Advice needed: bending/molding plastic flares to fit

[rickc]

I just installed an ARB Summit bar to my Colorado and now need to trim and shape the leading edge of the front Bushwacker flares. These flares stick out a little more than others so just cutting will not work; there will be a large hole at the leading edge to catch wind and dirt. I have a heat gun. I was thinking of cutting the flares about 3cm too long and then heating and bending the leading edge inwards and then epoxy gluing the ends but I've never done this before and those flares were very expensive.

Another option is to give myself an extra 3cm and bend it so that it tucks in behind the bumper to fill the gap a little neater.

Has anyone else done something similar and if so any words of wisdom?

Here's what I'm working with:

 

[rickc]

Thanks, just did this and will report back. I scoured the Internet for "bending duraflex" and got no where.

 

[cyclic]

I'd just cut it where it needs it and then use the cut off portion to make a cap for the hole. Use a soldering iron to melt the patch back in.

 

[rickc]

cyclic: that's always been Plan A! I was hoping someone had bent this stuff before.

 

[rayra]

I think I'd trim it to terminate at the new bumper and trim the edge closest to the tire to continue the diagonal bend line on the side of the bumper so it visually looks good.
But that might not work, depending on how much more the flares jut out than the bumper.

Bending, you need to apply even heat before attempting the bend and have a way to hold the flare how you want it while it cools. Maybe carve some styrofoam to serve as a pattern buck and some big 'F' clamps to clamp the heated flare to the buck as it cools.
I'd suggest a 5gal bucket full of boiling water as your heating medium, depending on what the flares are made of. HDPE has a melting point around 250F, no idea how well they'll deform or retain a new shape at around 212F.

You can use a heat gun, but the margin or error is pretty tight if you don't have prior experience in doing so. You've got to move the gun around a lot and far enough away you don't cook the surface while trying to get the rest evenly heated / softened.

I'd suggest contacting the manufacturer, they must have needed to do some forming in the prototyping.

 

[rickc]

Thanks rayra: I had originally considered finding some high density foam and simply filling the open ends or doing as cyclic suggested; the edge of the new bar sticks out sideways only about 0.5" and from memory , the flares by about 1" at the same location. I may try cutting the flares to overlap the bar edge by about 0.5" and see what it looks like; this would use the bumper as an end seal from a wind lift perspective; I'd still need to stuff something in the open end to prevent dirt getting trapped inside.

I have contacted Bushwacker and I'm waiting for a response. I'm not sure that "Duraflex 2000 TPO" can be bent at all.

 

[rayra]

The overlap idea gives you several styling options in how you terminate the flare. But you'll have to carefully make small removals until it seats right, sort of like coping a house trim moulding. Once it fits over the new bumper end you can figure out how to trim off the outer edge of the flare to make the termination, radius, angles to match the bumper, a drawn out ogive...

 

[s.e.charles]

don't plumbers have a gadget to "weld" pvc pipe? maybe someone with experience using it could get you where the flares need to be for a pizza and six-pack.

 

[rickc]

Hi folks: I just bought Dremel cut-off wheels! rayra: exactly my thoughts; see what it looks like a little overlapping and if I don't like it , just trim back to a parallel line with the edge of the bumper then work out how to fill the gap between the flare and the body at the open end.

s.e.charles: this "Duraflex 2000" isn't pvc. I researched it on the Internet and could not find anything regarding bending/molding after the fact.

I'll post pics when I'm done!

 

[may pop]

I have bent flares and inner fenders with a heat gun. I then clamped the new way I wanted it between 2 pieces of wood or 1/4 steel. Then waited for it to cool. Sometimes I cooled with water.

Ron