Fender Welting

[harryb]

I have got fiberglass rear fenders for my '65 short bed stepside, and am just about ready to install the fenders. What kind of "gasket" should I use to fit between the fender and the side of the bed? There was nothing with the truck when I bought it, (in pieces), and I think there has to be something. How about some 1" wide weatherstrip adhesive tape?

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

[markeb01]

Most people just use fender welting available through the street rod or restoration suppliers. It normally comes on a roll and is a lacquer coated cloth - or in strips if it has a stainless bead. If the lacquer coating breaks down over time, the cloth material will absorb and hold water, causing the fender mounting flanges to rust. Most of the hardware store adhesive weatherstrip I've seen is very porous and would probably cause the same problem. There used to be a one piece vinyl welting that was non absorbant, but I haven't been in the market for a long time so I don't know if it's still available.

Decades ago an old timer told me back in the 40's he pulled the welting out of his new cars and replaced it with strips of inner tube. Inner tubes aren't as common as they once were, but used ones may be available from your local tire store. The rubber strips kill the squeaks and don't retain water or promote rust. A good bead of silicone sealer would also fill the gap. Whatever you decide to use don't make it too thick or overtighten, or the bed side will tend to distort where the bolts attach. Also with fiberglass fenders use caution not to overtighten the bolts as this may crack the flanges.

Good luck.

[harryb]

I was browsing through some of my catalogs last night, and found a product from Mar-K out of Oklahoma City. It is "Fender Welt" and from their product description: "This piece of vinyl-like material fits between the fender and the bed side on stepside trucks. It keeps the metals from scraping and provides a seal around the fender to prevent moisture from coming through. Fender welt is 1 3/4" wide with a 1/4" bead and 1/16" thick." $25 for a pair of fender welts.

[harryb]

I found some "shower pan liner" at Lowes this morning. It is gray flexible PVC material about 1/16" thick. It comes in 5' widths, and I bought 3' of it and will make my own "gasket" out of it. It feels a lot like rubber, but should be longer lasting. I'll have to make my gaskets 2-piece, but I'll use some "stick-em" to attach it to the fender when mounting it.