How do you know if your springs are too strong for your fiberglass hood?

-

MRGTX

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2007
Messages
2,198
Reaction score
728
Location
CT, USA
This may seem like a dumb question...if the structure of the hood is excessively stressed by the force needed to close the hood against the springs, your springs are too strong...right? Is it that simple? Assuming the hood isn't going to just crack and shatter right away, how do you know if the stress is enough to be a concern over time?

I have yet to bolt on my fiberglass hood and I'm realizing that there might be a middle ground to worry about and I'm not sure if I know how to identify it.

Based on the suggestion from AAR Fiberglass, I'm going to give my stock springs a try. Being the originals (and likely weakened over the decades) they suspect that they might be ok for use with the light weight hood. This would save a huge amount of hassle but I'm skeptical...as everything I do on a car seems to be at least 1.5x as hard and 2x as expensive as I anticipate.

Maybe I should just ask; Has anyone been successful with stock hood springs?

I sure won't be able to buy another one if I screw this up so any advice is welcome here.
 
Yes, stock springs are too strong. Use the search function here. There are many threads about the subject.
 
This may seem like a dumb question...if the structure of the hood is excessively stressed by the force needed to close the hood against the springs, your springs are too strong...right? Is it that simple? Assuming the hood isn't going to just crack and shatter right away, how do you know if the stress is enough to be a concern over time?

I have yet to bolt on my fiberglass hood and I'm realizing that there might be a middle ground to worry about and I'm not sure if I know how to identify it.

Based on the suggestion from AAR Fiberglass, I'm going to give my stock springs a try. Being the originals (and likely weakened over the decades) they suspect that they might be ok for use with the light weight hood. This would save a huge amount of hassle but I'm skeptical...as everything I do on a car seems to be at least 1.5x as hard and 2x as expensive as I anticipate.

Maybe I should just ask; Has anyone been successful with stock hood springs?

I sure won't be able to buy another one if I screw this up so any advice is welcome here.
my advice from experience is to ditch the stock springs. Either get the lightened ones for fiberglass or do the strut conversion like Mopar Tim did.
 
I had a AAR Cuda and if the car was in the sun all day the hood would bow up in the middle. after a while I just took the springs off and left it in the sun and the bow went away so I just left them off, If I was at a show or working on it I just put the springs back on because you could just pull them by hand they were that weak, but you can't do that with the A body's. I would just leave them off.
 
I also have a 6 pack AAR hood on my ‘73 Cuda with the so called matched hood springs. To be honest, I still think there a bit stiff when closing the hood.

Car is garages, zero sun. No bow, it’s been about, I guess 4 or 5 years of ownership of the hood.
 
If imma save weight with a glass hood, imma save weight with a spring toss
 
This is on an A-body, right? You can't just pop hood springs on and off, cause they're down under the fender! Somebody here makes light springs to replace the originals - I got them for my race car 6-8 years ago but can't find the info.
 
I have had 6-7 AAR and TAs decades ago. The factory used a smaller than stock spring. They used that for a reason. The factory hoods were well made too.
 
I tried the stuck springs....way too stiff have not gotten the light weight ones yet. But a hood prop is a pain in the butt, also seems the spring for hood pop up is too strong also, it would push the hood over to one side, so I removed that also. Do not know what to do about that problem yet.
 
I tried the stuck springs....way too stiff have not gotten the light weight ones yet. But a hood prop is a pain in the butt, also seems the spring for hood pop up is too strong also, it would push the hood over to one side, so I removed that also. Do not know what to do about that problem yet.
Ford explorer hood struts....
 
if your willing to try it...kind of a pita...
I unwound the stock springs 1/2 turn.
takes about 14-16 lbs to pull down one hinge after modifying.
did it for when the 'glass hood goes on.
 
Thanks for the input, guys!

With the idea that someday, I might want to reinstall the stock hood (for Pebble Beach or whatever :D ) , I'm hesitant to alter the stock springs. I called around to the local boneyards and all of the K-Cars are long gone. Carparts.com is a roundup of a pretty extensive network of junkyards and they didn't have a listing either.

I'm leaning toward just installing a prop rod and getting on with my life.

Is there a generic kit that will do the trick (from Dorman, etc?) Can anyone share a pic of their prop rod install?

Also, it looks like you can access the springs inside the fenders with the door open. Is there any concern about popping off the retaining clip and sliding them off of the post? It seems like it could go "bang" and do some damage inside the fender or injure your hand, etc.

As always, thanks for any info.
 
I bought a set years ago from a seller over on Moparts. They still work great. I wish I could remember his name. I find hard to believe that there is no one out there making them.
 
I bought a set years ago from a seller over on Moparts. They still work great. I wish I could remember his name. I find hard to believe that there is no one out there making them.

It really seems like nobody is making them. I found a generic spring that looked like it could fit on Summit and I called their tech support to see if I could learn the specs. They said that it probably wouldn't work and that he would see if there was one made for our A-body application. I was on hold for 10 minutes and he came back with the "Happee Feelnigs" email address that he probably got from this forum.

I'll take a look over at Moparts before I do anything drastic :D
 
It really seems like nobody is making them. I found a generic spring that looked like it could fit on Summit and I called their tech support to see if I could learn the specs. They said that it probably wouldn't work and that he would see if there was one made for our A-body application. I was on hold for 10 minutes and he came back with the "Happee Feelnigs" email address that he probably got from this forum.

I'll take a look over at Moparts before I do anything drastic :D
Look up the strut conversion on here. It’s easy as all get out to do and cheap.
 
There is a member on here that makes the lightweight springs. I will try and search for him
 
It really seems like nobody is making them. I found a generic spring that looked like it could fit on Summit and I called their tech support to see if I could learn the specs. They said that it probably wouldn't work and that he would see if there was one made for our A-body application. I was on hold for 10 minutes and he came back with the "Happee Feelnigs" email address that he probably got from this forum.

I'll take a look over at Moparts before I do anything drastic :D
@dart67 makes or modifies stock springs for fiberglass hoods
 
This is on an A-body, right? You can't just pop hood springs on and off, cause they're down under the fender! Somebody here makes light springs to replace the originals - I got them for my race car 6-8 years ago but can't find the info.
K-Cars, most likely.

Found him. Not his screen name you will have to email. Dennis has the lower tension hood springs for A Bodies. Just ordered my set yesterday for my 67 Barracuda!!
60.00/set His e-mail is : happee_feelings@yahoo.com. Nice guy!!!!

Tossing your stock springs in a fire for an hour will probably create you some nice low-tension springs.
 
-
Back
Top