Opinions wanted on my fender design

[angib]

Ira,

Do you realise that those tee-nuts are fitted from the opposite side to the item being fixed? So to use them for attaching fenders, they are pushed into drilled holes from the inside of the teardrop and bolts would pass through the fender and the body wall. They have some depth too (say, at least the bolt diameter) so they need to be fitted into material at least that thick.

I was getting the suspicion that you have these nuts being fitted from the outside. If not - my apologies.

Andrew

[Ira]

Ira,


I was getting the suspicion that you have these nuts being fitted from the outside. If not - my apologies.

Andrew

Wait--I just edited myself.

Yeah, I knew that the bolt would go from the inside fender side into the Tee which is in my TD side, but as far as installing that Tee, don't I just drill from the outside and insert the Tee? it sounds like you're saying I should be coming from the cabin side OUT when inserting that tee.

[TRAIL-OF-TEARS]

Ira, they should be put on inside the cabin. with a hole drilled all the way thru and the bolt attaches to the opposite side of the T.

[cracker39]

The bolt pulls the tee fitting toward itself. If the tee fitting were stuck in the outside of the TD and you put a bolt through the fender into the tee -fitting, it would just pull the tee out of the wall.

[Ira]

Could I put the tee through my 2" by 2" (real 1 1/2) floor frame instead? Wouldn't that work?

[Mitheral]

For installation from the outside a threaded insert would work better. Especially if you have a two by to thread it into.

About 50 cents each at the local borg. I used a fairly good size for the mechanism on my unisaw's mobile base. I don't have a pictures of the insert itself but here is the hole for the insert:



The insert being inserted. The insert has a slot on top to use with a screw driver but I wanted to make sure they were going in straight. You may have noticed the hole was stepped, the smaller hole was for the bolt to fit into to guide the insert. The washers are to space out the insert away from the unthreaded section of the bolt.



Finally the insert sunk home. You can see the slot in the top.



That's a 5/16" bolt, the inserts are available larger and smaller.

[bledsoe3]

Dale, If you decide to do the closed fender, consider making the fender a little wider to give you the needed clearance to remove the tire.

[cracker39]

Mitheral, That's the first time I've seen anyone insert one of those using a bolt and washers. It would be much easier to do it that way with a wrench or ratchet rather than with a screwdriver. In fact, you've given me a new way of mounting my fenders if they get a permanent mount. I like that better than screwing them on. Using the Tee fitting would be more trouble to mount from the inside, and mean hiding the fitting behind the paneling. The threaded insert on the outside would be better.

Ira, I think that this insert may be the best way for you to mount your fenders too.

Bledsoe, Removing the tire may not be the issue that I imagined it would be. I'll know for sure when I can finally get my TTT out of the "workshop" and raised up where I can put on the wheel and tire to see how much clearance I'll need. I don't think it will be the width that would be the problem so much as height for it to drop out. Testing will let me know what I have to do.

[Ira]

Dale, let me know if you see those inserts at any of the box stores, and what the item/SKU number is. (Come on--you're retired and could save me HOURS of time with this small task.)

I just have two fears:

First, how the heck do I make that two step hole with a standard drill? Just use one bit to make the small one, then go with a bigger bit but shallow? Or do I HAVE to buy a forstener bit?

Also, how do I accurately align the holes in the fender with the holes in the frame? In other words, if the fender is already fully assembled, it's not like I can fit my drill in there to drill it at a straight angle through both the fender and frame at the same time to at least align the holes accurately.

And please don't tell me I'm going to have to depend on measurements alone to make those holes. That scares me.

[TRAIL-OF-TEARS]

Ira,
temp mount the fenders using some clamps (in the exact location you want them) then take the wheel off and drill pilot holes thru the fender and into the side wall that will line up all your mounting locations. Just one way to do it.

[Ira]

Ira,
temp mount the fenders using some clamps (in the exact location you want them) then take the wheel off and drill pilot holes thru the fender and into the side wall that will line up all your mounting locations. Just one way to do it.

That's the thing--the drill won't fit into the width of the fender for you to drill straight, only upwards.

[angib]

That's the thing--the drill won't fit into the width of the fender for you to drill straight, only upwards.

Hold the inner sides of the fenders up to the body of the trailer and mark off where the holes will be - before you assemble the fenders.

Of course now you're going to say you've already assembled the fenders......

In that case, drill the holes in the fender, hold it in place and use a craftsman's marking tool through the hole. A craftsman's marking tool is machined wooden stick that has had some lead-like substance fitted to a hole drilled the length of the stick. In some places, 'craftsman's marking tool' is abbreviated to 'pencil'.....

Andrew

[repete]

That's the thing--the drill won't fit into the width of the fender for you to drill straight, only upwards.

Is there anyone that you could borrow an angle drill from?

[TRAIL-OF-TEARS]

sorry Ira,
I guess I missed the part about not being able to get a drill in there.

You might be able to rent, buy, steal a 90^ drill like the ones used to drill holes between studs in houses. Or you could drill the holes in the fender, temp mount them and then just trace the holes onto the body with a pencil.

[TRAIL-OF-TEARS]

Dag nabbit Andrew and repete you guys are fast.