Weak hood hinge springs?

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HemiDenny

HemiDenny

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Had a set of hood hinges dipped to remove the paint...off a 75 Duster...back on a 75 Duster. Now they will not hold the hood up.

As far as I know, the hinges only mount to the body on the pins one way. Can those coil springs on the hinges get that weak over the years?

Any ideas?
 
Couple of pictures of the ones on my '74 Duster if it helps, they've never been off that I know of. Pretty sure you can only mount them one way. And they shouldn't fatigue or sag while they're off the car, so unless they didn't hold up the hood before they should do fine now. Any changes to the hood? Big scoop?

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What were they dipped in and how long were they dipped in it? Maybe they're a bit thinner now, like the old TransAm series cars after their acid bath :D
 
HemiDenny said:
Had a set of hood hinges dipped to remove the paint...off a 75 Duster...back on a 75 Duster. Now they will not hold the hood up.

As far as I know, the hinges only mount to the body on the pins one way. Can those coil springs on the hinges get that weak over the years?

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

They are made of spring steel, if dipped into certain types of acid, especially heated tanks" they will lose the "spring" they one had. I made this mistake once as well thinking I could dip a set of leaf springs off my w200.... they literally lost all ability to hold the truck up when put back in
 
the hood currently is factory (no scoop)
pin has not spun

dipped in chemicals at the local strippers......I think they use heat too. I will call them tomorrow and ask. I have had sets dipped previously....no issues

crap, I had a set of leaf springs dipped at the same time...we will see shortly on them.

make perfect springs for a lighter fiberglass hood

thanks for the replies.
 
HemiDenny said:
the hood currently is factory (no scoop)
pin has not spun

dipped in chemicals at the local strippers......I think they use heat too. I will call them tomorrow and ask. I have had sets dipped previously....no issues

crap, I had a set of leaf springs dipped at the same time...we will see shortly on them.

make perfect springs for a lighter fiberglass hood

thanks for the replies.
Click to expand...
Heat will kill off the stiffness of the spring. I've got a set of springs still mounted in the lower half half of the spring assembly if you're in need. I'm replacing mine with billet hinges and gas springs.
 
HemiDenny said:
the hood currently is factory (no scoop)
pin has not spun

dipped in chemicals at the local strippers......I think they use heat too. I will call them tomorrow and ask. I have had sets dipped previously....no issues

crap, I had a set of leaf springs dipped at the same time...we will see shortly on them.

make perfect springs for a lighter fiberglass hood

thanks for the replies.
Click to expand...

Does anyone make springs for fiberglass hoods? Or do I have to get a set of springs annealed to take some of the spring out of the spring?
 
Ottmundr said:
Does anyone make springs for fiberglass hoods? Or do I have to get a set of springs annealed to take some of the spring out of the spring?
Click to expand...
Glastek sells some I believe
 
swapping springs is the plan when it comes apart to paint.

the strippers said it gets to 160 degrees in the stripping process. do you think that would have any effect
 
HemiDenny said:
swapping springs is the plan when it comes apart to paint.

the strippers said it gets to 160 degrees in the stripping process. do you think that would have any effect
Click to expand...
For how long? I wouldn't think temps that level would do it.
 
160*F? That shouldn't be enough to do it regardless of the time frame. I know heating the springs to 160*F by themselves wouldn't do anything otherwise valve springs wouldn't work at all, and you can imagine that torsion bars and things near the exhaust get that hot. But, the combination of the acid bath and the heat may cause an additional chemical reaction that's causing issues.
 
72bluNblu said:
160*F? That shouldn't be enough to do it regardless of the time frame. I know heating the springs to 160*F by themselves wouldn't do anything otherwise valve springs wouldn't work at all, and you can imagine that torsion bars and things near the exhaust get that hot. But, the combination of the acid bath and the heat may cause an additional chemical reaction that's causing issues.
Click to expand...
I agree. If they were kept there for a couple days, maybe but it was probably the chemical as you said
 
Wonder what the chances are of you receiving someone else's springs back are? Probably slim
 
Denny, Here is pdf of the hinge assembly. I drilled out the rivet the joins the upper and lower portions of the assembly because I was going to use the upper port for templates for billet gas spring hinges. So what I have are the hinges with the upper and lower portions separated. I'm not sure that what you want, but if it is let me know. I'll send you follow up as a PM
 

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  • dart hinge.pdf
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I will just swap out the springs....so all I really need are the springs....but I can remove them if they are still attached to any of the rest of it.
 
downsr said:
if you had the springs off you may not have put them back on correctly.
Click to expand...
Springs were never removed from the hinges for the metal cleaning /dipping.......I will however have to remove the springs from the hinges to replace them. I have done it before, the procedure ranks right up there with replacing the trunk torsion bars.....be careful nothing gets pinched and wear safty glasses

I used to drive thru your town almost weekly when I lived in Huntington VW for 5 years.......always took the Micky Ds cut off at Portsmith to get to Rt52
 
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