Hood hinge issue - 71 Charger

[70chall440]

I am sure that any of you that have been messing with old Mopars have seen this (as well as the other brands) wherein when you try and shut the hood, it begins to come down but then the back of the hood wants to remain up requiring you to go to each side and put the back corners down.

In the past I usually simply replaced the hinges but now I am confronted with this on my 71 and before I pull the hinges I am wondering if anyone has had this and successfully fixed it.

Before I installed the hinges I inspected them and even blasted and painted them, I didn't see anything majorly wrong with them then, but they dont work worth a crap now... LOL Perhaps they are just too slopped out but I got to thinking that someone on this forum has surely tore a set a part of hopefully repaired them.

 

[allmoparparts67]

Have you try greasing or a Lubricant. I have a pair of hood hinges if your interested. They were working good when taking off.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

With springs mounted is hard to tell what holes and rivets are worn, but once springs are removed all linkage could dance around LOL

RICKS RESTORATIONS gets a rebuilt service, but actually any decent machine shop could make it.

 

[moparmarks]

Also if replacing them 71-4 B's have a few different springs depending on which hood. A Charger hood is heavier than a Plymouth hood. A fresh air hood is heavier than a standard hood.

 

[71Beeper]

When you are fastening the hood to the hood hinges do the following:
1) Attach the forward bolts to the hinges first as the hood can pivot on them.
2) Have a person push up on the front of the hood as high as possible in the open position.
3) Doing that will put the rear most mounting bolts as low as possible in the slot on the hood hinges.
4) That will reduce or eliminate the back of the hood wanting to ride up when closing.

 

[T2R9]

Raising the front of the hinge will lower the back of the hood.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

With springs mounted is hard to tell what holes and rivets are worn, but once springs are removed all linkage could dance around LOL

RICKS RESTORATIONS gets a rebuilt service, but actually any decent machine shop could make it.

I did mean restorick

https://www.restorick.com/products.php?cat=2

 

[70chall440]

Have you try greasing or a Lubricant. I have a pair of hood hinges if your interested. They were working good when taking off.

Yes they are well lubricated.

I appreciate the offer but I have a set coming.

 

[70chall440]

I appreciate all of the information, suggestions, etc. I was really more interested how people had rebuilt their hinges than anything else.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

I got a machine shop locally in Caracas (Venezuela) replacing the rivets with pieces that they made and that made the job

 

[70chall440]

I got a machine shop locally in Caracas (Venezuela) replacing the rivets with pieces that they made and that made the job

That makes sense, I have a number of hinges laying around and need to take a closer look at them. I still have a couple of cars to build and they will probably need some hinge work.

 

[71Beeper]

Although not factory looking, someone is making billet ones that look really nice - I wonder if any are made to fit Mopar's?

 

[70chall440]

Although not factory looking, someone is making billet ones that look really nice - I wonder if any are made to fit Mopar's?

Yea I have seen those, I know they make them for E bodies but they are $550-700 a pair...

 

[Sixpactogo]

I am sure that any of you that have been messing with old Mopars have seen this (as well as the other brands) wherein when you try and shut the hood, it begins to come down but then the back of the hood wants to remain up requiring you to go to each side and put the back corners down.

In the past I usually simply replaced the hinges but now I am confronted with this on my 71 and before I pull the hinges I am wondering if anyone has had this and successfully fixed it.

Before I installed the hinges I inspected them and even blasted and painted them, I didn't see anything majorly wrong with them then, but they dont work worth a crap now... LOL Perhaps they are just too slopped out but I got to thinking that someone on this forum has surely tore a set a part of hopefully repaired them.

Those hoods are long and heavy. Fifty years of opening and closing plus jiggling around on the road takes it's toll. There are those that will tell you to just adjust them but the truth is the rivets have worn the holes larger making them sloppy causing the rear of the hood to pop up. Sure you can adjust them or push the hood down but they will never fit properly. The best fix is to send them out for rebuild. There are a few shops that can install larger rivets and make them better than new. Once you get them back you will know what I am speaking of.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

That makes sense, I have a number of hinges laying around and need to take a closer look at them. I still have a couple of cars to build and they will probably need some hinge work.

Sure the links also need to get refinished the holes. Is just like boring a block.

 

[70chall440]

In the past I would immediately replace the hinges when they didn't work right and TBH in this case I have already ordered new hinges, I was more interested in if anyone rebuilt some themselves.

Given that a set of hinges in like $200, I don't think anyone would "restore" them for much less so its a wash. I am going to take some apart at some point just to understand them better.

 

[Cop car wagon]

** Disclaimer, don't want to come across wrong ** so aside from being totally worn out...

For me this has always been an adjustment issue. Raising the front of the hinge actually lowers it. There's a fine line where the hinge spring works like an over center spring and holds the hood down. I have had to extend the slot up to get that 1/8" more travel

 

[70chall440]

** Disclaimer, don't want to come across wrong ** so aside from being totally worn out...

For me this has always been an adjustment issue. Raising the rear of the hinge actually lowers it. There's a fine line where the hinge spring works like an over center spring and holds the hood down. I have had to extend the slot up to get that 1/8" more travel

I agree to a large part but in my experience once it starts "misbehaving" in that it doesn't fold down correctly there are bigger issues than adjustments.

In this case, I have adjusted them 6 ways to Sunday but to no avail, they don't work as they should.

I think the hinge design is fine and lasts a long time but over time holes get slopped out and things are bent which seems to be my issue.

 

[Cop car wagon]

73-4 hinges are better, performance cars are more worn out than 318 4dr cars.
I'm sure some one around here has some better hinges, before you get them rebuilt.
I have not seen a resto rick hinge, but everyone says they are nice.

 

[70chall440]

73-4 hinges are better, performance cars are more worn out than 318 4dr cars.
I'm sure some one around here has some better hinges, before you get them rebuilt.
I have not seen a resto rick hinge, but everyone says they are nice.

I think the hinges I have are original to the car but I just ordered new hinges from Classic. This is in no way a restoration or remotely stock so its all good.

I was asking more out of curiosity than anything else. I have a few pairs of various hinges here and was originally thinking that if I could relatively easily rebuilt them I would give it a try but after thinking about it I decided just to buy some new ones.