Gas Strut on Hood Hinge?

[gzig5]

Is anyone using gas struts to support your hood open? I've got a fiberglass AAR hood and the stock springs are too strong. I know that there are special springs for the fiberglass hoods but I thought it would be an opportunity to use a gas strut instead.

 

[challenger6pak]

Yes. Here is a link. Ringbrothers Billet Hood Hinges for the 1970-74 Mopar E-Bodies | Motorator

 

[rbbruno3]

Yes. Here is a link. Ringbrothers Billet Hood Hinges for the 1970-74 Mopar E-Bodies | Motorator
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I put s set of those on my Challenger, very nice quality Very pricey

 

[aussiemark]

They look like really good quality items and will make hood adjustment a lot easier without the slop normally in the standard hinges.

 

[gzig5]

Yowza. Love my car, but I don't love it that much yet. If I do this in the near future, it will have to be a cobbled system if that is the only aftermarket available. Looks like the A-body can be done relatively easy using modified stock parts. I'm going to have to see what it would take to modify the hinge. Making new hinges isn't out of the question either, but that is probably more work than I want to get into.

 

[rbbruno3]

here they are on my car

 

[gzig5]

They certainly are nice, but with where my car is at the moment would be lipstick on a pig. Was really wanting them for the functionality aspect and hopefully less stress on the hood.

 

[challenger6pak]

You can't just add the strut. The geometry of the old hinges is wrong. You could just go without springs and add a metal hood prop from a newer car. I have done this for customers. Downfall would be with a race weight hood. You need a prop on both sides.

 

[gzig5]

You can't just add the strut. The geometry of the old hinges is wrong. You could just go without springs and add a metal hood prop from a newer car. I have done this for customers. Downfall would be with a race weight hood. You need a prop on both sides.

I pulled the stock springs when the fiberglass hood went on and had been using a piece of wood in the middle to hold it open. That is getting tiresome and looks bad. A folding metal prop wouldn't be terrible and should be easy and cheap. I realized the stock hinge wouldn't work because the spring works in tension and the gas strut in compression. Might be a good project for next winter.