Removing dually fenders

[MarkEkberg]

This is a PITA!!!!!

I have three nuts/fasteners/clips that just spin in the plastic of the fender.

You have no access at all. If I can get the fender off I can just cut them off and replace, but getting the fender off is another story when the clips spin........

Seems they are endless. Five up each side six across the top that hold down a large piece of steel that pinches the top of the fender.

 

[MarkEkberg]

Got them off. Had to cut the studs in the rear clips. What a pain. There is one clip that is impossible to get to on the top rear of each fender. No idea how I am going to get it back together, but I know for sure I am using 3m tape in conjunction with the OEM fasteners. I have the major chafing on the steel body from the fender. I would like to eliminate this.

 

[User113]

Congratulations. You're going to post photos for the rest of us see what you're up against, right? Did you try going in from the tail light opening?

 

[MarkEkberg]

Will take some pics to show what I was talking about. Going back together pics might be more useful

 

[MarkEkberg]

Well back from vaca and have a few moments so I will try and post some pics.

03 dually fenders are just too big. There are about 20 bolts fasteners that need to come out to get the fender off. Engineers never designed them to come off as many of the clips just turned on the fender making it nearly impossible to get bolts off clips.

I ended up cutting three of them off as I was by myself and was not born with 5 arms made of rubber. They were the upper rear ones that you can't get to lying on the floor. Was able to use lift for reassembly and could stand while partner lowered truck on me allowing me to reach into the black holes up there.

I also added 3m molding tape to help with the rubbing. If nothing else it created a small gap, at best it stuck everything together so well I will never be able to remove fenders again.

All in all it took about 35 man hours to remove repair paint fenders and bed and reinstall. I added new tail lights cab lights and marker lights as well.