly glass fender flairs to repair and sure could use some advice on the best way to repair them.
It's my understanding these are SMC and require basically the same procedures for glass but a different resin. I have some experience but have not done a project of this type requiring a lot of structural repair,the broken lip, and,Are there different procedures for SMC?

Pass side was hit as the damage is obvious but both sides are cracked at the bottom front where the flair bolts to the bottom of the body due to having the aluminum running boards and flexing from lack of better support.

Any advice would be appreciated. I'll be doing a complete paint job as well later but for now I need to get these fixed right.

Mike

[cxpcman]

can you put the pieces togheter smooth with c-clamps ?.. if that was m fende i will just put the pieces togheter as smooth as posible and grind the back to apply 3 coats of fiberglas and resin...then loose some of the clamps at the exterior and and grind all the cracks ... apply some resin with math and let dtry .. sand, use kitty hair it to fill the cracks then kitty hair+glazing putty and sand... im not an expert but thats how i do mine and it seem to hold pretty well

[kenseth17]

Its pretty much the same as fiberglassing, but you just need to make sure you use products designed for smc. Smc can be repaired with mat, but you need to use the right resin. Make sure it says it is for smc repair. Another way we repair at work, but not as often is to use one of the glues from 3m, norton, fusor ect, what ever brand you choose to use. With this I believe they normally use some type of metal screen. Remember you need to grind out aways past your repair and lay up a few layers, and also do the inside for extra strength. You should v into the areas that have a crack to get more thickness and strength. But looking the amount you are doing, Grind out the backside and pump some of one of the glues or lay up some mat in the main cracked area and clamp it into position first. Then grind the glue when dry and lay up some more layers of mat and resin on the backside, Since that won't be as visable, then a layer or two on the outside and finish off with a filler for smc. If you are having problems with the bottom flexing and cracking, you may want to consider putting in some type of metal reinforcement where it bolts and laying some mat and resin to laminate it into the area it bolts and it is cracking as well as whatever supports you said you think you need.

[cxpcman]

i read a lot of good things about those glues. but got 0 experience with them . good luck

[Bee4Me]

Thanks guys.
I was wondering about some of the newer adhesives and basically gluing it back together and building it back up. I planned on making a channel on the backside of the fender lip and installing a piece of dowel rod to strengthen that lip and help keep it in line. Yes, I'll grove the cracks and get them done.
It needs a metal rod strut like on a fender for sure.
The running boards have metal "L" brackets but the give just enough for the junction of the flair and metal body to flex.

Anyone got some idea's about the adhesive aspect as to what to use?

[kenseth17]

http://www.lord.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1149&pid=5
Bee, try this link. I think you can use mat to repair smc, but I am not absolutely positive. I do those types of repair often at work, semis, but almost all I've done have been fiberglass. I do remember one that was smc that I worked on and we used the glue and some screen. But the resin we use says for smc and fiberglass repair. I'll have to check into it more myself.

[BarryK]

I would not fix it unless you can epoxy the under side and seal real good.

I just can tell you how many calls I have had over the years where shops have fixed the same one 2-4 times and they keep coming back with bubbles in the paint.

The underside takes a beating from the dual wheels and water will penetrate
the SMC. If its a farm truck don't even try.

One shop had redone three times and the forth time bought new ones just so he would never see it again.
These things are a nightmare.
The only way to fix is with the two part Duramix, Fuzor, 3M etc.

[Bee4Me]

I will be doing a complete paint job on the truck, I wanted to get the flairs repaired "on" the truck as I figure they would torque different if done off.
Once they are fixed,then I'll pull em' and redo the backside.
It's one of those projects that someone has that it's not a matter of "worth" just want they "want".
It will be a car hauler,a VERY nice late model Camaro tube car.

Thanks Barry.