The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Hood adjustment

The hood fit on my truck is bugging the crap outta me. It's way high up in back mostly. Dr J in Oregon suggested I remove the springs esp. since they don't hold the hood up anyway...too weak now. Major problem with adjusting the hood on my truck is that some ding bat former owner welded the fenders...all of them..to the body, then added bondo to smooth the joint.

you can adjust the way the hood rides but your hinge pins are no doubt shot. Replace the hinges ($75+ ea.) or figure out how to rebuild them.
Fixing the fenders..... priceless... As in "That's gonna cost a few Benjaimns!"

Thanks Amigo. I'll look for hinges and go that way. I have heard that the hoods were a problem even when they were built in the factory.

Yes,take the springs off,and use a prop-rod to hold it up went you need.The only thing is if you hit a hard bump,the hood with bounce up at the cowl.This can be noisey and a bit unsettling [lol].The hood didn't fit worth a darn from the factory.I have been playing around with my hood for years.I got it very close to fitting,but when I connected the springs,the drivers side bulged out at the hinge.I gave up and took the springs off.
Boyd

Thanks Boyd. My springs don't do the job as it is so I use a prop rod. Sounds like a plan to take them off. The hood already bounces and rattles and I don't like that but if it would fit better I'd be more happy.

FWIW, There' a thread on another forum that a guy used a couple different sized brass plumbing bushings and bolts and rebuilt his.
I like the 'repair it later for 5 bucks' aspect that gives as opposed to replace again for $80...
But lots more time and tinkering to do it the first time...

Dogface, I sent you a PM. Let me know if it helps.

I just did reply and it very much is a great help....Mucho Grass

I have problem with sending PM's back and forth. I spend a lot of time one this site (every night) and have gotten a lot really good advice and direction from everyone. I would not have been able to put my truck back together with everyone's help to date. What is not helpful is when I waste my time ready a thread such as this which deals with a very specific problem that I have and someone answers with a PM to someone else which is entirely frustrating to an outsider like myself.
Alvin, you have so much insight into the workings of these old truck I cannot understand why you won't share it with the rest of us plebes :-)
Is this is a very exclusive club of old boys and unless you don't know the secret handshake you don't get in?

I have problem with sending PM's back and forth. I spend a lot of time one this site (every night) and have gotten a lot really good advice and direction from everyone. I would not have been able to put my truck back together with everyone's help to date. What is not helpful is when I waste my time ready a thread such as this which deals with a very specific problem that I have and someone answers with a PM to someone else which is entirely frustrating to an outsider like myself.
Alvin, you have so much insight into the workings of these old truck I cannot understand why you won't share it with the rest of us plebes :-)
Is this is a very exclusive club of old boys and unless you don't know the secret handshake you don't get in?

Peter, no secrets here. I have "mentioned" how I got my hood down in an earlier thread which would have been maybe a year ago. I can search for it and see if I can get a link to it.
Many times I AM WRONG and don't want to lead anyone astray. Therefore I did sent dogface a note that might help him. If it does then he will reply here and we an put some confidence in my suggestion....Which by the way, is almost exactly like the tech tip. Problem was I had to read the tech tip about 6 times to really understand it. It is a good tech tip but my little mind kept getting the HINGES mixed up with the SPRINGS!

EDIT: this is EXACTLY what I sent Dogface. I do not know if it helped but its "MY STORY". Sorry if I offended anyone.

When I installed my hood it set up at the back so bad it looked like a COE. I had to read the tech tip about 6 times to understand it. Reading it I got all confused between the hinges...and the springs!!

I was about to give up and buy new hinges and springs but a bolter talked me into giving it another shot before spending money he thought I didn't need to spend. Here is my simple version of what I did....and my cowl gasket was in place.

I went out one morning and took the SPRINGS off and laid them on the table. Next I loosened all the bolts on the HINGE. I placed a 2x4 under the front of the hood. (I hadn't put the front hood latch/catch on yet)
Then I pushed the back of the hood down on each side as far as it would go. Then I went inside the cab and tightened the one bolt you have to tighten from the inside. After getting both of them TIGHT I carefully raised the hood and then tightened the other two bolts on each hinge that you have to tighten from under the hood.
Next I attached, and tightened the one bolt which holds the SPRINGS to the hood. Then I attached the springs with the two bolts to the firewall. I left them LOOSE and just let the hood weight settle the springs to the bolts where it naturally wanted to settle...... I think this helps it be level. I didn't just arbitrarily tighten the bolts to the firewall till the hood was resting on the springs. Afterwards I "said a little prayer" and let the hood down. I could actually hear the back corners of the hood squeak as it fit to the cowl lacing. I simply could not believe it. I put my hood latch on and it shut good. I did have to screw the big screw up a round or two to adjust it down just a tat tighter but that was all.
I simply could not believe it. I was practically dancing around the shop. It had been weeks of fighting it by myself and with a friends help.

Not sure if this will help you or not. Perhaps as you read it you will find nugget worth trying. I know exactly how you feel.

Looks like a Cab Over
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r19/LutherParris/52Panel/000_0255.jpg

Side view...and its bad
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r19/LutherParris/52Panel/000_0253.jpg

After doing what I described above
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r19/LutherParris/52Panel/100_1406.jpg

After this I did loosen the fender bolts and raise the back of the fender just a little...or should I say just a TAT!! Anyway, its not perfect but I've looked a hundreds of pictures of the AD's and NONE of them have a hood that fits the fenders really good. Just take a look in the Gallery at our models.

Alvin


Therefore no special handshake..... I'm just hoping Dogface can get it down. I was about to buy a set of hinges and springs but mind simply did not appear bad. Another bolter encouraged me not to give up so one morning it was just me and the truck for a few hours and I finally won. I will come back here in a minute and send you EXACTLY what I sent Dogface. Hang on a minute.

Easy there, Peter. I know what you mean but just hang in there. A lot of forums seem to be as you suggest. Alvin wrote what he did bc it was so long and involved. Not everyone here needs that specific advice...but I surely did/do. I think that's why he did it in a PM...

Peter, I also just did a SEARCH for.... adjusting hood.. and got a lot of reading. Here is one of the threads the search produced and after reading it I realized I also forgot to mention to Dogface that it was also the time to work on the hood/cowl gap as mentioned by BSCOWBOY. There IS a slot the hinge bolts go in that the hood can be moved forward, or back, before tightening any bolts to achieve the gap.

https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=945981

Yes, I read that too...as much as I could follow. One of the probs with my truck is that some Nimrod PO welded the fenders to the body so they are not adjustable...that could really affect the hood adjustment possibilities. I'll never understand why someone did that... ???

My apologies for letting my frustration get the better of me last night. Adjusting this hood is the last major thing I have to do to get my truck back on the road after three years and it is just not cooperating.
I did a search previously and have been reading everything I can on getting this problem fixed.
I started this project to relax and get me out of the office which it has done for the most part. I will attack it once again with new resolve.
Patience grasshopper.
Again, my apologies.
Peter

Not a problem, Peter.... I know the feeling