Found out they ARE for something!

[dm22630]

I pulled out of my driveway & got up to 50 MPH yesterday and had the hood fly up and smash into the windshield on my Deuce. I guess those little latches are there for a reason!

I also found out that the brakes will stop you very fast when you slam on them.

 

[mangus580]

Been there... done that TWICE!

My hooks have both failed.

 

[Offroadfabworks]

ouch...

 

[davidkroberts]

ahhhhh.... so thats what those cute little hood latches are for.......

Glad i dont have to worry about that. My gama goat has a hood behind the windshield...... and i dont thinks its ever done over 45 anyway at least when it wasnt on the back of a truck getting towed. I think i got it up to 50 once downhill with a kicking tailwind. It was great engine was screaming the smoke was flying i thought i was doing 80 miles an hour, then i got passed by two pissed off school bus drivers.....

 

[FMJ]

If you don't have any, recreate the incident for us and take pics....

 

[FrankUSMC]

You need to go to church this morning, your M35 angel was with you.
At Camp Lejeune, we had a Marine killed and his co driver was very badly hurt when the same thing happened. They were in a 5 ton, forgot to latch the hood down.
One of the few, FRank USMC RET

 

[jimm1009]

Found that they are for something

This must be one of the things that a new owner should probably replace with new parts when they purchase their truck.
Mine have been soaking in the humid Louisiana air for all of their lives.
Is there a good or better than OEM replacement out there for us newer owners?
I know that this may be border line of going on the Modification threads but it is of grave importance just like the proper torquing of the lug nuts and PM of your wheels bearings and checking your brakes. These are a few of the life-or-death matters to take care of right away. Remember that you can never be too safe in these things.

Thanks so much sharing this information with the rest of us. This may save a fellow MVer's life this week end.

Sincerely,
Jim
jimm1009@yahoo.com

 

[Jones]

RE: Found that they are for something

New latches are available. Don't rely on the cheapy made-in-china copies though... it's your hood, windshield and A$$ your're protecting.
Another good idea is a safety chain run from a tab attached to the threaded end of the hood handle and padlocked to your grill (I'm pretty sure there was even an MWO or PS Magazine article on fabbing and installing them). AND it adds one more level of vehicle security as no one can get under the hood to mess with your engine.

 

[gringeltaube]

Isn't there a safety hook in the middle of the hood, holding it to the grille?
As far as I know only the old gassers came without it. And... since I have been there too....(!!!), I retrofitted them all!
Safety first!

G.

 

[dm22630]

Oh....I forgot to mention that I had both windshields UP when this happened. So after I slammed on the brakes, the hood SLAMMED back down.

It was a LOT of noise & then 2 cars drove past giving me the "uhhhhhhh" look

 

[rsh253]

I had a similar experience with my WWII jeep. I was preparing to trailer it for the first time. I decided to put the windshield down so it would not have to resist the wind, and used one of those "motorcycle" tie-downs on the windshield. Everything was fine until I hit 70 mph, and the the strap slipped and the windshield slammed into the up position! I finally figured out that the extra latches on the side ot the hood where not only there to keep the hood up while working on the engine, but to keep the windshield down when driving with it in the down position. Talk about feeling stupid

-Russ

 

[EdMontana]

I also found out that the brakes will stop you very fast when you slam on them.

Don't forget to check brake fluids every time........or, one day you will find out that no matter how hard you slam on them....it will NOT stop

 

[nattieleather]

RE: Re: Found out they ARE for something!

Have your read the TM-10 for the truck? There is a reason the army calls it pre-operations checks...

 

[steelandcanvas]

I finally figured out that the extra latches on the side ot the hood where not only there to keep the hood up while working on the engine, but to keep the windshield down when driving with it in the down position. Talk about feeling stupid
-Russ

Wow, and I thought Arlyn and I were bad with the field kitchen

 

[Offroadfabworks]

I finally figured out that the extra latches on the side ot the hood where not only there to keep the hood up while working on the engine, but to keep the windshield down when driving with it in the down position. Talk about feeling stupid
-Russ

Wow, and I thought Arlyn and I were bad with the field kitchen

thats just funny

 

[Alredneck]

Man good thing it didnt break the glass or had a accident! Man I never latch my hood maybe I should start!

 

[CliffW]

that sucks, I'm glad you are ok it could have went bad quick..

 

[amanco]

Here is the secondary latch on the M37

 

[KaiserM109]

Re: RE: Found out they ARE for something!

Been there... done that TWICE!

My hooks have both failed.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me!

 

[CARNAC]

RE: Re: RE: Found out they ARE for something!

Think I got it beat but at least I didn't have trouble. 2 weeks ago I had to go from MD to MA with my M1009 and M101A1. I had an intermediate stop where I dropped the trailer. When time came to continue the trip, I was hooking up and my friend who just returned from Iraq called. Bottom line, call it the phone interruption or CRS or the drug (legal drugs) I missed the point of closing the tow pintle. Luckily I was driving so slow the who trip due to bad fuel (vehicle sputtering and averaging about 40 mph) that I never realized it until I got to MA. So I drove around 300 miles. Because of my poor loading, I had enough weight on the tongue that it stayed on through all those bad bumps and stuff. Talk about stupid.