I normally let go off the hood to let it close on its own weight. I've seen people gently drop the hood, then try to squeeze it shut.

In my opinion, the 2nd method is more likely to bend/damage the sheet metal but I'd like to hear from others who may have more experience. This has been one of those questions I've had and just never got the chance to ask.

 

I don't think it makes much difference. I lower it about a foot high, then drop. I figure it's less impact on the latch. Don't know, don't think it matters.

 

That's what I do. Please don't squeeze the car man.

 

I pull the hood down by holding the latch bar with a very small downward force and let go - this works like 90% of the time for me.

 

When I was at a dealer looking at a GT, I went to close the hood and it would not latch on it's own weight. That's when I noticed how light the hood is.

Can you let it down and pull the release and let the hood latch gently? The salesman just told me to slam it harder.

 

I gently drop the hood and let it rest on the lever, then I push it down to latch. I hate the sound of the thonk when it slams.

 

^ I do the same but i dont drop the hood to the latch i lower it slowly and when its resting i push it down fr the final latch. Dropping the hood cannot be good for the latch.. What if in the future your latch gets a little off and you drop it? ouch..

 

I drop it from about 12", I do the same with my Taurus. Never had a problem, there's no way I'm putting downward pressure on the hood.

 

When I first got it, I tried it both ways, dropped it down ever since. The aluminum wobbling is just to sketchy for me.

 

what about fiberglass and carbon fiber hoods?
i've got the CS6 hood, and this thing is difficult to close, drop or squeeze
i've removed the rubber stoppers once all together to see if they're causing the hood to not shut easily but nope..

so with the hood pins and all, i'd rather lower the hood gently all the way, then squeeze it shut by holding and pushing down on the center of the "nose"

 

Same here. I drop it from about 12".

 

x2....

 

Mine won't latch from that height, I need to drop my hood from a min of 24". And sometimes it still doesn't latch. I took it back to the dealer and they told me it was normal.

 

Everything is normal at the Dealership....LOL

 

I drop it too, don't like to touch the exterior surface, then I have to clean the fingerprints...

 

Drop it from about two feet - it has a snug fit plus the Steeda CAI fits just right. Never push on the metal because it will eventually bend a small amount.

 

 

Me too! And more importantly, I don't want to push down hard on the the aluminum hood skin and dent it...

On my '98, which has a fiberglass (frp) hood from the factory I'd drop it from about 12" also to close it.

 

Is there any risk of causing metal elongation by dropping the hood (either on the material itself or the hingest)?

 

drop it ...