Bent rear fender: need ideas to straighten (PICS ADDED) - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

dcomma2002 · 05-23-2005, 05:13 PM

[Added 2 pictures: see the end of the message]
I bumped my 97 Corolla (4-door sedan) on a wall while backing out in a parking garage.
The right end of the rear fender got pushed in about an inch (or a little more) and that side of the fender got pushed up slightly (less than an inch).
It doesn't look too ugly, but it sure would be nice to straighten it out.
Any ideas (or experience) on how to do this without taking it into a body shop?
Thanks,
Dave

PIC1: Front view of the rear fender -- note how the right side has pushed up slightly

PIC2: Top view of the right end of the rear fender -- note how the fender has bulged out

Peter · 05-23-2005, 05:38 PM

do u have any pics....

dcomma2002 · 05-23-2005, 05:41 PM

Just added 2 pictures to the original post above. Thanks

karugs · 05-24-2005, 02:42 AM

If the sheet metal is not bent I would suspect the bumper cover is just nudged (hopefully). I've replaced mine before and it would be best to have a friend to help. On ours we just had to install several screws to bolt it on. But if the frame where the bumper cover connects to is bent, then you have to straighten that out. Maybe just bring it to a body shop to pull it out, or improvise a way. The thing is, body shops have the experience to deal with this and you might not so I would leave it to them just for that small bit and then install the bumpers yourself.

Make sure you also get the alignment of the bumper and fenders correct.

dcomma2002 · 05-27-2005, 07:29 PM

Thanks, Karugs!

Is there a site that will show me how to remove the bumper cover step-by-step?

karugs · 05-27-2005, 07:52 PM

No problem.

Sorry, I just did the installation myself with a friend. It was pretty much straightforward. Just make sure you know where each screw/bolt goes to. If it does not fit right I would assume that the bumper frame (not the car frame) is bent and that needs straightening. Otherwise, it should be a nice fit.

Ukrainian102 · 05-28-2005, 11:10 PM

Get a Haynes Repair Manual (buy it or from your local library) for your car. It tells how everything comes apart.

Btw... I love that color, quite a rare color you got there.