Hood Hinge Restoration

[Pat Marshall]

A few years ago I sent a set of hood hinges to the late Shelby Jenkins of Manchester, TN for rebuilding. The restoration was very good and I was well pleased, although I thought it was pricey. After Shelby passed on, I learned that it was his brother who did the work.

Last month when I visited Ray Bickert and Ron Ross in Philadelphia, Ron told me that he gets his hood hinges rebuilt by Warren Jenkins. The last set that Warren rebuilt for Ron cost $199.95 including shipping from Manchester. Ron highly recommends Warren.

I have put this in the Market Place, Mark II Vendors section. The contact information is:

Warren Jenkins
CUSTOMS UNLIMITED
70 Old McMinnville Highway
Manchester, Tennessee 37355
(931) 728-7637

[JCB]

What needs rebuilding on these? Do the springs lose their tension?

[newmexicomatt]

can't remember what part...but you'll know if you need them rebuilt if the back of your hood sticks up!

[richroni]

I'm led to believe that the rivet holes at the pivot points often become enlarged/mishapened from wear. Hence the expensive repair.

[Russell Joseph]

My hood and trunk henges will not hold the hood or the trunk in the up or open position. Does this mean I need them rebuilt or is there an adjustment?

[Mad Scientist]

What needs rebuilding on these? Do the springs lose their tension?

The pivot pins can wear, springs can lose their tension and the sheet metal parts can bend.

On mine I was unable to adjust the back of the hood down, but by bending the hinge I was able to get it into alignment.

[JCB]

I haven't tried Barry's suggestion on the trunk hinges yet as the car is not at my place. They are still trying to figure out why the car makes a right turn, not exaggerating, when you make a hard stop. However I do know somebody in the spring manufacturing business and I can get these made, or any other spring, if enough of the forum members need them. I also have the keys, not the fancy ones, but basic key blanks if anyone needs them. Just send me an email.

[Don Henschel]

Well Jeff your situation really has me puzzled:confused: I have owned and driven many beaters and clunkers since I started driving and most had drum brakes. Most of these tired wrecks had totally bagged out front suspension, rear suspension, missing or worn out shocks and the only time I had anything pull hard to one side was due to gear oil or brake fluid leaking on the shoes.

[JCB]

That's what's getting me crazy. This isn't rocket science. There has to be something stupid going on. This weekend being Mothers Day I really can't get in to it but next weekend I have got to figure this out.

[depmike38]

Never heard of it happening on the older cars but I've had two late model cars with those wonderful sealed lower ball joints and had them seize briefly under braking until the springs could pull them back up into position and they would cause the cars to dart to one side. I think water would get into them and cause them to rust.

[Don Henschel]

I used to drive an 89 Aerostar.:o My 89 Aerostar had cast?? ball joints. They tended to crack and I was unaware this happend. Anyway while I was making a sharp turn here at my home town I hit a bump or pot hole in the street while making the turn. The right front wheel hopped up, the ball joint being cracked allowed the peices to fly out, the ball joint popped apart and my front end came crashing down, my tire flew up into the fender and yes my van darted to the right.:eek: One fellow I know heard and saw the carnage and thought my exhaust system dropped and that I drove over it. Anyway enough of this OFF TOPIC:o and back to the hood hinges;)

[JCB]

Wow! How did you figure that one out?

[Don Henschel]

The hard way:D One of our local used to be Ford mechanics told me this was common for this vehicle. A strange setup, a cast cup like insert within the ball joint housing. The ball joints dont get very loose but meanwhile this cast cup or socket within cracks, breaks up into pieces and at the most inconvenient time they pop out releasing the ball/stud assembly. Years ago when I used to work in the nearby city at an ambulance plant, we used to buy our lunch from these lunch or catering trucks driven by young girls, so we called them honey wagons because of the chicks driving them or you could take this another way by the fact that the food was lousy:puke and belonged in a honey wagon. Anyway to make a long story short:rolleyes: in order to get to most places in time for lunch, their foot was quite heavy on the gas peddle and one day we heard a loud scraping skiding noise and looked out the door to see one of these trucks with the drivers wheel flipped down flat against the pavement skidding along under the truck with the driver looking like this:eek:. The ball joint popped apart and to give you an idea how bad this is, here is a picture of a car with a lower ball joint failure so it is important to thoroughly check your front end for worn suspension components!
http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/lowerballjoint/index.html

[JCB]

Okay guys. Here's the latest and it's a doozy. The car was delivered to a local expert on front end problems (headaches?). At first he said that he thought the new brake shoes were wrong for the car. I explained that they were brand new (from Jack Rosen along with new wheel cylinders and springs) and were exactly like the ones we took off. I also told him that the reason we changed everything on the front 2 wheels was because of this right turn when stepping on the brakes. He trued up the drums. No change. On a wild hunch he switched the pads on the right with the ones on the left. The car now makes left turns. I guess that rules out the front end. He is having the shoes redone in a different composition. Stay tuned for the latest in this crazy saga.

[Mad Scientist]

Wow! Now that's enough to make you stop and turn your thinking around.
Perhaps these shoes were made with two different types of material or one set was contaminated with something.

[JCB]

Yes, this is pretty crazy since the set on the car and the new set acted the same. Stay tuned.

[Joseph Stebbins]

Here is a wild guess- I don't even know if it is possible to do but did the installer take the forward shoes from each pair and the rear shoes from each pair and make 2 different sets?

[Don Henschel]

I have seen that happen before ( both priimary or secondary on one drum)but that went on unnoticed until the shoes were worn and replaced. I thought about swapping the shoes and possibly the cylinders from right to left to see if the problem moves. I would say the linings are contaminated or incorrect brake lining material. I dont send my shoes far away for relining but get them redone at local brake/clutch shops that also recondition brake and clutch pressure plates. Even the farm dealerships here used to keep brake linings and the special rivets on hand and I myself have replaced linings on shoes years ago when these items were on hand. One dealership here in my home town even used to have a special arbor press just for this purpose. Long gone now.

[Don Henschel]

Okay guys. Here's the latest and it's a doozy. The car was delivered to a local expert on front end problems (headaches?). At first he said that he thought the new brake shoes were wrong for the car. I explained that they were brand new (from Jack Rosen along with new wheel cylinders and springs) and were exactly like the ones we took off. I also told him that the reason we changed everything on the front 2 wheels was because of this right turn when stepping on the brakes. He trued up the drums. No change. On a wild hunch he switched the pads on the right with the ones on the left. The car now makes left turns. I guess that rules out the front end. He is having the shoes redone in a different composition. Stay tuned for the latest in this crazy saga.

Did he swap both front and back or just the front. And like you mentioned this problem was here before and thats why you replaced the front. Maybe the shoes you replaced were from Jack as well?? Maybe thats why the previous owner sold the car;)

[JCB]

The shoes I removed were riveted. The shoes I got from Jack were bonded. Truthfully when I was younger, and the cars were also, I always liked the bonded shoes because they didn't rip the drums up like the rivited ones. The front shoes were swapped left to right, not the back. The shoes were put on with the trailing shoes in the correct position on each wheel. So the shoes are on correctly. They just don't work correctly. Thanks for the suggestions as more than would head helps.