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Location: Burnley, Lancs | metro190bhp - 23/2/2013 7:19 PM
Yeh they rust from the inside out because mud and crap sit on the inside of the wheel arch and rusts the inner part away first. If you roll the lip all the way inwards and smooth it into the inner wheel arch there is no lip for mud to gather.
The rear arch lip is where the inner arch and rear quarter meet, Rover didn't spot weld them together at the 10 and 2 o'clock positions on MK3 cars onwards so they could roll the arch to provide clearance for I'm assuming either bigger wheels or a wider track. This is why mk3 and 4 cars rot so badly in the arches as water can seep into the panel seam in the unwelded areas and rust the arch inside out. You can keep the arches as clean as you want but unless you seal the water out completely it will rust eventually. Either seal it up or seam weld it, since I'm fitting a new arch anyway I'm gonna seam weld the bastard. |