Hood spring replacement -

[dan42]

Who has done this on their '67-'72? Is it hard? I just bought new hinges, and I was gonna use the old springs, but I haven't taken the hood off yet, so I was wondering if I am gonna have to muscle the springs on or do they come off relatively easily. Let me know your experience with this if you would.

[chevy_mike]

I haven't done this myself but I read about a trick where you get the spring to expand (either open or partly closed, depending on vehicle, I think the trucks are partly closed). When you do this you will see gaps between the coils. You then place scrap metal into this gap area and then open the hood. This will keep the spring from being able to compress and then there is enough slack to just unhook the spring.

I have also heard of a trick to paint hood springs and get all of it painted. Run a chain from the hook to the leg of an engine hoist and the other end to the hook of the hoist. Then pump the jack up like you are lifting an engine, which in this case you are expanding the spring enough to paint into the area that would normally be closed together.

Hope that helps some.

[JimKshortstep4x4]

Attached is a picture of a removal installation method that I have not tried but it looks like it would work. A chain with a flat hook is made up and to remove the spring, you hook onto the spring and pull on the chain. Apparently it does not take that much force to pull the spring off of the hinge. Of course the hood has to be held up by some means unless you have the hinge off and clamped up in a vise.

I have always used a very large screw driver with the hinge off but it is not a very safe method so I am going to try the chain procedure next time.

Jim

[Sinister]

Originally Posted by ChevLoRay

I saw a picture once where someone had used nice, shiny open-end wrenches in the gaps of an open hood spring to allow them to remove the spring. But, like cdowns says, you gotta outthink the spring to be able to "deal" with it....

Let us know what your thinking is...

Do this, then get a piece of rope and loop it on the spring and pull the rest of the way. Might want to think about new springs since your going through all the trouble. When I put new springs in my new hinges, I used a floor jack to stretch the spring and used the wrenchs to keep the spring open.

[Sport/Truck]

I just used a screw driver with the hinge in the open position.......It's not that hard. I ended up pitting them back on for powder coat, because the springs were together and with them on they were slightly opened between the coils.
s/t

[joemacho]

i used a big pry bar or a long flat screwdriver to take them off then i used a brake spring removal tool the long one and put the spring on its hard but works.

[72lb4x4]

One of my factory manuals for something Chevy shows a T shaped too with a hook at the bottom of the T. The tool is made from 1/4 or 5/16 rod.

Hook it on the spring and pull.