Anyone ever shipped a front fender? Whats the best way to package it?

[DigitalFusion]

Considering the NSX fenders are aluminum, and I've seen the way packages can be handled during sorting from the various shipping companies out there, what is the best way to package up one of these to avoid not only damage during transit, but also keep the costs/weight down to a reasonable price? I realize a person could prolly make a crate of some type out of fiberboard and 1x1's or something, but shipping costs would prolly be killer on something like this.

Any thoughts, suggestions, or tips?

 

[FF Drifter]

I've both received and shipped multiple fenders and the best way honestly is to have an OEM Honda box to ship it in. The boxes are double-walled so they are pretty sturdy. The fenders themselves come loosely wrapped in a thin foam sheet (like the kind you get with electronic equipment) and then are taped to a board. The board itself has foam blocks that support the fender's leading edges as well as a larger foam block that support the arch. Your best bet is probably to try to simulate that kind of packaging. The key features of it I can see are:

1) the fender does not move
2) the edges of the fender don't touch the box at all
3) the box is really sturdy and can take a beating (a crate is probably overboard but double walls I think are a must)
4) foam supports the arch and edges of the fender

 

[nsxtasy]

If you can get the original packaging like FF Drifter suggests, that would be best. Maybe you can check a local body shop to see if they have extra packaging that they received a fender inside.

I once shipped a plastic bumper by just wrapping it in bubble wrap. But that's plastic and there's less of a concern that it might somehow get bent than with an aluminum body part.

You might check rates by shipping with Greyhound (in the baggage compartment of the buses). I found that the large size made shipping the bumper more cost effective than via UPS, FedEx, etc.

 

[white98sh]

I've both received and shipped multiple fenders and the best way honestly is to have an OEM Honda box to ship it in. The boxes are double-walled so they are pretty sturdy. The fenders themselves come loosely wrapped in a thin foam sheet (like the kind you get with electronic equipment) and then are taped to a board. The board itself has foam blocks that support the fender's leading edges as well as a larger foam block that support the arch. Your best bet is probably to try to simulate that kind of packaging. The key features of it I can see are:

1) the fender does not move
2) the edges of the fender don't touch the box at all
3) the box is really sturdy and can take a beating (a crate is probably overboard but double walls I think are a must)
4) foam supports the arch and edges of the fender

My business is packaging and this is great advice. You don't want any part of the fender to touch the inner carton walls either directly or indirectly (ie bubblewrapped tightly). I would add that even with the fender mounted to a board, the board should be spaced away from the carton walls with foam blocks glued to the board at the edges and middle.

 

[DigitalFusion]

Thanks for the ideas and tips!

I realize that the ship from/to locations as well as carrier can have a dramatic impact on the price, but just to get an idea of the costs, how much was it to ship from X to X for fenders?

 

[nsxtasy]

I realize that the ship from/to locations as well as carrier can have a dramatic impact on the price, but just to get an idea of the costs, how much was it to ship from X to X for fenders?

All of the big shippers can give you estimates on their websites; just plug in the ship-from and ship-to zip codes, value (for insurance), dimensions and weight of the package, etc, and then you have an estimate:

Greyhound
UPS
FedEx
USPS

 

[flexthatdx]

I shipped a front fender before, packaged it myself, it was like $70-80 thru fedex with extra insurance. Price is due to its size, not weight.

 

[DigitalFusion]

Yeah? I just got bent over and forced to pay $144 on shipping for a fender from TX to MN

 

[nsxtasy]

There are lots of reasons for variations in shipping rates. You pay more for quicker (e.g. air) shipping than ground service. You pay more if you take your item to a shipping service (e.g. UPS Store) and pay them to pack it and ship it, than if you pack it up yourself, pay for it on the internet, and just drop it off there. Some shipping methods charge more than others. And of course there are differences in the locations of the source and destination, weight, amount of insurance, etc.

Caveat emptor. Shop around.