The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop 55 hood alignment ?

Need help! The hood open and shuts fine. Body lines, hood to fenders look decent. Back of hood at cowl is high but will shove down into place. Tried adjusting and got nowhere. Tried two other sets of hinges
and adjustments. Always get same results, back of hood to high! What am i doing wrong
or is there another problem I am unaware of? Open to any and all ideas. Thanks
Stranger

2 other sets of used hinges? the spring tension makes them pop up like that when they get worn hinge pins, and it really shows up if you clean and lube the hinges the test is to remove the springs and open and close the hood, if it lays flat at the cowl you need new hinges

Bill

O.K. Took your advice, removed the springs, open n closed hood, set real good! Orded new hinges and installed them. Problem still there, back of hood is high! On the good side we have ruled out the hinges. On the other side where or what do I try next?
Stranger

I had to hog out the hinge holes to the firewall to get mine down low enough. This may seem obvious, but what about the hood bump stops at the back?

Had already thought bout the bump stops,except that when hood is closed I can physicly push the hood down into place on the back sides. What I have discovered, was with a friends help, we blacked out shop with me under truck with a trouble light. He shut hood slowly and i watched hinges. Seems the firewall is flexing into the cab area where the hinge mounts at the firewall! There are no stress cracks that I can find. Anybody run into this before? Somthing else causing this? Simple fixes?
Thought about plating areas inside the cab for strength. Am I on the right track or barking up the wrong tree?
Stranger

I thought there were braces on the inside of the cab to mount the hinges to, maybe they are cracked causing the flex? Have your buddy close the hood while looking under the dash.

I'm watching this thread as I have the exact same problem. On the driver side only. Think I'll use jomichael's idea and try hogging out the holes on the firewall side of the hinge to get it lower.

Just so you are clear, I enlarged the hinge holes, not the firewall holes as those have the threaded nuts. I reread my post and it wasn't quite clear.

No, I would'nt enlarge the firewall holes, but thanks.

I've been reading this with interest. Back in the 1980's I put a reman engine in dad's truck and he swears the hood has never fit right sense then. But I know the hood went back in the exact same place on the hinges as I drilled small alignment holes through the hinge into the hood. I loosely put the bolts in and lined everything up with drill bits, then tightened the bolts. Foolproof! Just tell dad that....
Jay

Sorry! Finally life slowed down a bit, and a buddy stopped by. out to the shop. Yes there is a hood bolt brace on the inside
of the fire wall. Raised and lowered several times, while watching inside braces. Firewall is flexing in corners from top bolt hole toward rounded edge where firewall meets cab. Thinking metel in that area has lost its rigidity. Think my plating idea would cure this, but will still considering any and all ideas!
Thanks to all who have posted so far, and for helping me and others with same or similar problem.

Stranger,
I ended up trying shim spacers under the bottom bolt of the firewall side of hinge and it worked perfect. If you look at that part of the hinge as it sets perpendiculer to the firewall, the top of the hinge that bolts to the hood rests on an angle. Shimming that bottom firewall bolt will bring the back of the hood down. At least it did on mine.

Just so you dont run into this problem again, my grandpa has always told me when your goin to take the hood off. Make sure you get a nail or something and trace where the hinges are. So when you go back to it, it will be simple. It is a pain if you dont. Chance