[mrvandermey]

As I have mentioned in another thread, it looks like I am going to need hood pins. However, my question is how bad of a situation do I have if my new fiberglass hood flaps a little at freeway speeds? More precisely, is it a dangerous situation? Could the flapping damage the hood? It appears the hood is securely latched, but could the flapping cause the hood to fly up into the windshield? I have had this happen to me on a hood about 15 years ago, and of course it happened on the freeway, so I was a bit concerned. Or is this a situation that requries immediate attention, such as I should ntop drive her on the freeway until I get hood pins? Just curious, because I really like driving my girl, but do not want a dangerous situation.

[stlwagon]

Originally Posted by mrvandermey

As I have mentioned in another thread, it looks like I am going to need hood pins. However, my question is how bad of a situation do I have if my new fiberglass hood flaps a little at freeway speeds? More precisely, is it a dangerous situation? Could the flapping damage the hood? It appears the hood is securely latched, but could the flapping cause the hood to fly up into the windshield? I have had this happen to me on a hood about 15 years ago, and of course it happened on the freeway, so I was a bit concerned. Or is this a situation that requries immediate attention, such as I should ntop drive her on the freeway until I get hood pins? Just curious, because I really like driving my girl, but do not want a dangerous situation.

I was under the impression that all of the aftermarket hoods required or highly recommended pins. The rksport site doesn't say anything. I'd do it to be safe. Plus, I'm afraid you might end up on a three state killing spree if you have any more hood issues

[tripleblack]

Originally Posted by mrvandermey

As I have mentioned in another thread, it looks like I am going to need hood pins. However, my question is how bad of a situation do I have if my new fiberglass hood flaps a little at freeway speeds? More precisely, is it a dangerous situation? Could the flapping damage the hood? It appears the hood is securely latched, but could the flapping cause the hood to fly up into the windshield? I have had this happen to me on a hood about 15 years ago, and of course it happened on the freeway, so I was a bit concerned. Or is this a situation that requries immediate attention, such as I should ntop drive her on the freeway until I get hood pins? Just curious, because I really like driving my girl, but do not want a dangerous situation.

What sort of hood do you have? What brand?

In general terms, it shouldn't be doing this. The S 197's have a reputation for creating quite a bit of air pressure under the hood (one reason for the vents in the GT500's).

When you installed the fiberglass hood, the rubber bump-stops should be raised (or lowered, but if it was tight, it probably wouldn't be flapping around) to touch the bottom of the hood to prevent movement. If this wasn't done (I believe they are adjustable by screwing them, but if not, there are other ways to either raise them or buy some with long threads to allow for such adjustment) it could cause this problem.

In general terms, aftermarket fiberglass hoods not manufactured to OE standards should always have hood pins.

And yes, its dangerous. Even if you are able to stop the flapping by adjusting the rubber stops, I'd get some pins on there pronto.

[Dogstar]

Mr V. I had the same situation with mine. God knows I wanted to keep the clean look. I tried several time to adjust the rubber stops to make them tight, even to the point where the hood was slightly raised higher than the fenders. I was able to adjust myself into a position where I could see the front corner of the hood around the headlights. At hiway speeds, I literally could see the corners "lift" about 1/2 inch. RKSport claims pins are not needed. My advice. GET THEM SOON.

[Osiris]

the more the hood flaps the more likely the new paint will crack I would think too.

[69stang]

I have this flapping problem on the stock hood. Driver side only starts at apx 75 mph. also at a lower speed with a head wind. I have not found a TSB on this problem.... Is there one and I am just not finding it?

[travelers]

Defiantly do not let the hood flap around for long. It will crack the paint but more inportant the fiberglass with start coming apart from the stress and flexing. I remember your other thread. I take it that adjusting the bump stops didn't help.

I can't see if the hood latch is adjustable up and down. if so you can adjust the hood bump stop where the hood is even with the fender and then adjust the latch down to hold the hood tight to the bump stops.

You may need a body shop do it if you don't have the tools or feel capable.

But defiantly don't let it move around.

[mrvandermey]

Originally Posted by stlwagon

I was under the impression that all of the aftermarket hoods required or highly recommended pins. The rksport site doesn't say anything. I'd do it to be safe. Plus, I'm afraid you might end up on a three state killing spree if you have any more hood issues

Get real...a three state killings spree...more like a 9 Western State killing spree if I have any more hood issues.

Anyways, I have adjusted the rubber stoopers as much as possible, it still flaps. I did not consider the paint issue, that would be bad. I orginally was not planning on getting hood pins, but I guess now I will have to refrain from driving my girl until I do get the hood pins.

