Hood Hinges

by Joe73 Wed Sep 07, 2016 2:17 pm

Guys, how does our hood hinges operate WITHOUT the spring on it ? Is there any resistance? Or do they just flop open and closed? Reason I ask is because I was putting my hinges onto my fenders and noticed my passenger side one looked weird. Upon closer inspection I see its got a bend to it. So I removed the springs from both hinges to compare.

My drivers hinge operates nice a smooth and doesnt flop open or closed. There is a steady resistance during movement. Like if I put the base on a table and try to close it. It moves smooth but with a little resistance. And my pivot points (rivets) have no play at all. When folded closed everything is parallel and tucks up nicely.

My passenger hinge has 2 bent pieces. Nothing crazy and they could be easily bent back but the rivets are sloppy and it opens and closes with a flop. No resistance at all.

Is there supposed to be slight resistance during operation with no spring on them?

I know I can send my hinges to willies hinge repair but I dont think I need both done and I'm concerned about shipping and turn around times. I need to get this hood on and build a paint booth.

Anyone have a passenger side hinge that has good tight pivot points when theres no spring on it?

I can get a pair on craigslist for $40 plus shipping but who knows the condition of the pivots.

by Hs1973 Wed Sep 07, 2016 2:41 pm

Its supposed to be tight with a little resistance when you operate it. It sounds like your passenger side hinge is worn out in the rivets. The ones i have seen like that, has usually made the hood is not sitting aligned with the fenders when you close it. It is not the side ways alignment, but more that the hood seems to sit to High and hoover over the fender in the windshield end. You can push it Down every time you have closed the hood, but it will sit High again next time its been open. Its near impossible to adjust it away because the rivets have to much play in them. So i would make sure the hinge is repaired before install. However it can be changed out later, as long as the hood dosent rub. But the only Way to find out is to install it.

by 73ss Wed Sep 07, 2016 4:33 pm

Joe,

I had the same issues with the pass side hinge. My problem was the hood would lift at the rear at higher speeds. I had 2 pair of spare hinges and for whatever reason the right side was loose & sloppy on both pairs. I bought a pair from CL, got them home, degreased & cleaned them up and the right side ended up being junk. the dirt & grease made it feel tight. I bought a right side from the parts place. Junk. Bought a re-man set from e-bay, installed those and the hood was so stiff to close I was afraid it was going to buckle, sent those back no problem. Finally scored an NOS right side from e-bay. It was very tight to open (no spring). It loosened up after I got it painted & lubed. My car still has the original left side hinge on it. It was fine, not loose. I have the NOS one on the right. Hood is now perfectly aligned, opens and closes with normal effort, and no longer lifts at the rear. It is puzzling that the right side always takes the hit. Prior to the repairs, You could lift the back of my hood on the pass side a good inch or 2 when the hood was closed. Can't help you out with any good spares unless you want a set to send in for re-man.

by Joe73 Wed Sep 07, 2016 5:17 pm

Thanks for the replies. Interesting. These are my originals and my drivers one is excellent too. Coincidence?? I have to locate a good one for the right price and get this hood on.

by 73ss Wed Sep 07, 2016 5:28 pm

forgot to mention my left side spares have a slight amount of resistance, my right side spares flop open like a wet noodle. I'm surprised more guys on here haven't run into this problem. It seems to be the 2 rivets that hold the hinge to the plate that bolts to the fender are the ones that wear out.

by Joe73 Wed Sep 07, 2016 5:43 pm

I havent heard of it before. I just bought one on ebay. So now I wait. Thanks

by Limey SE Wed Sep 07, 2016 6:27 pm

Joe73 wrote:Thanks for the replies. Interesting. These are my originals and my drivers one is excellent too. Coincidence?? I have to locate a good one for the right price and get this hood on.

