This green VY Storm ute came to AutoFX WA in O’Connor for rear guard rolling. With the current wheel and tyre fitment sitting close to the rear arches, the inner guard lips needed to be repositioned to create more usable clearance.
The job was a standard rear guard roll rather than a major guard pump. The aim was to gain clearance inside the wheel arch while keeping the visible exterior shape of the quarter panels as close to the original profile as reasonably possible.
Inspecting the VY Storm before rolling
Before a guard roller is fitted, the wheel arch needs to be inspected. Paint condition, previous repairs, filler, corrosion, the shape of the inner lip and nearby bumper or liner mounting points can all affect how the guard responds.
Older vehicles also require realistic expectations. Factory paint becomes less flexible with age, and a panel that has previously been repaired or repainted can behave differently from an untouched panel. Heat can help the paint remain more flexible during the process, but it cannot guarantee that old or repaired paint will not crack.
Rolling the rear guard lips
The rear wheels were removed to provide proper access before the guard roller was mounted to the hub. The roller angle and pressure were then adjusted progressively as the inner lips were worked upward.
A controlled guard roll is completed through repeated passes rather than forcing the lip into position at once. Pressure, angle and heat need to be monitored as the lip changes shape. Trying to gain the full clearance too quickly can distort the outer panel or place unnecessary stress on the paint.
On a VY Commodore-based ute, the rear quarter panels are part of the body rather than removable bolt-on guards. This makes careful control important because any distortion can affect a large visible section of the vehicle.
Creating clearance without unnecessarily pumping the guards
Guard rolling and guard pumping are not the same process. Rolling primarily repositions the inner lip, while pumping deliberately moves the visible outer guard profile outward.
This VY Storm required a standard rear roll. There was no reason to reshape the exterior more than necessary when the required clearance could be gained by working with the inner lips.
The finished VY Storm rear guard roll
The completed job provided additional clearance around the rear tyres while retaining the recognisable factory shape of the VY Storm’s quarter panels. The finished photographs show how the wheels sit within the guards after the work was completed.
Guard rolling cannot correct every wheel-fitment problem. Wheel offset, tyre width, suspension height, alignment and the amount of suspension travel all influence whether contact may still occur. These details should be considered together rather than treating the guard lip as the only possible rubbing point.
Learn more about our guard rolling and pumping service in Perth.
AutoFX WA is located in O’Connor and services customers from Fremantle, Melville, Cockburn and surrounding Perth areas. Send us photographs and wheel-fitment details for a quotation.
