Flimsy hood mounting points?

[Blue316]

I recently installed one of the hood strut setups.
Now I’m noticing that the hood on the Maverick is in no way reinforced at the hood hinge mount, so there is a lot of flex when you open the hood.
My concern is that we will start developing cracks or bending at those mounting points.
Has anyone at this point had any cracking or bending?
The only way I can think of to help distribute the load of the hood hanging out there is to make and bond to the hood some reinforcement plates.
The best thing would be if one of the oh so many companies selling these products would produce and sell such a thing.

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[Hot Runr Guy]

Sounds like the old square body bent hood problem. With as light as the hood is, why risk it by adding the strut(s)?

HRG

 

[710-oil-614]

Yep why even risk it? What’s the point?

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

It's a little bit of a pain to use and in the way sometimes, but I'll keep my prop rod. The hood is aluminum.
So far I'm still able to lift my hood.
It is a whole lot lighter than the steel hood on my wife's Escape.

I guess I'll keep using my hood prop rod. If and when my tailgate strut gives out, at least I won't be hit on the head and it's less than $30 to replace for the convenience of just letting the tailgate drop.

If it is good enough for a Cadillac it's good enough for my Maverick.

 

[oysterville]

Yep why even risk it? What’s the point?

Because in America if someone is selling something there is an inner compulsion to buy it regardless of our real need for it.

 

[dusty1787]

If you search the forums there are actually a few people who have had issues with the hood struts. Something about them causing too much pressure when trying to open them and possibly causing the cable to dislodge from the handle and thus causing you not to be able to open the hood.

If I remember right that is. Either way, I am perfectly fine lifting up the hood the old school way. To each their own tho.

 

[Tbone289]

With as light as the hood is, why risk it by adding the strut(s)?

HRG

Agreed, and I feel the same way about the tailgate. Gas-charged struts all have to be replaced eventually too, so they ensure future maintenance cost.

 

[Carlitos_92]

The whole truck the hood is attached to is "flimsy" to some degree.

 

[Hot Runr Guy]

The whole truck the hood is attached to is "flimsy" to some degree.

Hahahaha! Heck, the way the hood shakes in certain high-wind situations (like an oncoming semi on a 2-lane road) I'm almost considering going old school and adding hood pins,,,

For you youngsters;

HRG

 

[VBMav]

Agreed, and I feel the same way about the tailgate. Gas-charged struts all have to be replaced eventually too, so they ensure future maintenance cost.

Maybe. But that REALLY makes a difference in lowing the tailgate. It's was too easy for it to get away from me before I installed the strut. My wife wouldn't even try to lower it after the first time - but then, we are really old.

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

The whole truck the hood is attached to is "flimsy" to some degree.

Nowhere near the flimsy tin can that my old Nissan hard body was.

 

[Blue316]

Struts VS prop rod…
I like the idea of the struts. Why? I just do.
But that said it never occurred to me that the hood is so light weight that the struts might just destroy the hood.
So I will be going back to the prop rod.
I can’t imagine that a set of bonded reinforcement plates would be cheap.

 

[MYNOMAV]

Hood struts were the first mod to my 07 mustang. I did have to replace them after fifteen years. My friend had his hood open at a car show and wind lifted the hood, the prop rod fell over the fender with the hood slamming down on it. Yep, crunched fender. I use the struts because they keep the hood up about 2 inches higher. For us tall guys that's a plus. I put the Redline tuning struts on the Maverick. Works great!

 

[Blue316]

Hood struts were the first mod to my 07 mustang. I did have to replace them after fifteen years. My friend had his hood open at a car show and wind lifted the hood, the prop rod fell over the fender with the hood slamming down on it. Yep, crunched fender. I use the struts because they keep the hood up about 2 inches higher. For us tall guys that's a plus. I put the Redline tuning struts on the Maverick. Works great!

Have you checked out how much flex in the hood there is at the hinges? It’s lifts the back edge of the hood off of the mating surface

 

[Automan21]

That’s exactly why I sold my struts. I hate the hood prop but don’t want to bend my hood trying to close it against the pressure of the struts. Had a beautiful CF hood on a car once and the oem strut pushed right through the mounting point after about a year of use.

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