Alright...I know that if I plan to have 8.5" wide tires on my 89 300e with 225/45/17 rubber, then I will have to perform a fender roll...I have two choices: rent the fender roll tool from tirerack and pay only shipping or pay the BMW-Dinan dealer here 150 to roll them for me. What I need to know is what exactly is fender rolling. What does it do to the car, and what parts are affected? Is it simply folding the inside 1/2" sheet metal that extends from the fender inside the well or is it "pushing up and out" the WHOLE fender region? I want to know this before I contemplate doing this myself, or even before letting the dealer do it so i know i wont get ripped off. THanks.

Sorta got confused with your explaination so hopefully this illustration will help:

Fender rolling looking at the right fender:
before : L where the bottom of the L is the lip you discrbed.
after: II where the bottom part is pushed up.



------------------
My name is Joey and I
drive a car.

Fender lip roll is just bending the inner 1/2" of metal up out of the way as you described.
Thanks, Luke

------------------
Luke Pavlick
Performance Specialist (ASE Certified Master Tech)
Please, call me to place orders (800-428-8355 ext. 362)
or mention my name for on-line orders
(click banner at top of the page
to visit Tire Rack web site)

Check this illustration:

[1] BEFORE rolling, the 1/2" inside fender lip looks like an ell, with your tire near the horizontal leg --> L

[2] AFTER rolling, the 1/2" inside fender lip has been pushed up resembling a vee --> V

You can see this gives you additional lip clearance from the edge of the tire AND if the tire does occasionally rub, it won't get "shredded" from the "L" knife-edge.

Hope this helps.

Brian