Joe one site to remember Use your old one till the Others get here He repairs them and powders and / or Paints them Better than New could ever be

www.hoodhingerepair.com Should Have them in stock

by Limey SE Wed Sep 07, 2016 6:28 pm

If you send Old Ones back he gives you Credit back for the Cores

by Joe73 Wed Sep 07, 2016 7:09 pm

Cool. Didn't know he.kept them in stock and did.the.core thing. I was going to call him tomorrow if.I didn't find a deal on one. Just to see if there is a price difference if he doesn't have to blast and.paint. Since every part, nut and bolt has been blasted already. My hinges were actually blasted in the late 80s.

by clanceman427 Wed Sep 07, 2016 9:52 pm

I would guess that the passenger hinge wears out first because the release is on the passenger side. I notice that when I open my hood, I natuarally lift it with my left hand (passenger side) because I'm also pushing the release lever at the same time. Decades of that slight offset lift technique magnified over a long hood.

by pila Wed Sep 07, 2016 11:50 pm

Interesting...I see that my hood is raised a bit on the driver's side`near the windshield, and wasn't sure what to do about it...
I could likely rebuild the hinges my self, making new oversize pins/rivets etc and reaming the holes to fit etc.. My hood is heavy as hell right now, so I don't know if the springs are weak, or ????

Bill

by crice63 Thu Sep 08, 2016 1:27 am

This is an interesting conversation. I noticed the left side looseness also, and have had little luck finding tight hinges. One friend who has had several of these cars says ones from junk yards will never work--you need a new set. I got a pretty good set from the yard in San Jose, but the left side is still slightly loose at the bottom rivets. So I've been looking a possible alternative solutions, like adapting some ostrich knee style from another car, or reverse opening (seems unlikely), or gas shocks instead of the springs. I've had this album open on my computer trying to study it.
https://s1159.photobucket.com/user/11thhourfabrication/media/IMAG2262_zpszujpbsaw.jpg.html?sort=3&o=5
It's for fiberglass hoods, but I can't help thinking it could be adapted somehow. My hood shakes pretty good over 70 mph and I'm ready for a good solution.

by Joe73 Thu Sep 08, 2016 6:31 am

Just yesterday on that boyd coddington show, they were having problems with the hood hinges on a 55 chevy. They removed the hinges and put them in a press and squeezed each rivet. That would definitely work with little effort since its just bulging the rivet to good as new. Definitely an idea and easy to do.

by Limey SE Thu Sep 08, 2016 7:27 am

heres an Option also Guys

http://www.nastyz28.com/forum/showthread.php?t=126869

by Limey SE Thu Sep 08, 2016 7:37 am

and if you want to Zinc Phosphate coat them you can do that at Home also mix it 1 part Zinc with 4 parts distilled Water heat to 180 degrees then leave hinges in there for 10 to 12 minutes after removal Blow water off then Genoursly apply wd 40 to disperse the water The wd will not urt the Coating it actually Helps it

Hood Hinges Screen16

by 73ss Thu Sep 08, 2016 11:31 am

Joe73 wrote:Just yesterday on that boyd coddington show, they were having problems with the hood hinges on a 55 chevy. They removed the hinges and put them in a press and squeezed each rivet. That would definitely work with little effort since its just bulging the rivet to good as new. Definitely an idea and easy to do.

This may work for you with a glass hood but with a steel hood the repair will be short lived. I took one apart and the rivets are shouldered or stepped. The diameter of the pivot point is larger then the diameter that is staked on the end. On the one I took apart the hole was worn and the rivet itself looked fine. the rivets are harder than the hinge. I got a re-man set from e-bay and it appeared that the rivets were staked tight. Re-staking them will tighten it up but you still have a worn hole where the rivet pivots. the guy took them back no questions. After a few weeks of opening and closing I'm sure they will loosen back up. Willie at hood hinge repair says they ream the hole and install oversize rivets. I was going to have him do mine until I found a NOS one.

by Hs1973 Thu Sep 08, 2016 2:19 pm

I actually Got lucky and bought a doner car that had good hinges, the car had low miles but alot of rust and could not be saved.
I have been driving that Road every day for 20 years. One day i spotted a 73 elcamino in a carport. I stopped and i turnes out the car had been in the barn since the 80s. Due to a broken transmission it had been of the Road. The guy just bought the house and dident know what he had. It was a true ss with swivels and gauges and alot of other good stuff, including good hinges. I played it cool and Got to buy it for 500 dollars. I took all the good stuff and put my old worn stuff in it then sold it for 1000 dollars. That was a good day and one hell of a deal. Sorry for sidetracking your tread.

I Think the only Way to repair the hinges would be as Said, to drill the holes larger and put oversize rivets in. It makes a World of difference when aligning the hood. If the hinges are flapping around its almost impossible to get the hood to sit right. I actually thought about putting in some gas shocks like on moderne cars. That would aid in opening the hood couse its freaking heavy.

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