Hood won't latch
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 474
Likes: 33
Hood won't latch
I have to *SLAM* the driver's side down hard to get the hood to close. Sometimes it will work on the first try, sometimes the tenth. It drives me nuts and I fear I could potentially crack the hood. Any suggestions on how to fix this?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 10,924
Likes: 78
From: Forney Texas
Loosen the bolts a little bit and adjust the receiver end of the latch. If it's too low, just raise it up and tighten the bolts back down. Shouldn't take more than 10 minutes unless the hood needs to be adjusted front to back to get the bracket to line up properly. There's a ton of play in the front brackets which will allow forward and back adjustments. You should be able to feel if the latch is too low or if it's just hitting wrong when you close it. 
Banned Scam/Spammer
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 15,685
Likes: 1,330
From: Machineguns, because I don’t compromise
Also, take a look at the rubber stops... there are four of them, one at each corner. They simply screw in and out to make sure the hood has a firm support when in the fully closed position.
Perhaps one (or more) closest to the windshield is screwed out too far and it makes it harder for the hood to travel downwards (seating properly into the latch)
Perhaps one (or more) closest to the windshield is screwed out too far and it makes it harder for the hood to travel downwards (seating properly into the latch)
Last edited by ~Josh; Jan 26, 2009 at 11:18 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,847
Likes: 795
From: Longview Texas
I would check the height of the rubber bumpers before I changed the latch location. Mine would latch everytime on one side, but not the other side. All I had to do was lower the bumper a couple of turns, and now they both latch by just dropping the hood from about a foot.
If you change the bumper, and the hood does not look flush with the fender, then you may need to raise the latch a little.
If you change the bumper, and the hood does not look flush with the fender, then you may need to raise the latch a little.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,047
Likes: 69
From: Hanover MA.
