Check your hood catch

[fool_injected]

My hood flew open yesterday at 80kmph
Lucky I was in the right lane so I could still see to pull onto the sholder

Result- Bent hood, broken windscreen and brown skid marks
Add that to the snapped axle in the morning and a speeding ticket the day before.
NOT HAPPY JAN, should of stayed at home

Turns out the catch had been bent backward and down slightly
For who knows how long it has been held down by the safety catch only

Takes 2 mins to duck down a look to see if it latching properly
Takes 2 seconds to write off cause you cant see

Tip: If you truck is a not a show piece bend the front corners up a little
The rubbers in the corner can bottom out making it apper that hood is latched properly. That way if the hood is not latched it will bounce up and down.

[built4thrashing]

I know your pain. Mine did the same thing a while ago at about 80km/h. It bent bonet, smashed screen more, buckled the frame and yeh skidmarks where ya dont want them .

I found that the bonet release handle wasnot springing back and wouldnt allow the bonnet to latch properly. I just have to make sure the handle in the glovebox is pushed back in properly. Ive got some early LJ80 bonnet latches somewhere that im gonna put on as a saftey, just gotta find them.

[Puk]

Mine took a bit of recovery after the same thing happened. I put two of those rubber "jeep style" (asbestos suit required) rubber catches on the sides of the bonnet. Now i need to open 3 things to open the bonnet, but i feel a lot safer.

Puk

[suzuki boy]

Thats one thing i'll put on the list before heading off to nerim on friday night!

Thanks for the heads up!

[nicbeer]

mm mine is ok for now but i do have some bonnet pins to fit on there.

Nic

[Danzo]

its an old habbit of mine from when I used to service cars, I take 2 seconds to check it every time I shut the bonnet, happy days, Plus every time I service the car everything that moves or squeeks gets the proper lube to

[wellsey]

Hmmmmm, bonnets pins are COOL!

[PJ.zook]

I found that the bonet release handle wasnot springing back and wouldnt allow the bonnet to latch properly. I just have to make sure the handle in the glovebox is pushed back in properly.

Mine does the same, although ive caught it everytime so bonnet hasnt flown up...yet

[alien]

when i lifted my bonnet (increased the size of the rubbers and lifted the rear at the screws), we cut the latch, bent it out till it shut right and then re-welded the gap... it was checked like 50 times before i drove it home! hahaha

[Brendan-s]

Yep had it happen in an old Jackaroo in 60km/h peak hour traffic -- very amusing trying to pull over a lane when you've got your head out the window!

[PJ.zook]

Reminds me of this scene

[4be]

i like the bonnet pins too. nearly happened on a corolla i had. that day, put bonnet pins in! felt safe after that!

[Gwagensteve]

Bonnet pins can cause yellow birds to stick to your windscreen.

Make sure you use recessed pins or you could get done for sharp edges.

It's unlikely, but if they're looking to canary the car, any reason is good enough.

Check the bonnet latch ehrn you shut it. CRC is also your friend to keep the mechanism moving.

Steve.

[noelb1]

My hood flew open yesterday at 80kmph
Lucky I was in the right lane so I could still see to pull onto the sholder

Result- Bent hood, broken windscreen and brown skid marks
Add that to the snapped axle in the morning and a speeding ticket the day before.
NOT HAPPY JAN, should of stayed at home

Turns out the catch had been bent backward and down slightly
For who knows how long it has been held down by the safety catch only

Takes 2 mins to duck down a look to see if it latching properly
Takes 2 seconds to write off cause you cant see

Tip: If you truck is a not a show piece bend the front corners up a little
The rubbers in the corner can bottom out making it apper that hood is latched properly. That way if the hood is not latched it will bounce up and down.

Yeah someone tried to steel it/something off it once they managed to get the bonnet open and bent the front panel down , thats why there were dints in the bonnet, it must have been pushed down again.

[fool_injected]

Bent the hood in the exact same spot

[noelb1]

Bent the hood in the exact same spot

bfh is your friend,, it was mine

[just cruizin']

The old XA,B,C bonnet pins, now they are the biz,

[Spike_Sierra]

Bent the hood in the exact same spot

its bonnet, we are all aussies here right?

[Gwagensteve]

The old XA,B,C bonnet pins, now they are the biz,

I like that idea

Steve.

[fool_injected]

Bent the hood in the exact same spot

its bonnet, we are all aussies here right?

Yeah I should know better
The old deals with US car manufactures and is always ranting about hoods, trunks and fenders, really riles him up
But check your manual and it will likely say hood

[Gwagensteve]

But check your manual and it will likely say hood

the'res actually some pretty funny "engrish" in the Sierra FSM.

Not incomprehensible, (like some of my posts ) but it takes a while for the penny to drop - they're just trying to be precise and somewhat missing the point.

Steve.

[want33s]

The old XA,B,C bonnet pins, now they are the biz,

XA,XB & XC had pressed recesses in bonnet. Hard to fit to other bonnets as they have to be welded in.
XY share the same pin but sit in a plastic cup so all you have to do is cut the hole in the bonnet. $75 a pair new (reproduction). http://www.mustangautoparts.com.au/falcon_XY.html
Here is a pic of my XA bonnet with XY pins fitted (genuine).

[croatian4x4]

I think i fixed this problem on the old girl the other day, i went to the local BCF and got a couple elastic band thingys (same used for the covers on the back of utes) and some latches for them to latch onto. Nice, cheap very easy and can hardly notice it as car is already white and all componets are also white!

All up $10

[built4thrashing]

carry a cordless drill with you and just use some 100mm long screws. Anti theft kinda too

[Puk]

Lol.
Would probably work, too.
But how about these? They work for me:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/4x-Rubber-Hold-D ... dZViewItem

Puk

[Gwagensteve]

Might still get done for sharp edges. some of these are very poor quality too and will not hold a bonnet. (or hood)

Really, adding another fiddly, ugly, low security, frequently unreliable (and possibly illegal) option to get around some maintenance of a factory system seems dumb.

I have fitted bonnet pins to cars where the latch had to be removed for clearance, and I know that they are required for some motorsport classes (which is why they have credibility at all, otherwise everyone would just say they were hack and ugly), but beyond that, I don't really see the point. lube the stock latch and check it is working. That's the moral of the story IMHO.

Steve.

[NIK]

I had to get rid of the stock latch awhile ago (bad engine swap) plus I didnt like opening the glove box on STEEP hill with everything falling out so I can open the bonnet. I used slide pins, they are a bit of a pita as now anyone can get under the bonnet.
Hijack for a sec Alien when you lifted the rear of your bonnet how did you do it?
Nik

[alien]

undo the bolts a few turns so its loose, open bonnet, get an assistant to lift the bonnet towards the sky, tighten screws.... youll get however much of the hole in the hinge wasnt being used... i got quite a bit from mine, i think 5mm at the rear, and we lifted about 12mm front - was perfect to stop the carby fouling on the bonnet (pre-weber conversion on the 1.6).

To fit the weber, we kinda did a little nip here, chop there...

[NIK]

Thanks mate already done that thought there might have been an easy way to get a bit more. I had the same chrome filter and the top screw rubbed hard on the bonnet I then changed to a ramflo and I have about an inch clearence now + it goes harder too
How does your weber go instaled the "right" way.
Sorry for the highjack.
Nik

[alien]

*cries* i dont remember!!!

nar.... she hammers! but its been out of action for like 2.5 years due to an "extended build time"... argh!