Hood Hinges & Springs – Replacing Your Hood’s ‘Weak Link
The hood is a shield used to cover the engine bay of the vehicle and is generally fastened near the windshield of the vehicle. As the vehicle gets old, hood hinges and hood hinge springs go through wear and tear like all moving parts. When the hood is open and the hinge fails then it could lead to a disastrous situation. Loose hinges and worn-out springs won’t allow the hood to stay up, resulting in its unexpected drop which can be a safety hazard when working on your car. Even if these issues don’t exist, constant buzzes, squeaks, and rattles can be heard at every turn. Hood hinges and hood spring replacement is simple and can be easily replaced by following the simple steps mentioned below.
In this article:
1. What Are Hood Hinges?
2. How To Replace Hood Hinge And Spring Assembly?
1 What Are Hood Hinges?
Hood hinges facilitate the opening and closing of the hood and are also used to align the hood properly. The hood is fastened to the body of the vehicle with the help of hinges and springs. Hood hinges and spring assembly support the weight of the hood fully once it’s opened. These hood hinges and springs are often found on older vehicle models. Due to their bulky construction, they were replaced with hood support struts in modern cars. These struts serve the same function as a hood spring assembly but are much lighter and compact.
After years of use, the hinge spring can lose its tension and fail to support the weight of the hood. When hinges are properly installed and aligned, the hood will open easily and smoothly and remain exactly at the same point where you left it. Similarly closing the hood becomes equally effortless. The hood panel will sit properly and no gaps will be left.
The content in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. We highly recommend consulting a certified mechanic or technician if you have any questions or concerns related to topics covered herein. Under no circumstances will PartsAvatar Canada be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on any content.
2 How To Replace Hood Hinge And Spring Assembly?
Hood springs come in several unique configurations, but the common idea is to facilitate the movement of the hood as you lift or close it. Hood hinges and spring can be removed easily by using these tools and following the given steps:
Rubber Mallet
- Before you can get to the hinges and springs, you have to remove the hood panel of your vehicle
- Lift the hood and remove the fastening bolts securing the hood to the hinge tops
- Once all the bolts are removed, lift the hood panel up and off the engine bay
- After removal of the hood, there is no more weight on the hinge or hinge spring. Using a socket wrench, undo all bolts securing the hinge plate from the body frame of your vehicle
- Now the hinge is free to remove. If the hinge is not immediately free then there may be some gathered dirt and grease stuck the hinge to the vehicle frame. Just gently tap the hinge with a rubber mallet and break it loose
- Avoid using a screwdriver, claw hammer, or some other piece of metal to pry it off. The seal is not that strong and you can end up scratching the surface of your vehicle frame or hinge plate
- The spring’s natural position is to remain tightly coiled. The spring is fitted into the hinge between two tabs that keep tension on the spring. First, remove the center bolt securing the spring to the hinge
- Closing the hood releases tension on the coiled springs and opening the hood adds tension to the spring coil. It’s this tension that keeps the hood open and supports the movement
- When the spring coil is under no tension you can easily remove it by pulling the hook towards yourself with the help of a chain, v-belt, or any spring removal tool
- Purchase suitable replacement hood hinges and hood hinge springs for your vehicle
- Hold the new hinge in closing position so that you don’t have to apply more strength to pull the hood spring
- Fix the new springs on both the tabs of the replacement hinges by fixing one hook to the tab and pulling another end with the help of either a chain, v-belt, or any spring removal tool in a proper way
- Fasten the center bolt that secures the spring to the hood hinge
- With the help of a socket wrench attach the new hinge to the vehicle body by fastening the bolt
- Now align the hood on the engine bay and fasten the bolt that secures the hood to the hinge tops
It is very important to check the alignment of the hood after mounting it because an unaligned hood can damage the adjacent parts of the vehicle and can damage or bend the hood itself. You should make sure that there are no gaps left after aligning the hood.
