Hood Question

[NorCal69]

I was working on the hood last night, getting all of the old body filler off the front and smoothing out the top with some 80 grit.

The sandblaster did not want to go crazy on the top of the hood, he was worried about deforming the panel.

When I was working the top portion, I remembered how the hood skin bounced around when I use to drive it. Now I realize that I don't have the pads between the outer skin and bracing now, but I can't even block it out without it waving back. Something needs to be done.

I searched through some of the old threads and did not find much for bracing up the first gen hood.

So my question is, what have you guys done in the past to brace up the hood skin from bouncing all around?

 

[Greg72]

I'm sure I've seen rigid foam between the underside bracing and the outer skin on trucks before. No idea if it's "factory"...but I'm sure that would help.

I've never liked how flimsy the stock hood felt. A truck should be tough enough for you to climb up and sit on the hood if you want to....there's no way I'd be able to do that without leaving a huge butt-dent afterwards.

 

[sponsoredbydad]

I'll take a look at mine when I get home (Unearthed it last weekend). Don't remember it being all that flimsy.

 

[ryoken]

usually the inner frame is attached to the skin with dollops of urethane adhesive.. not sure how the first gens are set up... think windshield urethane... i would just load a caulking gun up and pump some spots between the frame and skin and let harden...

 

[NorCal69]

Thanks Ryoken,

The first gens have a strip of foam that goes in between the inner brace and the skin. Do you think that it would be better to get rid of the foam and dollop the skin directly to the brace?

 

[ryoken]

how much of a gap between the skin and brace? 1/4"?

If the gap isn't crazy, sure.... you could even be fancy, tape it off, and pump a full bead all the way around, pull tape....

if the gap is pretty wide, you might be better off with some of that 800ez seam sealer, it sags alot less than a urethane will....

 

[NorCal69]

Here are a couple of pics that I took this morning before work.

They are a little off camber as I had to hold the hood and shoot the pic.

As soon as I rolled the hood over I started laughing to myself, that is a lot of square footage for a skin to flop around with only two braces and no mechanical attachment.

Just kinda rolling ideas through my head.

Pick up another hood this weekend at the pic and pull that looks like the same bracing and start to dissect it.

Or this might be a great time to do the cowl hood like Makovai. I'm a little scared of this for the obvious reasons.

 

[ryoken]

little gappy, but that could be seamsealed......... wouldn't use urethane, the seamsealer sags less.... shoot some zinc under it, tape a line on the sheetmetal out about 1/2", and pump a couple tubes under that edge...

tho Mackovai's hood came out cool...

 

[NorCal69]

tho Mackovai's hood came out cool... [/quote]


I hear ya man, I hear ya.

 

[sponsoredbydad]

Here is a pic of mine. Looks like some type of 3/16" foam mat stuffed in between the gap. Seems just as i remembered not much looseness/flapping on the skin

 

[NorCal69]

Maybe my hood is just Ghey then.

I just remember driving down the road and hitting a pothole or whatever and watching it bounce around like a go-go girl.

All in all you could definitely see and hear the deflection in the hood.

 

[Z71paramedic]

Mine is the same way. I was actually wondering if there was any way to stiffen it up also. I'm anxious to see if anyone else chimes in with some good ideas...

 

[Greg72]

My hood also suffers from FHS (Floppy Hood Syndrome)

I'm tempted to do something extreme involving some thin-gauge sheetmetal and my flare hole dies. Maybe build a few extra braces and then tack weld them directly to the underside of the hood before I do any bodywork or paint.

 

[NorCal69]

My hood also suffers from FHS (Floppy Hood Syndrome)

Awesome........And a new Greg catch phrase is born.