Bonnet struts

[Brakebuster]

as Paul says , the bonnet should be lifted from as near to the middle as you can reach ,


when i restored my car, i strengthened the bonnet to stop it from twisting so much , i did this by simply using automotive seam sealer round all the mouldings and gills and the skin underneath the bonnet, and it works , but does make the bonnet a little heavier........ so good struts are needed

this could be easily done to any bonnet , but you would see the grey sealant if you dont paint it

BB

[Andover59]

Glad you got the struts sorted, Roy. I'm, not sure what you mean about moving the bonnet away from the catch before dropping it?

However, the one thing that can twist the bonnet out of shape is an owner lifting it up from the corner. You should NEVER lift the bonnet up from either corner as it will distort. Always lift the bonnet from as close to the centre as you can reach.

Paul

Hi Paul,
Seasons greetings

It is quite difficult to desrcribe but as I lower the bonnet, holding near the centre as you describe, it seem to rest on the N/S catch and not go directly under it as you might expect when returned to rest before you return the lever to close it. Similarly when I try lifting after extendeng the lever fully I have to do a little "shimmy" ) with the bonnet to fully release it from the NS catch and before releasing the hook near the centre...... I guess it could be the catch needs a bit of grease so I have given it a bit of a douse with WD40 today to see if that frees it up, thats if it is indeed the "problem".

Thanks again,
roy

[Brakebuster]

have a look at both receivers carefully ,

the bonnet peg should sit on the cam of each clip when resting, then when the lever is pulled , the hook goes over the bonnet peg and pulls the bonnet down to its fixed position,

if the pegs are not sat on the ' cams ' , one of two things is happening

1, the cam/hook is not set correctly , this does happen , as the cables stretch and the one works off the other set, this can be checked visually when the bonnet is open

2 , the peg on the bonnet its self is not quite in the right position, there is some ' jiggle ' on the bolted plate, but not much from what i found , otherwise its a long strong tube , and gently bend the peg to the correct position , if you look across the car from peg to peg, see if they are a different shape or angle, and then match the bad one to the good one if you see what i mean

other than that, ensure the bonnet is ' gapped ' correctly all round, is not too far forward of the wing fronts over the headlights, and is the right height against the wing tops all the way down

then its a lot of fiddling around

can you post a pic or two ?

BB

[Andover59]

Photos added, one showing, though it is difficult to see, is the bar resting on top of the catch.......should I need to just bend this a bit?

[Brakebuster]

from the first pic you can see the peg resting on top of the hook, this should not be like this

first , ensure the hook is fully pulling back when in the unlocked position, it might not be being pulled open enough to allow the peg to get out , which is why you have to push around the bonnet , this can be adjusted by adjusting the cable pull , there could also be debris inside the hook mechanism stopping it open right up ,

if the pegs on the bonnet look the same, then i bet its the hook not working correctly
BB

[Andover59]

from the first pic you can see the peg resting on top of the hook, this should not be like this

first , ensure the hook is fully pulling back when in the unlocked position, it might not be being pulled open enough to allow the peg to get out , which is why you have to push around the bonnet , this can be adjusted by adjusting the cable pull , there could also be debris inside the hook mechanism stopping it open right up ,

if the pegs on the bonnet look the same, then i bet its the hook not working correctly
BB

Hi Thanks,
I looked to the "peg" s and sure enough they each differ, the one on the offside sits in however so I am guessing I try to adjust the NS one to match.

Cheers
roy

[BRIANH]

Re Bonnet struts.
I too have used a made up strut to replace the action of my now defunct telescopic ones.
It is made from a piece of alloy tubing of the right length and a couple of walking stick rubber ends. It works a treat and is stowed in the boot when not in use.

Some years ago the failing ones cost me a dent in the bonnet and a £100 re-spray job while the car was being serviced at a garage. The wind blew the bonnet shut and it landed on top of an oil bottle cap.

Cheers, BrianH

[PaulGover]

...
Just another quick question tho, has anyone a similar issue of having to ease the bonnet away from the catch slightly on the passenger side to allow it to drop back into position prior to closing.....?

Yup. May be due to my meeting with the central reservation crash barrier at the M40/A34 junction some years ago !