Hood hinge repair or replacement

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'Cuda_ragtop said:
:popcorn:
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Got them roughed in... probably reinforce the sheet metal a bit. . but they work. Super smooth with no noise. Next up is deck lid.
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clementine said:
Hey Ron,
Scratch last number request. I think I found them on site. I think she thought that I needed 19.5 extended length instead of "equal to or less than".

Thanks for the reply!
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Anyone ever come up w/ a completely diff hinge set up foe an A body , that doesn`t operate off the original pin ??-----"that doesn`t look like hell !!"
 
Retro Ron had his machinist do a billet version that looked cool.....maybe he will give up his man. I guess its the same pin/pivot of operation though.
 
This is what I came up with. Works perfectly and by welding a tube to the hinge, you spread the load over more area and hinge has considerably less side to side movement.

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Did these billet hinges ever become a reality?

I’m looking for something cool like that

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famous bob said:
I have been following this thread too. I`d like to convert my lift off /6 pack hood to the hinge type. But, don`t have the pins left on the 68 barracuda, and definitly don`t want to replace the hood.
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I'm working with my fab guy and his CNC friend to get the price down, if we can. The hinges are really slick , my hood opens with about two pounds finger pressure. Iy doesn't move and wobble or squeak like the stock ones do. FamousBob, if you use the hinge you have to have the pins or something similar. I'll update the post as I get more information.
 
retroron said:
I'm working with my fab guy and his CNC friend to get the price down, if we can. The hinges are really slick , my hood opens with about two pounds finger pressure. Iy doesn't move and wobble or squeak like the stock ones do. FamousBob, if you use the hinge you have to have the pins or something similar. I'll update the post as I get more information.
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cool. I sold my stock hinges and don't have any hood hinge pins .

Would almost have to be firewall mounted.
 
I still love the billet hinges but can't fathom the huge price. I have a machinist living next to me... might have to see what he'd charge to mill a set.

Riddler
 
Riddler said:
I still love the billet hinges but can't fathom the huge price. I have a machinist living next to me... might have to see what he'd charge to mill a set.

Riddler
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Riddler, Besides writing the CNC program, the cost is machine time. It takes a lot of time to cut down a block of aluminum to make the hinge. If I remember correctly it was 16 hours for the set.
Not sure if I’d do it again but the hinges sure turned out good and 150 pound gas springs hold my hood up just fine.
I’m still trying to get the cost down.
 
retroron said:
Riddler, Besides writing the CNC program, the cost is machine time. It takes a lot of time to cut down a block of aluminum to make the hinge. If I remember correctly it was 16 hours for the set.
Not sure if I’d do it again but the hinges sure turned out good and 150 pound gas springs hold my hood up just fine.
I’m still trying to get the cost down.
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Oh there pretty, they also look well designed. Myself I might have lightened them up by milling out the indented areas right out.

I can't justify the cost on something I can't see any doesn't increase the safety, speed or overall driveability of the car, I don't see a need.

Riddler
 
Did you guys preload your struts? What I mean is what height did you Install the lower mounts for the struts?
 
Fully extend the struts then mark where the bottom is and mount accordingly.
 
retroron said:
Riddler, Besides writing the CNC program, the cost is machine time. It takes a lot of time to cut down a block of aluminum to make the hinge. If I remember correctly it was 16 hours for the set.
Not sure if I’d do it again but the hinges sure turned out good and 150 pound gas springs hold my hood up just fine.
I’m still trying to get the cost down.
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I know this is an old thread, but do you have pics of your billet hinges?
 
Mount the struts with the cylinder above allows the seals to stay lubed and last longer.
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I started with 150 lb. each struts and are currently 200 lb. each.
I plan to put some sound deadening and an insulation pad that will add a little more weight plus paint and turn signal wiring and hood latch and fasteners... 200 lb. seems good now. I have identified 220 lb. alternates just in case.
The 200 lb. open nice when cold or hot. 180 lb. seemed to get a little weaker in the cold. I also assume they weaken a little over time...
I don't want the hood to be open and a little breeze to accidentally shut it on me or anyone else.
 
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I'm gonna be putting a AAR style hood from VFN on my 68 Barracuda so i need a much lighter strut than 200.
 
I just did this mod on my 74 dart sport. I have a fiberglass cowl induction hood which is much lighter then the factory hood, and I went with 75LB gas struts. They do a fantastic job of holding the hood up and keeping it up. I wanted to get all the setup and drilling done before primer and paint, so don’t mind the nasty looking paint. I bought 20 inch long struts, which I quickly found out were too long. I had to compress them around 2.5 inches to get them mounted on the ball studs, which was a major pain. Good thing I only paid around $35 for both. Later on I will most likely get a set of 18 inch long struts. I also welded a 1/2”ID spacer onto the hinge at the main pivot pin to minimize side to side play, which worked out very well. Next up is powder coating the hinges. I do all my own powder coating right in my garage. Buying a powder coating system was one of the best investments I’ve ever made. It’s saved me and a lot of my family and friends thousands of dollars in powder coating work.

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