Can't Get Driver's Inner Fender Back In

[Bruce Wingate]

1984 K10 stock height.

I got the passenger side in with a little finesse, but the driver's side has me stumped. I tried with and without the wheel on (but less with the wheel removed - I had had it by then). It seems to hang up on the steering gear box (replaced while the inner fender was removed). If I get the back of the fender liner past the outer fender, then everything is bound up tight and I can't get the top outside pushed towards the outer fender.

Short of removing the outer fender, are there any tricks I'm missing?

Thanks,
Bruce.

 

[bucket]

I don't recall ever having any trouble getting the liners in. The last couple that I remember doing, they both went in with the truck on the ground and the wheels on. I do remember having to wiggle it around and fool with it to get all the bolts happily started. They were 70's clips though, but that shouldn't matter because it's all the same basic shape as the 80's inner fenders.

 

[Camar068]

I don't recall ever having any trouble getting the liners in. The last couple that I remember doing, they both went in with the truck on the ground and the wheels on. I do remember having to wiggle it around and fool with it to get all the bolts happily started. They were 70's clips though, but that shouldn't matter because it's all the same basic shape as the 80's inner fenders.

same here, tires on, just a little wiggle to get them in/on

 

[Raider L]

Same here. I put mine on with the tires on. Same as @bucket, @Camar068, I wiggled it some to line up the bolt holes and it went right in. But are you sure the PO didn't get one year off another year truck and rammed it in there?
It wouldn't do you any good if you took the outer fender off, it bolts to the outer fender. Then you'd be man-handling both the outer fender and the inner fender at the same time. Have you got that much muscle?

 

[Bruce Wingate]

Thanks All!

Going to attack this again this weekend and see what I can do. So does it go straight up, or should I start with the front or rear?

 

[Bruce Wingate]

Found the problem: put the spacers for the power steering pump on the wrong side when I changed the box. I'll swap them around tomorrow if the weather is good

 

[Ken B]

I am guessing trying to reinstall inner fender and fenders at the same time would be difficult? I bolted inners to fenders (basically to keep track of hardware) should I disassemble and install individually?

 

[waterpirate]

I found that doing them fenders first and getting the body lines straight was a big help. Then the inners which only you see can be manhandled to fit.
Eric

 

[Octane]

All it takes is one engineer to drive everyone else insane! Lol. A mechanic friend of mine said once if you can get a part off and can't get it back in fairly easy, then you didn't take enough stuff out of the way to begin with. So that explains why when I go by his shop he would have the under hood of a car so tore apart.

 

[Ken B]

Makes sense you can man handle inners

 

[Bruce Wingate]

I found that doing them fenders first and getting the body lines straight was a big help. Then the inners which only you see can be manhandled to fit.
Eric

Also, I'm not sure how securely attached the inner fender is to the outer - there might be a lot of flopping around as you try to maneuver the unit.

 

[bucket]

I am guessing trying to reinstall inner fender and fenders at the same time would be difficult? I bolted inners to fenders (basically to keep track of hardware) should I disassemble and install individually?

In the past, I have removed and reinstalled the fender and inner fender as a unit, but that was on trucks where everything was already fitted. You should be fine though if you leave the liner bolts loose during the fender install.