Hood latch failure.

[59apache]

And i thought about switching to the rubber hold downs because my metal allways break or unhook while offroading...

 

[dmetalmiki]

I'm struggling with how it unlatches itself, especially the spring loaded hood latches. Can't seem to wrap my head around this.

Me too....My bet is you do 'something' regularly enough., and can actually miss 'it' through repetition. It's a memory thing..." THOUGHT" I had done that....Have we not (all) driven miles and suddenly come up with rather a ' jolt as we suddenly think "I don't remember driving down that road or I can't remember going through those traffic lamps back a while...Especiall with thoughts on other things..

 

[gimpyrobb]

This is what the A3 uses. They come apart easily.

https://www.google.com/search?q=rub...vO3RAhXLy4MKHTIgATcQ_AUICigD&biw=1366&bih=657

 

[doghead]

I'm shocked they do not have a safety latch.

 

[59apache]

Thank you gimpy, i know them. I hoped they are better than the steel hooks.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Thank you gimpy, i know them. I hoped they are better than the steel hooks.

I posted that for the folks thinking they are of steel construction.

 

[porkysplace]

I'm shocked they do not have a safety latch.

You could probably mount a set of hood pins.
https://www.summitracing.com/search/part-type/hood-pins

 

[59apache]

The problem is, the front of the hood move sideways due frame flex.
You can see it while offroading. A safety pin would't allow that movement.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Yup, I've had my truck flexed enough my hood hold downs have ripped in half. One year at Haspin, Oilcan's truck was so flexed, it looked like the front was hit by a wrecking ball. Once on flat ground everything went back to normal. These trucks are amazing.

 

[Scar59]

I'm shocked they do not have a safety latch.

The A3 does have a center safety catch (hook), identical to the A2 hood latch. That configuration is on the original A3 metal/reinforced hood.
I have a NOS fiberglass hood in the box. It is not equipped w/ a center latch, I'll check to see if it has provisions to bolt the safety latch to it.

 

[Eliteweapons]

The mystery is sorta solved. One of the guys at work took a picture of my truck the day the hood came up. The latches were unhooked so I still couldn't figure out why it didn't come up on the way to work. We reviewed the video cameras by the generator farm and found that someone unhooked them and lifted the hood to look under it. I don't know how I missed them being unlatched when I walked around the truck but atleast I know what happened. Unfortunately we cannot tell who it was that was messing with the truck there.

 

[m1010plowboy]

A long while ago someone snuck into the equipment yard where I worked and pulled the oil pan plugs on a half dozen vehicles and vandalized a bunch of stuff. In the morning darkness, the guys that lifted the hoods, pulled dipsticks, checked tires, looked under their trucks etc......kept their jobs. A one ton and pick-up made it out of the yard so those boys walked after contributing to some serious damage.

I've been caught leaving air-tanks open, hood latch off, phone on the fender, coffee cup on the side of the box, oil or fuel cap open, tail gate open...........oh, block heater still plugged into the wall while driving away.....how does a guy miss seeing that. Point is, I get better everyday at not repeating those things.....too many times. Walk around procedure/system "Everytime" we drive these trucks really helps.

The Early Deuce is real forgiving with a heavy hood, sloped for aero traction so that's the only reason this isn't my thread. Best of luck and keep er' safe.