Tell me what you think. Do you think this will even work? Came up with this idea a few months ago, when the prop rod kept getting in my way. Just wondered if I could mount a spring onto the Maverick hood hinge. This is the first one I've tried, I still need to mount it and see what variations I need to make. Do y'all think it would work or am I just wasting my time? Everything is still in the really crude stage right now.
The only way to really know is to try it. Are you sure you have enough clearance for the master cylinder? It is a great idea if it works... Good luck! Sam
Personally I would try fabbing up a set of those neat shock absorbers If I had an original hood Mine is glass Not much fab work there IMO. Just 4 tabs. Springs sho0uld work to though....
I had also contemplated trying to make a better system other than the prop rods. Only think that worries me is putting a bow in your hood because of the opposing force when trying to shut it.
Dennis is correct. I know people with fiberglass hoods and they will not use springs due to flexing. Seth
i'm hoping that bowing wont be a problem, i have a steel hood. maybe i will try the shock absorbers next if these dont work. thanks for the input
why couldnt you just use a strut rod from a newer ford truck.....hood would be heavy enough i suppose......if i had the means to weld and stuff i would try new things.....and i dont really have a garage or time available to have my mav down......its a daily driver
It might work, it'd be good if it did. But be careful, because if the hinges stick, it will bow. There are a lot of late 70's - early 80's Chevy trucks around here with bent/crimped hoods because of the hinges sticking. Good Luck, but be careful!! Preston
I understand everyones concerns about crimping the hood but I honestly think the Maverick hood has a good enough inner panel with all the reinforcing that it would take a hell of a lot to ever make it crimp in the middle. I've seen the hoods you mention but they had very weak inner panels to begin with. The Chevy truck hoods were a piece of crap from the start. If you can make a springed hinge work I think it would be great.
they actually have lighter weighted springs for fiberglass hoods. my neighbors working on a mustangs with a glass hood and they told him the same thing when he bought it however they told him to get a kit just for glass hoods.. so if your consern is with the stock hood you sould always get ones made for fiberglass ones. if you want to know the company where you can get them i can ask my neighbor when i see him. but to be honest with you it jsut looks like a regular spring if you ask me
Its worth a try but those springs might be too light and not be able to hold the hood up. Either way its going to be trial and error. Thanks for being the guinea pig.
no problem. i think when i finish the other hinge, i will try it with one of my stock hoods, just in case.
Mustang and Torino hoods are bad about bowing... I don't see how a Mav hood is stronger. I would use gas strut rods... Dave
