It took 5 months, but my new baby finally got nailed on a parking lot. Someone's bumper caught the rear of my left front fender where the wheel arch meets the rest of the panel. Now I've got a shallow 3" depression centered on the outer line of the arch that looks like I could pop it out if I could get behind it. Fortunately, the free edge of the wheel arch is not damaged - the ding starts a few mm away from it.

A search finds a few references to "pulling" the liner out of the wheel well. Before I get into it and find there's more to it than that, does anybody know exactly how the liner is held in and proper R&R for it? Thanks.

 

This link is for installing the front clear corners and I think it includes removing the wheel liner.

https://my350z.com/forum/body-interior-exterior-and-lighting-diy/203246-how-to-front-bumper-removal-l-e-d-clear-corners-install-w-pix-ares-s-06-ccs.html

I am pretty sure it is just a few of those plunger style clips and some screws and/or bolts. I would start by taking the wheel off and taking a look, it should be pretty simple. The plunger style clips are fragile. So be gentle when you pry them up.

 

There are a couple phillip-head screws in there holding the liner in place. Pull the wheel out and you'll see them. I can't remember how many exactly. They are kind of small, so you need a fine-point on the head of your screwdriver

 

Yup definitely remove the wheel to get better access. It can be done leaving the wheel in place and turning your steering wheel in the other direction to give some clearance, but it will be less frustrating to just remove the wheel.

 

Thanks to all for your responses. I did the job this morning without difficulty. The front wheel well liner is a two-part assembly with a front half and a rear half. The posted links describe removal of the front half, but I had to take out the rear half to get to the damaged part of the fender.

There are four (as I recall - I should have taken pictures but didn't....) push-lock fasteners and three phillips screws that have flat washers integral with their heads - there's no little screw in the rear piece like there is in the front part. Removing the liner was a piece of cake, and it went back in without a problem. The push-locks aren't quite as easy to get out as described in one of those links, though. I found the best way to pop up the center lock piece was to work a thin flat-blade screwdriver under the edge, lifting a tiny bit on each side until it pops out. I tried grabbing it with a hemostat but couldn't get a tight-enough grip on it without chewing up the edge.

I was able to "oil-can" almost all of the dent out with a single push from the inside on a rubber-coated heel dolly. The pressed-in line demarcating the wheel arch from the fender did restore itself pretty well, and there's only a slight ripple now because the metal was obviously slightly stretched when it got dinged. I could shrink this back down with a body hammer over the dolly, but then I'd have to repaint the panel and I don't feel like doing that. So it'll have to do until the next time I get smacked - let's hope I know who does it next time so I can get it fixed right.

 

Go to Nissan and get a few push locks ( .80 each ) U will be glad u did cuz they tend to get FUed. They may claim there are two types used, thats been changed, there is just one and they are used throughout the car.

The only ones that are different are the ones holding ur front bumper cover on

 

I crossed some painted lines that were wet in the road!!! Have white paint on my inner fender liner that is soo stubborn to get off. This post should come in handy, thanks!