Im looking to replace my drivers side fender on my 1996 f-250. I've been looking everywhere for a replacement. Everything on ebay is way way overpriced on shipping for a OEM. The ones that are cheap are local pickup only. I live in the rust belt. So just yards are not an option. Are there any fenders sold aftermarket that fit any good? LMC, Bronco Graveyard. They probably come from the same plant overseas.

 

Most of the ones you will find aftermarket are from overseas. They are cheaper and some of the fit and finish is crap at best. There are however some good ones as well. No matter what you get, expect to spend some time working with it to make it fit properly. If you take your time, once it is painted no one will know the difference. I bought some years ago from Keystone. They were well packaged to prevent damage, ecoated so as not to rust and fit very well right out of the box. I did have to work with them to get the fit just right but I am ocd about that sort of thing. Five years later, the fender and hood look as good as new.

 

what do you mean by working it to fit? the problem is I'm having it painted off the truck along with a bed. I looked at keystone but I really don't understand their site lol.

 

I get mine from Keystone too (local to me, right down town), my BIL works there and I get his employee pricing. That makes a slightly higher degree of adjustment to use the parts easier to take yet!

Any replacement part will need to be shimmed for proper fit, might even require slightly correcting over all form = bend it until fits properly. When I say bend I mean radius/arch in part might be to tight or not tight enough to line up to adjacent panel/s.

After market tend to require more of that sort of adjustment, OEM simple shimming.

Take a "factory" door off one truck and put it on another one? it will require adjustment to fit correctly same applies to fenders hoods... all body parts will need adjusted for fit just depends on how much and where.

If creating a frame up restore and striving to achieve perfection probably not the parts you'd wanna use.
For rust/collision repair on "daily driver" they fit fine, I never had one that couldn't be adjusted to a acceptable degree as so anyone looking would be able to tell, I'm kinda picky like most guys too.

It would take someone that knew what they where looking at, checking panel gap might be hair to wide or uneven other then that they fit "flush" with adjacent panels. In my book the all important part, panels all flush body lines consistent.

Gonna paint off the truck no problem, put the part on and adjust for fitment first then remove to paint. Bag/mark where all parts/shims where located so can easily remount exactly the same again.

 

as danr1 said, any part not original to the vehicle is not going to just bolt on and fit. You will have to work with it with shims. pressure, slowly bending it or twisting some to make all of the body lines to match up and look right. It is not as hard as it sounds, just take your time and when your happy, take it off, paint and then reinstall. You will be proud of the look and even more so you did it yourself

 

Thanks for all the replies and advice. I may have located a oem fender off a 92 on cl for $40. Guys gonna check it out for rust and sent me some more detailed pictures tomorrow.

 

Where in the rust belt are you? I might have a few for you.

Diesel Rod