We need better cf hood damper solution

I have a cf victory hood on my car and I really missing having hood shocks to hold my hood open. At car shows I have to use a metal rod and I'm worried about the wind blowing. A lot of other platforms have hood dampers that go from the fender up to the hood latch. Why can't we do the same? (Also before anyone mentions the 3sx shocks, they won't work on my hood. C7 hoods no longer has the flat spot that people use to drill/tap/reinforce)

This is a kit that people use on the rx7. It's sold by a guy named Matt on his secondbolt racing site (Secondbolt Racing ? Hood Damper/Strut Kit) It's a hood damper, a ball stud that replaces one of the fender bolts for the damper to slide onto, and then a bracket that bolts underneath the hood hinge for the other end of the damper. I have this kit on my rx7 and it works great.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y25...psa86a40f2.jpg

http://www.rotaryextreme.com/hooddam...oddamper-8.jpg

I took some measurements so far have came up with this part list. It's basically using the same thing offered in the rx7 kit except a longer strut. You can get the parts at mcmaster.com

9416K74 - ball socket. These thread onto the m6 ends of the damper. So you would need 4.

9416K2 - 23" long extended gas shock with m6 ends. You would need 2. The rx7 kit uses 9416K17 which is a 17" extended damper. they also use a 40 pound rated one. We may need 50 pound or more because even our cf ones are bigger/heavier than the aluminum rx7 ones. Mcmaster sells a ton of options. They are $20 a piece

10mm ball stud with m6x1.0 thread - There are some on ebay for $4 shipped each. 6 packs on amazon that are zinc plated for $11 shipped (http://www.amazon.com/10MM-Ball-thre.../dp/B004711K9I). I wasn't able to find stainless ones. You would need 2 for your fenders, plus 2 washers.


Now the hard part.. A bracket to mound underneath the 3000gt hinge with a 10mm ball stud. This is where I am stuck. Matt from the rx7 forums cnc's some nice aluminum pieces. I measured the 3000gt hinge bolt distance and the rx7 and they are actually the same distance (2.75"). I pm'd and emailed Matt to see if he'd sell me just the aluminum brackets or consider making them for the 3000gts but I haven't heard back and it's been a few days:( If he would, I'd gladly remove one of the brackets from the rx7 to make certain it bolts up to a 3000gt hinge.


Alternatives:

1. I think there is enough meet on the 3000gt hinge where you could technically drill/tap a hole into the side of it. I actually have a picture of someone else that did this with a set of redline shocks. There was enough room to drill a hole and use a nut on the back side. I'm worried that this is still kind of close to the pivot point and would be a lot harder on the shocks. Plus if I screw up my hinge I'll be mad.

http://www.802projects.com/images/ra...edlinehood.jpg


2. I could also try to find another platform that would work. For instance this is the ford mustang bracket. It looks like it could easily be modified. (Mustang MRT Hood Strut Kit (1979-1993) Installation Instructions) There are also universal brackets out there but the 3000gt hinge has a weird lip on the side of it. So the bracket needs to extend up towards the front of the hood before extending over.

http://assets.cjponyparts.com/skin/f...-HDGL24-6b.jpg


3. I could buy some aluminum and make my own. It wouldn't be fancy and cnc'd, but I am capable of cutting, welding, rounding corners with a die grinder, and drilling holes. If I do this it would really only benefit me.


4. Maybe someone else on here works in a machine shop and would take on the project:)

So I'm assuming the main point here is so that the strut attaches to something solid like the hinge and not the brittle CF/FG hood itself.

I don't think aluminum would be strong enough over time to support it. Best that it be made out of steel for longevity. The biggest issue will be clearances. The stock hood shocks fold in between the fender and the hood when it closes, which is really tight to begin with. So moving around the mount point or adding in a new bracket to the stock hinge may not clear. I do like the idea of how they taped into the stock hinge as it would use the same area as before and no additional brackets in the way.

Yeah that is the plan. This way the lift system would work with all types of hoods. Well there is definitely some gap to play with has you have 2 bolt heads there. The rx7 bracket holes are countersunk quite a bit. There may be room. Worst case the bracket holes could be beveled and an allenhead bolt used.

Matt did get back to me as well. He said he is open to helping me out. He owns the cad files and gets the bracket's machined by someone online that does them in batches of 25 for him. The cad file would have to be modified some to fit as the elbow is in line with the top bolt hole. I'm still trying to work out some details with him. I do have a scrap piece of aluminum at the house so I may get creative this weekend so I can help him make the cad file. The aluminum in person also seems pretty strong. I can't bend it with my hands at all. This kind of gives you an idea on how they would need to be modified:


http://www.802projects.com/images/ra...oodbracket.jpg

I'm going to order the dampers and stuff later today.

http://www.phastekperformance.com/v/...OOD-PROP-2.jpg

:highly_amused:

You should just get some cardboard and design your own. Go to a local machine shop... most of them are very friendly and willing to help, and I'll bet they can make you some for a *relatively* minimal cost. Aluminum isn't expensive and it's easy to machine, so it's usually fairly cheap to have made.

Edit: Had this open and didn't refresh and see your post. But what I said still stands :D

Hope your contact can work something out with you!