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it has been well over a decade since I was a C4 owner. The hood on the current project seems to feel heaver than I remember. How do I tell if the hood support is past its time or I am just older?
They come off pretty easy, mine were of no help whatsoever, in fact they had more suction than lift. A normal healthy 50y/o should be able to raise with one hand. Not all struts are the same, some are stronger than others. If yours is original it is probably weak or shot.
And we are talking about the lifting struts and not the hood support correct ? The support bar/lock has no lift, it just holds the hood in place once extended. The struts are closer to the bottom of the hood pivot area.
Last edited by Vets-Vet; Sep 13, 2022 at 04:50 PM.
This is the single hood lifting (w/lock) strut. I am a large guy and can lift it without straining. It just seems like the strut is not providing any lift. I was not sure if it was going bad or if my older body just feels the weight more now. It has been > 30 years since I changed one and my younger self did not enjoy the task so the older me does not want to do it if not needed.
Originally Posted by Vets-Vet
They come off pretty easy, mine were of no help whatsoever, in fact they had more suction the lift. A normal healthy 50y/o should be able to raise with one hand. Not all struts are the same, some are stronger than others. If yours is original it is probably weak or shot.
And we are talking about the lifting struts and not the locking bar correct ? The locking bar has no lift. The struts are closer to the bottom of the hood.
Above about a 2 foot lift, if that, the hood should almost fly out of your hands and full lift....the main strut takes 2 mins to change and does all the work. Couldn't believe when i changed the 3 struts on my 88. But jts the main one that does it all. I dealt with mine for 15 years before I finally changed it, and once I did I wondered why I dealt with the weak one for so long.
The C4 started out with two small lift assist cylinders and one locking latch. They then went to the two small and one strut / locking latch. Then in 1990 dropped the two small assist units in favor of just the one large strut/latch (my guess is cost cutting move). However you can buy/make a kit to mount the 2 smaller units to give your hood a boost up. More important to ensure it does not bust you in the head. I am going to do that.
@Vets-Vet yes that's appropriate for your car but many with early cars add the later LH Support that also has a 'latching' option and it can even be enhanced by an after-market or self fabricated security provision.
the kit to attach is just 4 bolts, 4 nuts, 4 spacers and 8 washers. With that setup you would not be able to tighten down the bolt because the strut has to turn as it moves. But if you can't tighten down the shaft (bolt) it turns on, it will flop adding stress. I am going to try and guess the size of the factory piece close enough to have one made. The OEM is riveted in so I will probably drill and tap that end for a bolt. It it works well it will be documented here. thanks again for everyone's input.
Originally Posted by Vets-Vet
He wanted to see what my attaching hardware looked like. John I think the bolts look as strong as my fabricated pieces.
1992 Hood Support, good or replace?
