Hi fellows. I purchased a 57 Bel Air last fall that was using a broom handle to hold the hood up as the hood springs were too weak to do their job.
I purchased a new set of springs and installed them but they aren't the same size as the old ones. They are shorter and smaller in diameter. Also as soon as I unlatch the hood it raised up fully open by itself, these springs are that strong. The other night a friend told me to be really careful of them as the hood could possibly get bent in the middle.
Yesterday I was looking everywhere for springs the same size as my original ones and it seems that no one handles them anymore.
Then I stumbled onto a posting on Chevytalk about this problem another guy had. What he did was to get some smaller springs at a hardware store and put them inside the larger hood spring to give it kind of assist. He said it worked like a charm but didn't say how big a spring he got.
My question is would any of you happen to know how much strength a second spring would need and me to buy or would it be a strict guess?
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Had to chuckle at your post, I just started putting my 57 back together after buffing paint and had to use the broom stick to hold the hood up last night. Still split my forehead on the front corner lip though. Did you find what springs worked, I'm looking for a fix for mine also.
what about East Cost Chevy in Penn. They offer 3 different springs for tri 5's 55,56/ 57, or at least they did last time I looked. where did you get your present day springs?
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