Gents -

The driver's side rear corner of the hood doesn't go completely flush with the fender, when you close the hood (about 1" high), but does go down with a little push. I've played the the hinge adjustments (and so have several body shops and a couple of mechanics over the years). No luck in completely fixing it.

Thinking it might be a weak hinge spring on that side.

Any thoughts on "which" adjustment bolt set might fix this, or is it the spring.

Thanks

Archer

 

Thats a great question! I've seen this over the years, but never knew the cause or cure. Hope to see what everyone has to say. Unless it's that one socket that you are missing, that rolled under the weatherstrip!

 

Like I said in the past never done a mopar, but on other cars with the hood set up like yours start with the springs. Most of the time there are not pulling the back down tite. My best friend and I did a 71 cutlass and the hood was so hard, turned out that it was the springs, after market fenders and we had to put it on the frame machine just to get it close(the pic). That was an extrm case and the car was beat but worth $$ because it was a 442. If the car has not been hit I would start with the springs.hope this helps luke

 

Luke -

Thanks, yeah that's pretty much what it looks like and everything seems to be pointing in that direction. Guess just hoping I was missing something.

Archer

 

if the cars ever been restored ,repaiered, or youve had the hood and hinges off the car, you may have the back part of the hinge to high causing the spring to bottom out and have the high spot. open the hood, then look at the left side from the pass fender, look at the back of the hinge, see if its level or titled toward the front of the car.

 

rr -

Thanks, the hood has been off the car several times for engine rebuilds, body work, etc. The rear bolt is hard to get to on the driver's side. So trying to lower it might help? It does look like it can be lowered a bit. Just have to figure out how to get a wrench on it ...

Getting back to the springs. The thing about replacing them is that I'll still be getting 40 YO springs and don't want to "hope" get a good one. How about adding a second spring inside the hinge spring as a test?

Thanks,

Archer

 

Archer, On the back bolt you use a long handled reatchet, w/ shallow socket, use left hand go along the inner fender lip back to it and right hand from behind the hinge under the hood. on the springs. just switch sides. when people close the hood. if your right handed you put more pressure on the drivers side hinge when closing,. you collapse it faster .so it takes the tension out sooner, if your left handed its reverse. so just switch the springs from side to side and see if it solves the prob. before you try adjuting the hinge.

 

rr -

Thanks buddy! OK, any tips for removing the springs? Just don't want one flying off and bouncing off the paint job. Sorry, if it seems silly, but I've always removed the hood from the upper hinge bolts, so this is a little new to me.

The reason the back bolt was a problem was because the break power booster is in the way and while I could get both a socket and a box-end wrench on the bolt, there wasn't enough room to get any kind of a turn.

Appreciate the help!

Archer

 

lol, I feel your pain, i loved the base models. power what????????? It wont stop on a dime, I steers like hell, and hot in the summer, but holy *****, that mother moves. Your welcome, glad to help. okay to remove the springs, lay a heavy cover over the fender top. there aint no easy way. open the hood all the way, take a large tip flat screwdriver, from the front of spring. put the tip in front of the spring end wedging the driver against the hinge, pry the end of the spring off the notched part of the hinge.have a buddy hold the spring body to keep it from coiling back into the cowl area, dont worry , it wont be supper wound, just let the tension off slowly, to install reverse process. hook the back up first then pry the spring end out and up onto the notch in the hinge, good luck.

 

rr -

Yeah, that's about what I figured. Gonna be fun ... thanks again!!

Archer

 

Archer,
Let me know how it gos I have the same thing I push the corner down when people turn away haha you can adjust them but if the springs where good then when you shut the hood it would be off and you would not be able to push down on it much. Just my thinking ...funny the hood on my car had not been opened much and just in the last month of work on it the hood now sits up. One of those things that is small but makes a huge difference in sex appeal for you car
Luke

 

Arch, your welcome, good luck.

 

Guys -

OK, started playing with the hood. The side to side alignment is off, meaning the front edge is closer to the fender on the passenger side than on the drivers side. That seems to be controlled by the hood lock. (The metal bracket on the hood that snaps into the release mechanism in front of the radiator frame.)

I need to move the bracket to the left or the lock/release mechanism to the right. Guess what? There's either no adjustment (bracket) or I'm at the end of my travel (lock/release mech.)

Yes, I tried the hammer trick - no joy...

Any help???

Archer

 

Me and dad went threw the same thing... I know we may not be the smartest people in the world and it turned into a total mess. But we got it as close as we could then had to adjust everyting else around it...fenders then doors then the hood again then the fenders again ect... finally got it all worked out and it turned out great.

 

Aron -

Thanks I thought about that too, but seeing as I don't have a clue as to were to start, I need something a little simpler. So for now, it's moving the hood bracket and/or the release mechanism and getting the back of the hood down.

Archer

 

Gents -

Close to 2 years later and finally replaced the hinges and springs (thanks eBay). Hood lines up perfectly and the rear corners lock down tight. Didn't think a hood that big could go move that easily. (Really nice springs...)

Archer

 

it is counter intuitive but RR69 says to get the rear of the hood to sit down flush all you have to do is have someone push up on the hood after loosening the hinge bolts & rotate the hinge down at the rear or up at the front & it will correct the problem .

 

C - P -

That won't work if the springs are too weak. There won't be enough travel to compensate.

Archer

 

It has worked on every car where i have adjusted the hood for 30 + years

 

PC -

You can believe whatever you like. In addition to myself playing with it over the years, probably had 1/2 dozen mechanics and body guys look at it, with the same outcome. I tried all the adjustments and it turned out the springs were shot.

It's simple mechanics. The springs are what pulls the rear of the hood back and down in the closed position and there was only enough travel on the hinges.

Either way, the problem is fixed.

Archer

 

Glad you have it fixed & I am not saying you are wrong just that I have always been able to get it to co operate with adjustment on the cars I have worked on