Tom and Vipers
Enthusiast
What's the best, or quickest, or cheapest way to reduce the hood spring loads for a 27 lb carbon fiber hood?
How many times are those "clock springs" wound up?
How many times are those "clock springs" wound up?
OK Hood Spring Gurus....
- Thread starter Tom and Vipers
- Start date
Kevin ACR
Enthusiast
I don't believe you can adjust the tension. Mine were replaced under warranty about 12months after delivery because they started to marginally keep the hood in the upright position. The guys at the factory just said replace the springs, nothing surprising to them, apparently an issue with the heat treat from the supplier.
OP
OP
Tom and Vipers
Enthusiast
OK, I solved my whole problem and now proclaim myself the hood spring guru.
So here we go with Hood Springs 101.
1) The clock springs are designed for 1/2 turn of wind up. This eliminates "taking turns out."
2) The upper pop-up springs can be reduced by making another slot at right angles to the original one so that 1/4 turn can be taken out. The reduced spring load (1/2) appears to be low enough to allow the significantly weaked "cross" slot now present. With my carbon fiber hood, when the hood latch is opened, the hood pops up about 1", and then has to be lifted up the 6" where it stays quite well.
3) The lift springs were marginal at 1/2 force. With one spring removed, the hood barely stayed up, with the other spring removed, the hood could barely not stay up. So the 1/4 method would not work.
I welded up the slot and cut one allowing a 60 degree reduction in windup. This worked fine and the hood stayed up with a little extra spring pressure. I probably should have gone to 75 degrees but I figured that I might refinish the hood and fill it which would make it heavier.
Another method that I will probably do to the lift hinges is to add to the bracked so that the outer spring pin can be made adjustable - sort of like a lawn mower wheel. A threaded pin "bolt" will be made to be inserted in a number of holes so that various amounts of turns can be removed.
IN CONCONCLUSION:
Clearly, you must have a shop to do this and when we start talking about welding on your Viper, that will leave a lot of people out. However, everything seems to be working fine with my hood - and I didn't even have to remove it.
So here we go with Hood Springs 101.
1) The clock springs are designed for 1/2 turn of wind up. This eliminates "taking turns out."
2) The upper pop-up springs can be reduced by making another slot at right angles to the original one so that 1/4 turn can be taken out. The reduced spring load (1/2) appears to be low enough to allow the significantly weaked "cross" slot now present. With my carbon fiber hood, when the hood latch is opened, the hood pops up about 1", and then has to be lifted up the 6" where it stays quite well.
3) The lift springs were marginal at 1/2 force. With one spring removed, the hood barely stayed up, with the other spring removed, the hood could barely not stay up. So the 1/4 method would not work.
I welded up the slot and cut one allowing a 60 degree reduction in windup. This worked fine and the hood stayed up with a little extra spring pressure. I probably should have gone to 75 degrees but I figured that I might refinish the hood and fill it which would make it heavier.
Another method that I will probably do to the lift hinges is to add to the bracked so that the outer spring pin can be made adjustable - sort of like a lawn mower wheel. A threaded pin "bolt" will be made to be inserted in a number of holes so that various amounts of turns can be removed.
IN CONCONCLUSION:
Clearly, you must have a shop to do this and when we start talking about welding on your Viper, that will leave a lot of people out. However, everything seems to be working fine with my hood - and I didn't even have to remove it.