Obviously I can not see the front corners of the hood while driving, but I can see the driver's side of the hood, and that is where I am seeing the flapping. I did not put the rubber molding along the the rear of the stock hood on to the new hood, hoping to leave some room for air to escape. Guess it did not work.

To answer the question, I have a RKSport California Dream Ram Air hood.

[Dogstar]

Originally Posted by mrvandermey

Obviously I can not see the front corners of the hood while driving, but I can see the driver's side of the hood, and that is where I am seeing the flapping. I did not put the rubber molding along the the rear of the stock hood on to the new hood, hoping to leave some room for air to escape. Guess it did not work.

I did the same with the rubber molding, hoping. At just the right angle, I was able to look under the hood, from the center by the windshield to passenger front while my wife was looking to driver's front. Both of us could see the front corners moving ever so slightly. With all the time and money spent on the hood, I'm NOT going to let it fly away.

[sqidd]

My stock hood moves around at about 80mph too. I adjusted all the rubber crap under there as far as it would go but it still does it.

Someone mentioned above that the newer Mustangs have a lot of underhood pressure, and that makes a lot of sense. I have not taken a look at it yet because it's like a million deg below zero here right now and I could care less about taking the car out. But, I am going to take a shot at closing off some of the area under the bumper cover all the way back to the K memeber with some corbon fiber.

I'll probably try and "box" in the radiator real good too so no air is going around it. The area above the grill looks like it could be scooping up a ton of air and getting under the front of the hood and may be creating some of the lift.

Just a thought

[travelers]

Originally Posted by sqidd

My stock hood moves around at about 80mph too. I adjusted all the rubber crap under there as far as it would go but it still does it.

Someone mentioned above that the newer Mustangs have a lot of underhood pressure, and that makes a lot of sense. I have not taken a look at it yet because it's like a million deg below zero here right now and I could care less about taking the car out. But, I am going to take a shot at closing off some of the area under the bumper cover all the way back to the K memeber with some corbon fiber.

I'll probably try and "box" in the radiator real good too so no air is going around it. The area above the grill looks like it could be scooping up a ton of air and getting under the front of the hood and may be creating some of the lift.

Just a thought

That sounds like a good plan, but watch that, that doesn't block off cooling air from around the motor. A little trick we used to do years ago was to put a couple washers under the hood mount bolts to raise the back of the hood for just the same reason.

My old '70 Maverick had a fiberglass hood with a tunnel ram scoop with 4 hood pins and it still danced around at speed. But it wasn't made with the underside structure like now days. It needed to be lite.

I was also looking at mine this morning before it went to Ford and is there a way to cut some slots in the plastic cowl the wipers recess in to? And maybe make a chanel to the front part of the cowl. If done tastfully it might work and look good also.

Just my head working over time.

[ultraclyde]

I've started having this problem with the stock replacement hood the bodyshop put on. I adjusted the bumpstops and added a little piece of weatherstrip to the ones halfway up the sides. That has helped a great deal, but it's not solved. I was just thinking about slotting the black plastic. I wonder how that would work....

It's strange, because the factory original was rock solid. Or was it? Maybe the paint is so much shinier now that it caught my attention but never did before??!!??

Given the new paint scheme, I DO NOT want hood pins. If absolutely necessary, I would resort to flush mount chromed Dzus fasteners

[mrvandermey]

Originally Posted by ultraclyde

I've started having this problem with the stock replacement hood the bodyshop put on. I adjusted the bumpstops and added a little piece of weatherstrip to the ones halfway up the sides. That has helped a great deal, but it's not solved. I was just thinking about slotting the black plastic. I wonder how that would work....

It's strange, because the factory original was rock solid. Or was it? Maybe the paint is so much shinier now that it caught my attention but never did before??!!??

Given the new paint scheme, I DO NOT want hood pins. If absolutely necessary, I would resort to flush mount chromed Dzus fasteners

I might go for black anodized Dzus fasteners...I am still trying to figure out the best way to go.

[ultraclyde]

Hate to resurrect a thread, but....

Was out in the country today on a beautiful 4 lane road. At 110, my hood was standing an inch higher than the fenders in the front. WAY scary.

Since the center of the hood (over the latch) is obviously not moving, it must mean the corners are flexing up, right? I wonder if it could be braced with a bar or something...

I also found a pic of hoodpins on the Shelby racer that are pretty cool. Sparco brand, I think.

Can anybody with pins post close-ups of the underhood mounting?

[mrvandermey]

That is exactly my point. When I first noticed the flapping hood, I thought that maybe it wa snot latched all the way. As it was, it was indeed latched properly. At 70 MPH, the driver side was at least a 1/2 above the fenders. I feel you all the way on this.