'68 cuda hood adjustment

[like_A_pike]

Hi all: the hood won't go all the way down in the front and the latch is as far down as it's made to go. I wonder if the catch on the hood isn't too long. did they make different lengths? the hood doesn't even make contact with the bushings on the fenders and is firmly closed and latched about 1/2" higher then it should. Any sugestions?

thanks in advance!

dw or lap

 

[cosgig]

First things first...Welcome to FABO, the best Mopar site in the land!!! Now, on to your problem.....Have you lowered the bump stops all the way?? Maybe they're too high and holding the hood up. You may get some downward slant in the front by raising the hood on the rear bolt of the hood hinges, provided that you can spare a little height in the back, but lowering the bumpstops should be your first step. After taking them out of the equation the hood is usually completely adjusted for gap, height, and forward/rear positioning. After you're done, pushing down on the front of the hood will reveal whether the hood is contacting the bumpstops, and they can be raised back up until the hood just rests on them to keep the hood from vibrating. It helps when adjusting the hood to take off the secondary safety latch for quick and easy opening. The latch could be different, but I somehow doubt it. Has the car ever been in a front end collision?? If so, it may have changed the way things work together up front. I just had this problem on the 66 Valiant I'm working on, and it was all I could do to get it at it's best!! Good luck with the project, and report back on your progress!!! Geof

 

[rob_robinson87]

Is there anyway to get us a photograph of the offending latch and hinge? A picture is worth a 1000 words.

 

[1968FormulaS340]

Take the latching mechanism off and see if it will go all the way down. This will help isolate the problem area.

That would be my first step.

 

[like_A_pike]

after taking the latch out it would make contact on the right bump stop. So I lowered it and the hood is perfect on that side. the left one is all the way down, but I noticed the hood is tighter on the driver side. There are new rubbers bushings along the quater panel that are really pretty stiff and the hood is definitely making contact with them. I can see how the adjustment will work up and down in the back but how do ya adjust center? I'll try taking the left stop all the way out first just to see, it may sit better and still have enough rubber over there to stop vibrations. I'll keep ya posted, thanks for such quick responses! It looks like I picked the right forum...

dw

 

[cosgig]

If the hood is tighter on the drivers side, you would need to loosen the drivers side hinge bolts, then slide the hood forward on the bolts just slightly. Remember that a little movement makes much more of a difference than one may expect. Also remember that when working with one side in the back, it affects the other side in the front. If the gap is tight on the drivers side, it may be resting on the rubber stops along the inner fender, and increasing the gap along that side will allow the hood to drop deeper on the stops along that side as they are somewhat tapered. Remember once again that small adjustments will yield larger results than expected, so work in small steps. If there is no damage from collision to the front end, you'll be able to dial the hood in nicely!!! Good luck, and yea, pictures are always a plus!!! I'd like to see the car as well, just for the eye candy!!! Geof

 

[cudajim]

You have to adjust your 2 rubber bumpers first to get the height correct then adjust the catch to hold it there. You may also have to adjust the hinge bolts several times to get it right.

It took me a while (about 2 hours) to get it right on my 67 fish.

Good luck.

 

[like_A_pike]

After (well more than two hours) I got it really close. In fact I may be the only one who ever notices. My gal took this shot the day I brought it home. (the old fashion way) If the sun ever comes back, i'll glue a better one to my profile. Thanks again for all the help!

d