md_mustang

I talked to a body shop about installing hood pins while I'm having my stripes painted. The owner (who just got his '06 GT) said that the pins will "distort" the hood slightly. Sorry, but I don't know where the pins that he saw were located.

Anyway, anyone with pins notice any distortion on the hood? I'd really like to pin my hood, but not if it will change the appearance of the hood at all.

acadian

If you install them right, and in the right place... they will not distort the hood. First of all, you need to install them in the right spot... where the hood doesn't curve. There are spots on the hood that curve, and spots that are almost completely flat. Just make sure you install them in an area that is rather flat. Second, when you install them, you can control the height of the holes in the hood pin bolts that the hood pins go into. You need to install them so that the bottom of the holes in the bolts are right at the top of the hood. If the holes are too high, the hood pins will be too loose, and if they are too low, it will make the hood curve down right there, creating the distortion the body shop guy was referring to.

It's almost impossible to find a perfectly flat part of the hood, so it also helps to bend the hood pin plates so that they contour to the hood. That way, when you screw them down with all 4 screws, they don't bend the hood any.

md_mustang

Sorry for the stupid questions, but here goes...

First, I've seen many folks use the holes in the grill under the hood for the bolts. Is this a good spot to get a relatively flat area of the hood?

Second, how long should the bolts be to ensure a good fit (not too short, not too long)?

Finally, how do you bend the hood pin plates?

Thanks for the info!

rdh03mach1

as my father said once, "I am entitled to my wrong opinion." LOL :bang:
was just a note comparing fake to non-functional.
happy to see you keep yer car...

sodaman

well if you live near fang performance, they offer the twist hood locks. Look much better in my opinion.

http://www.fangperformance.com/pricing.htm

acadian

No such thing as a stupid question. There is such thing as a stupid answer, so I'll try not to give you one. As far as where to install the hood bolts, I'm not really sure what you mean by the grille under the hood. The best place to put them though is right at the edges of the plastic radiator cover. Mine are actually to the outside of the cover about an inch or two, but you can't really bolt them from that location... mine are welded there. If you want to bolt them, go inside more, possibly even encroaching on the radiator cover itself... like the pic below. Then you'll have the room from under the frame rail to put your washer and nut.

As far as the length of the bolts, they only come in one length. And I believe you may have an issue of them being too short because of the space between the frame rail and the top of the hood. I know someone else posted in another hood pin thread on how to make extensions out of nuts. Mine are welded though, so I didn't have that problem since I didn't have to recess the bolt into the frame very much, fastening it with a nut from underneath. IMO, the easiest thing to do is weld the bolts to the frame rail. To do that, all you need to do is drill a hole exactly the diameter of the hood bolt into the frame. Then, screw the bolt into the frame until it's at the right height (so when you close the hood all the way, the bottom of the hole in the bolt is even with the outside face of the hood) and then weld all the way 360 degrees around the base of the bolt at the frame. I had a welder do this for like twenty bucks. You can then touch up the weld first with some rust-proof primer and then some factory touch-up paint, and then cover it with a big rubber or plastic washer to hide the weld.

<!--QuoteBegin-rdh03mach1@November 9, 2005, 6:03 AM
as my father said once, "I am entitled to my wrong opinion." LOL :bang:
was just a note comparing fake to non-functional.
happy to see you keep yer car...

Quoted post

[/quote]

But that's what's good about opinions... nobody can really say that yours is wrong. And thanks for what you said about my car. I'm pretty happy myself too.

RRRoamer

Hey Bud! You can't go and cut a huge section of the hood out (which WILL decrease it's strength. The aluminum hood is a lot more structural than the steel hoods that used very thin steel but a stronger hood support structure) and then call it's weakness a "design flaw". :nono: That's almost as bad a cutting your drive shaft half way through and then complaining when it breaks at the strip.

The hood on my 05 has not given me any problems at all. I've had it up to 135 mph (on an open road in the middle of No Where, New Mexico) and my hood was rock solid. It has never flexed or flutter even when getting hit by a strong Semi truck wake. It might be how the hood height and bumpers are adjusted. Maybe yours lets more air get under the hood than mine, so it builds up pressure.

Sounds like a perfect place for a CAI, actually... Wait! WMS!!!

acadian

I think adrenalin called it a design flaw because CDC has you cutting that big hole in the stock hood for the shaker. So, that would technically be a design flaw on their part if they are telling you to cut the hole to install their shaker. For the price of the shaker, CDC should throw in a new aluminum hood that has framing built around the hole for the shaker... if it truely is that weak. I know I cut a hole in my hood to make my Roush scoop functional, and I made sure to miss any framing members. Obviously with the size of the shaker opening, you can't do that. I personally would call this CDC error over user error.

RRRoamer

Acadian,

I an definitely agree with you assessment.

This one's mine

Well I finally bit the bullitt and put the pins on! I am glad I did and it wasn't as hard to drill the hood as I thought it would be!

SRQ05GT

Just installed mine tonight. I had bought them about 6 months ago and could not make up my mind. I am one of the few stupid people who have actually folded a hood going down the road for not closing it the night before after doing some motor work (Chevy Tahoe). Any way, put the pins next to the plastic radiator cover about 1 inch away. Followed VegasJays install by using a 1x1/2 bolt and nut. Worked out pretty good. May weld latter. Used thread lock and really torqued it down. Used some 3m foam tape on the back of the polished round hood piece. And polished the pins with a Dremal tool. Looks really good and will finish the wires tomarrow.

Mxyzptlk

I was considering these too as I am constant have the hood flex at speeds over 80mph. I don't know how to address this at dealer though.

SRQ05GT

Be careful installing the round plates on the hood. The hood is very very thin and it doesnt take much tightning the screws to bend the hood. But I like the way it finished up. Big thrill drilling through the hood though... Do lots of reading before installing...

kevinb120

Ford finally gives us an aluminum hood unlike the old plastic craptastic one and everone wants to cut it up or change it

HastaLaVista

Could be a question of where the hood stops are adjusted. I've heard many people talk about hood flex or shake at high speeds and my hood has been rock solid from day one.

Mxyzptlk

I wouldn't know where/ how to check for this

Hellcat6

As asked earlier, what about the 70 style twist locks? Fang puts them on their aftermarket hood and I have seen them on EBay. Looks like folks are using off the shelf 70 style parts to do this. The $64K question is where do you mount them and cut the stock hood? Anyone done this? Do you have measurements and instructions?

TRQ QTRHRSE

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