Rolling fenders miata content

I picked up a roller off amazon, looks just like an eastwood roller. I need to roll the fenders in order to fit my new wheels and tires (and also install coil overs)

I just want to make sure

a) I understand what my goal is

b) I have everything I should have

Do I need a heat gun? Or does a hair dryer work? Or is that mainly if you are trying to be extra careful about paint?

Is the point of rolling them to take the fender lip which is perpendicular to the wheel well and flatten it up inside the fender so its flush/parrallel?

Jack car up, remove wheel, mount roller, and slowly increase pressure folding this piece?

Is this all there is to it? How slowly do you need to go or does it go?

Get a heat gun, although that's 100% for the paint. You should already have a heat gun for your wiring heat shrink anyhow

You roll them as far as you need to. Step 1 is to fold the horizontal lip vertical. If that's not enough, you start using the roller to apply pressure horizontally to push the lip outward. If you do it well, it's not noticeable.

It'll take several passes to get the steel to comply. Just keep adding pressure and swinging the roller back and forth. Doesn't take long to get the hang of it.

What Keith said. Also 100% roll your fenders B E F O R E installing lowered suspension. For years I was the go-to guy because I was the only one with a roller. Many a slammed car was a PITA to roll because the roller was too long with the suspension at full droop. Unbolting, weights, and pry bars ensued, along with a doubling of my price (6 pack of good beer).

Coil overs are not on the car, new wheels and tires sitting in the garage I would like to roll the fenders before installing the suspension. (I dont even have the suspension yet it needs to come off a buddies car)

Thanks for the advice time to get a cheap heat gun.

You tell me Keith for 225/45/15s on the 15x9 Advanti's do you think ill need to push the fender as well as roll the horizontal lip vertical?

In reply to Jaynen:

For 225/45/15 Rivals on 15x9 TRM wheels I only needed roll the lip on my '96. Quite honestly, it might have been too low for autox by about 1/2".

Rolling my Miata was still a pain. Even with heat I got a couple of cracks. The fender lip sometimes requires "encouragement" from a mallet just to get to an angle where the roller will start folding the steel up. Things like that.

Good luck.

Yeah, the paint on my e30 cracked, even going slow with a gun. Its hard to avoid that, it seems.

Cool I've got a nice plastic mallet somewhere, its a CA car so no rust really to worry about and I think it may have a couple cracks in other spots its also primarily an autox toy . I am debating with recoloring it using like the Rrial coatings or whatever they are called (super plastidip/liquid wrap stuff) and going for something nice and loud but thats low priority

This thread is relevant to my interests.

I'll let you know how it goes. I went ahead and bought the roller because it was like 80 bucks on amazon and everyone wanted to charge 50 to rent one for a week

I've never needed a hammer for Miata fenders.

225 on a 15x9 will require the lip to be folded up and that's about it on an NA. On an NB, bolt on and drive.

Be sure to clean the inside of the lip thoroughly before starting. I like to wash the car, let it dry, and then clean the inside of the lip with a rag and some brake clean. Remember, anything stuck inside that lip will be there forever. Not place to have dust holding in moisture.