67DodgeDart360
Well-Known Member
Today the damn hood fall down right on my head. Not sure if there is anything out there that will work. Is there a hood support rod for a 67-69 Dodge Dart?
Is there a hood support rod for a 67 Dodge Dart?
- Thread starter 67DodgeDart360
- Start date
-
dano
Evil Handy Man
There is a coil spring on both the hinge assemblies located inside the fenders. You might have a broken spring or it popped off. Sometimes the hinges themselves come off the body. I used some hammer on retaining clips to hold mine tighter.
Last edited:
67DodgeDart360
Well-Known Member
It stays up for the most part but if it’s windy it will push it closed.
harrisonm
Well-Known Member
A piece of 2x2 about 4 feet long. LOL
Actually, those hoods had springs, so there was not a hood rod from the factory. You have two choices: 1) Replace the hinges with rebuilt ones or used ones. I had mine rebuilt, and they looked and work great; and 2) jury rig some sort of a hood rod.
Actually, those hoods had springs, so there was not a hood rod from the factory. You have two choices: 1) Replace the hinges with rebuilt ones or used ones. I had mine rebuilt, and they looked and work great; and 2) jury rig some sort of a hood rod.
Professor Fate
Push the button, Max...
Park in the other direction and the wind will hold it up... 
I think you lost a spring. Mine is strong and I'm always afraid of bending the hood when I close it.
When open does the hood have a slight twist to it? The low side would be the side I would be looking at first.
The hinges are most easily accessable with the fender off, second with the dust shield at the rear of the front inner fender off and least through the open door if at all.
When open does the hood have a slight twist to it? The low side would be the side I would be looking at first.
The hinges are most easily accessable with the fender off, second with the dust shield at the rear of the front inner fender off and least through the open door if at all.
67DodgeDart360
Well-Known Member
Lol that’s what I been using. I just would like to have something that looks a little better. Yeah I might look for something online.
67DodgeDart360
Well-Known Member
The springs are not the best. The hood will stay up but a little wind will push it shut. I don’t want to take off the fenders to change out the hood springs but I guess that might be my only option.
See if you can find a prop rod from a Dakota Pick up. It might be the right size and a couple small bolts to bolt it on. Just a suggestion.
67DodgeDart360
Well-Known Member
I just bought this for now. Lisle 45900 Hood Prop https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002BC0T6/?tag=fabo03-20
67DodgeDart360
Well-Known Member
I’ll look into that. thanks
dano
Evil Handy Man
Sometimes its not the spring but the hinge assembly. Mine we're worn badly and I had to find a better set. They begin to bow outwards when closing the hood then can just come off the body, so you might pull the inner fenders or a least look in the hinge hole and see what is going on because you could be heading to a bigger problem if one comes off.
harrisonm
Well-Known Member
That is exactly what mine were doing. I found a place that completely rebuilt them to like new specs. If I remember right is was about $200 about 7 years ago.
Here's a picture of my 1970 Swinger. Mine was never rusted, so I can't compare them to what you have. You must remove the front fender to get to these. If you go through that, either rebuild or replace them so your
grandson will know how to do it again, in 50 years.
Last edited:
plumkrazee70
Well-Known Member
You don't have to remove th fender, just the splash shield.
Dartswinger70
Well-Known Member
The rivets egg out the holes in the hinge and they need re bushed. If the hinges are "tight" it will eventually rip the sheet metal apart where the bolts go into the hood.
Just a FYI...
Just a FYI...
I didn't know it could be done without removing the fender. Thanks. My original fender was damaged when an out of control car hit my garage at 40 MPH with a pedestrian on the hood. It killed the pedestrian and hit me hard after going through the wall, and a full sized refrigerator, freezer, and a shelving unit. I happened to be standing in front of the 'fridge. She didn't have PIP. The only thing her insurance paid for was the repop fender. AMD, high quality. I kept the fender, as I believe it can be repaired, the body shop said it was cheaper to get the AMD. I'll inspect mine thoroughly while it's off. Thanks for the spring mount tips.
plumkrazee70
Well-Known Member
Dang. Yea, I removed mine by just removing the splash shield, then popping off the speed nuts that hold the hing onto the stud. Then I reinstalled the hinges and used a socket the same size as the speed nut and tapped them onto the stud with a hammer. Worked fine.
There is quite a bit of room in there when the splash shield is off.
My 96 Camry has gas struts but those get weak also. About 90 model Geo had a very long prop rod that parked across the core support. It worked fine on the Camry. I suppose it would work on a Dart. If you do add a metal prop rod, fasten/pivot the left end so there is no way for it to fall across battery posts.
Have worked with a lot of sticky hood hinges over the years, like the Chev pickups that would actually bend the hood when you pulled down on them. First off reach in and spray lube your Mopar Hinges with WD-40, (with the fenders on) work your hood up and down 25 times, spray them with WD-40 again, work it up and down many times again.
The trick is to overcome the friction and drag at the spring so that the spring can move freely and do it's job of holding the hood up. The more free the hood hinges and spring mechanism is, the more easily the springs can hold the hood open in the up position.
When the A Bodies have the front fenders off that is one thing to do is to work and lube the hood hinges before they go back on, they need some service once in a while to work well.
The trick is to overcome the friction and drag at the spring so that the spring can move freely and do it's job of holding the hood up. The more free the hood hinges and spring mechanism is, the more easily the springs can hold the hood open in the up position.
When the A Bodies have the front fenders off that is one thing to do is to work and lube the hood hinges before they go back on, they need some service once in a while to work well.
I looked at mine again today. I don't know how you can get to the spring without the fender being removed. The splash shield has a weather seal that butts up against the fender splash guard with a soft seal. I'm not calling out anyone, as I have to do the passenger side, too. Just looking for knowledge. Paul.
I just saw your new post. Thank You. I'll give it a try on my passengers side. I made a new one out of high quality tar paper and new retaining staples for my driver's side. Once again, thank you to a member. What a useful site.
You can zoom in on my photo. I'm not smart enough to know how to zoom it in closer, but I'm told you can zoom in on my pictures without losing much clarity. If you zoom in, you can see the tarpaper type gasket on the top of the top of the splash guard. I'll take a better picture tomorrow, if the sun shines. If it will help any members, I'll take the Nikon out tomorrow for some better pictures. I know for a fact that the fender hasn't been removed since she was built on 10 April, 1970. I'll look through the factory manual, too. Again, Thanks for your time and knowledge. Paul.
-
