Imperial Home Page -> Repair -> Wheels & Tires -> Removal
Question from Tim (1967):
Must a '67's fender skirt be removed in order to change the rear tire?
Replies:
From John:
If you jack the car high enough, you might get it to come off with some struggling & scuffing. Getting the other tire back on could be another story. I get a little nervous raising the car that high as I've seen them fall to the side when the weight starts to come off of the opposite side.
From Dick:
That depends on whether or not you want to get the tire off in one piece!
I suppose you could always take off one end of the shock absorber and get the axle to drop far enough to get the wheel off it, but why bother, when the fender skirt comes off so easily? Of course the answer also depends on what size tire is on the wheel. If it is an 8.20X15 or its modern radial equivalent, the 235/75R15, I don't think you'll get it off without one or the other such actions.
From Demetrios:
Yes. Otherwise, the tire does not clear. Do not raise the car from the rear axle, otherwise the tire will still not clear. You need to raise from the body (or the bumper if you use the [horrible] bumper jack) and let the suspension drop. If you have never removed the skirt before, it may seem tough, but its quite easy. You need to lift the little hook on the back of the skirt so it does not touch the sheet metal , then push it inwards so it goes over the sheet metal ridge. Them the hook can be easily moved downwards, which then releases the skirt. When you re-install the skirt, install the front part first, then the rear (make sure all the little pins fit in the right holes) and then you relock the hook.
From Chris:
I remove mine just to clean the whitewalls, and it's still a challenge. There is actually a good portion of the rim still covered even with the skirt off, and about a third of the whitewall is still behind the wheel opening. I think the skirt covers more underlying sheetmetal than airspace!
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