DiY hood lift

[John Bilko]

Phase one is just about complete. For this phase I am making brackets (out of Dexion I have left over from a trailer job I did) to hold the lower balls for the gas struts.  As you can see the bracket needs a coat of the Bingo's blue


I used this pair of struts at 200n and 500mm.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274983193193?...5265769565

Here is a pic pf the Dexion cut to suit and I can mount the threaded ball in differing positions along it.  

   
   

[Sol]

Nice job John, looking forward to seeing it fitted. Weather permitting of course!

[John Bilko]

Nice job John, looking forward to seeing it fitted. Weather permitting of course!

Cheers.
The paint is just now drying on the brackets so I need a nice day tomorrow to have a bash at the hood.

[Guanock]

Nice job John, looking forward to seeing it fitted. Weather permitting of course!

 to have a bash at the hood.

Now that sounds painful.

Geoff

[John Bilko]

Geoff

I was going to just make a strip for the lower balls but I thought Dexion would be stronger.  As I progressed however, it got to be more intricate and that became a pain! 

[John Bilko]

I have an update.

I fitted the balls today to the hood.  I decided to make my own holes and the nearside one could be tapped directly as there is a plate but on the offside I had to make an insert  consisting a steel bar tapped to M8. 

This job was made a little easier with the sound insulation removed.

Then, with the balls bolted to the lower plates it will be a matter of fitting the struts and replacing the sound deadening panel.

   

   

   

[deejay_xb]

my strut is longer, it fixez on the hood at the top of that opening, i've make a drawing for you to see how it's mine

[John Bilko]

my strut is longer, it fixez on the hood at the top of that opening, i've make a drawing for you to see how it's mine

Thanks for that.  I can see it is where they put it in the video you gave us. I avoided that because of the extra fabrication but I am going to measure up what length strut is needed this morning and fabricate another bracket for the upper ball. I have to admit that, as expected, the steel is very thin on the bonnet.

   

[deejay_xb]

if you put the strut too close on the bottom of the hood (like you did in the pic) you risk bending the hood metal when closing..

[John Bilko]

Just a quick update.
The risers are on and all is fine.  The uppers are positioned just as in the video.  
 
One strut (200N 500mm) worked the hood but I used both - the message here is that maybe 2x 100N struts would be enough rather than the 2x200N I had in the kit.

I had to add some steel plates to my fabricated upper bracket - roughly 2"x2", left overs, Dexion offcuts  - to give some strength to the metalwork.

Not bad in terms of the cost but it has taken me several session to get it done.