Hood spring question

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Ryan ekes

Ryan ekes

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My question is on a 67 barracuda do you have to load the spring as in giving it a full turn somehow for it to hold the hood open? The way it is now i have to use a prop stick and dunno if the springs are just that worn or if I just assumed wrong when I initially installed them. The car didn't have them on to begin with so I have nothing to refer on what the stiffness of the hinges should be but I'm pretty sure it's not what I have lol
 
Not sure if 67 dart and 67 Barracuda use the exact same hinge but here is a photo of my 67 Dart hinge with the hood up. Maybe the coil count or position can help you. I would assume that it would need to be pre-loaded like a garage door spring.
IMG_0041.JPG
 
Ryan ekes said:
My question is on a 67 barracuda do you have to load the spring as in giving it a full turn somehow for it to hold the hood open? The way it is now i have to use a prop stick and dunno if the springs are just that worn or if I just assumed wrong when I initially installed them. The car didn't have them on to begin with so I have nothing to refer on what the stiffness of the hinges should be but I'm pretty sure it's not what I have lol
Click to expand...
I just got done dealing with this I'm a thread I probably in Body & Trim. But I had one of the springs that had came off of its post and I had to recoil it and preload it. Oddly enough though when I had one not connected the other one would hold the hood up by itself. They're on their extremely simply just are held on with those retainer Clips like you put on the end of a little red wagon to hold the wheels on LOL I don't know what they call them. But there's one that holds the main hinge on at its other end and one that holds that spring leaver on. I bought some new ones at Ace Hardware.
Remember leverages your friend and your enemy, BE CAREFUL!
IMG_20180319_152553.jpg
 
Maybe order a couple of from Whitepunknitro for 40 bucks or something and save yourself....
 
Since closing the hood further loads the spring, The preload couldn't be much, 1/2 round at most. Any more would cause coil bind and break something at hood closed.
 
j par said:
About a quarter turn,
Click to expand...

"Ryan ekes" posted that he still needed a prop rod. 1/4 turn, from the photos in your post My spring has sprung... looks like you just needed to slip it back on the post.

Maybe "Ryan ekes" issue is wrong hinges for the weight of the hood or a broken spring or if the springs were ever removed they were put on backwords?

"Ryan ekes" how about some photos.
 
Yeah that's odd because I was just putting mine on and I connected one and it held the hood without me even connecting the other one. I actually while I walked over to the other side and connected the other one.
 
It's a fiber glass hood which is pretty light but maybe I installed them wrong I didn't pre load them just slipped it on the center post half way and played with the hinge until it was close enough for me to force it on the other one and pushed the center one all the way on which made the hinge go into the up position (hood was off) so I figured I was good to go. I'll try to get pics this evening I'm busy moving atm
 
My guess is that the spring is reversed and actually helping to close the hood? (just a guess)
 
There have been a few threads about fiberglass hoods and hood hinges. If my memory serves, the proper OEM springs are a bit too strong for fiberglass hoods. Lets hope others who know more will chime in here. Good luck
 
j par said:
I just got done dealing with this I'm a thread I probably in Body & Trim. But I had one of the springs that had came off of its post and I had to recoil it and preload it. Oddly enough though when I had one not connected the other one would hold the hood up by itself. They're on their extremely simply just are held on with those retainer Clips like you put on the end of a little red wagon to hold the wheels on LOL I don't know what they call them. But there's one that holds the main hinge on at its other end and one that holds that spring leaver on. I bought some new ones at Ace Hardware.
Remember leverages your friend and your enemy, BE CAREFUL!
View attachment 1715156450
Click to expand...
 
I noticed that on the center post in your picture, the spring end seems to have a C clamp or something holding the end of the spring in. How did you get the end of the spring out of the Center post?
 
all I know is thuis thread is old and be careful, I was playing around with a spring loaded Ford window regulator and the thing let loose aand cut my finger godd. it was a smaller version of that spring so...yeah I had to go for stiches :)
 
This is what I’m trying to describe. The center-post has what appears to be a reverse C clamp or two tabs holding the end of the spring in. I’m wary of bending the hinge if I pry too hard, but this little bugger does not want to come out! I noticed that your spring had the same insert.
524A86B0-BCD7-4A33-BEB5-4A1A21A69617.jpeg
 
Dana67Dart said:
I think what you are seei g in the center is the metal is staked. As in, deformed by a press to block the spring from comming off.
Click to expand...

interesting. How do I overcome this obstacle. I’m sure it was pressed in when the car was assembled in ‘73
 
Dartswinger70 said:
all I know is thuis thread is old and be careful, I was playing around with a spring loaded Ford window regulator and the thing let loose aand cut my finger godd. it was a smaller version of that spring so...yeah I had to go for stiches :)
Click to expand...
Yea. I’m wearing gloves! Fear of fast moving, sharp metal objects.
 
73Dart340Sport said:
This is what I’m trying to describe. The center-post has what appears to be a reverse C clamp or two tabs holding the end of the spring in. I’m wary of bending the hinge if I pry too hard, but this little bugger does not want to come out! I noticed that your spring had the same insert.
View attachment 1715804613
Click to expand...
Those stakes could be created with a hammer and chisel. Of course the factory production of the hinges required some sort of machine to create those stakes.
It may be possible to force the spring to force the stakes apart enough to remove the spring. Might be best to use a hammer and chisel to drive the stakes back a bit. The downside... bending steel back and forth repeatedly does make it weaker.
I dont have a clue how much bias pressure is on this spring. It might never walk out of weakened stakes. I do see enough post diameter that a second stake could be added behind the original with a slightly narrower chisel.
I also imagine grinding the end tang of the spring just a little bit thinner on the top side then using a chisel to get into unbent metal to make longer or deeper stakes with same width chisel.
I went through a similar thought process when fingering out how to take wiper pivots apart and put them back together again. I've never had a problem with hood hinges. I'll conquer those if/when, one way or another. A lot of family members say, "If he can't fix it, it aint broke". The hard part for me sometimes is determining my strategy. Regardless how you go about staking that spring in place, it might be some time before we know what works and what doesn't. Good luck
 
Grind the stakes, apon reassembly, tack a small piece of bar stock over the opening.

OR

if tgere us enough post put a speed nut (one way washer) on like is oem on my 67 dart.

Heck if you plan on taking it apart a lot. Dril and tap a small hole on one side and put a bolt and washer
 
Honestly for the trouble of what it's all worth I'm sure a wanted ad would get you a couple relatively cheap...
 
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