Help with '30 Pickup Rear Fender Braces

[Compotato]

I have a new pair of higher quality repo fenders (and braces) for my '30 pickup. There is a lip on the flange of the fender that interferes with the location of the fender brace. It looks like any attempt to bolt it all together will cause the fender to warp at the bead edge at the center of the fender. Do I flatten the lip or grind it off or use washers to space the brace away fom the bed? Anybody have experience with this issue? The photo below shows the position of the orginal fender brace with the new fender. I thought maybe the original braces were bent so I bought new ones and the results are about the same.

 

[Bob C]

I looked at my 30 PU with original fender and brace and it looks like
yours, the brace is right against the bead. I have a bolt just below where
your slotted hole is that bolts the fender to the bed. The brace does not
follow the contour of the fender, on the bed side there is almost an 1 1/2"
gap and the gap gets smaller as you get to the outer edge of the fender.

 

[Compotato]

Bob,
The fender that I took off had a bolt throught the flange just above the brace. There is a hole that goes through the bed, but there was never a bolt in it. It appears to go through the wood block that has not been drilled out. My big concen is warping the bead edge of the fender if I try to pull the outer edge to attach it to the brace.