How to install new hood springs without injury

ELpolacko · Post by **ELpolacko** » September 11, 2006, 12:03 pm

In wrapping up the assembly of a customers truck I needed to install new hood springs.

The original hood hinges were powdercoated and then installed onto the cowl. Then to keep them from floping around I put a C-clamp at the forward hinge point to lock it into place.

Then I found a suitable bit of scrap metal I had laying around. This particular piece was a left over from a Model A headlight bar but you could use 1/2" to 3/4" bar stock. I ground the tip into a hook that would catch the end of the anchor pin on the hinge mechanism and bent the bar for better leverage and to help guid the spring home.

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Pull the lever and use a pair of chanellock pliers to assist the spring over the end of the anchor pin. Much the same as drum brake return springs.

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And that's it! Simple and safe.

Garbz · Post by **Garbz** » September 11, 2006, 12:53 pm

And you do not find your self waking up in front of your parents house! boy mom was pissed that day.... :shock:

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Garbz

ELpolacko · Post by **ELpolacko** » September 11, 2006, 1:15 pm

and so annother piece to the puzzle that is Garbz, is locked in place

Garbz · Post by **Garbz** » September 11, 2006, 2:54 pm

I learned real quick not to have my older brother help me work on cars. and to not play with hood hinges with out restraints........ :oops:

The same car a week later rolled down our driveway and smashed my moms new ford fairmont.....I still wonder to this day as to why i never was killed driving it :shock:

Rosati · Post by **Rosati** » December 2, 2007, 6:15 pm

I use a lenght of 3/8" rope and a pipe.
Hook the loop of rope around the front end of the spring and the other end is attached to the pipe.
Stand in front of the truck and pull. It's a bit tough to pull a spring, but you can install it without scratching your painted or coated hinges.

Tech · Post by **Tech** » May 2, 2009, 1:22 am

I did mine a little differently, it worked well and was very safe.
I tied a small piece of rope into about a six inch diameter hoop. I looped this around the spring end. Next I tied a longer rope to a nearby tree and ran the opposite end through the hoop tied to the spring. By pulling on the rope you get a 2 to1 force multiplication that lets you easily extend the spring and pull it over the stud. Cut the short rope and tie it to the main rope to extract it from the pinch point.
Tech

jammck66 · Post by **jammck66** » October 30, 2009, 7:37 pm

this is a handy little tidbit of info, as I was once restoring my 78 bronco. I was taking the tailgate apart and little did i know that the tailgate is spring assisted. when i took the spring out it snapped back and "kissed" the back of my hand/ TORE IT OPEN. i bled for quite a while and seeing as i was living at home at the time ( I was 17) dad took me to the hospital and i got 4 stitches. that was the end of the resto mod.

blackagatha · Post by **blackagatha** » April 2, 2010, 12:37 am

jammck66 wrote:this is a handy little tidbit of info, as I was once restoring my 78 bronco. I was taking the tailgate apart and little did i know that the tailgate is spring assisted. when i took the spring out it snapped back and "kissed" the back of my hand/ TORE IT OPEN. i bled for quite a while and seeing as i was living at home at the time ( I was 17) dad took me to the hospital and i got 4 stitches. that was the end of the resto mod.

you quit a project over a cut hand? that's er, determination?

I find a BIIIIIG flat screwdriver to work fine, albeit maybe not as safe as some of your methods.

TxSlick66 · Post by **TxSlick66** » May 7, 2010, 7:17 am

Fan belt works great to pull a spring into place