CRUISER HEAD 62 Series Hood Strut Kit Installation Guide
- June 4, 2024
- Cruiser Head
Table of Contents
Installation Guide
62 Series Hood Strut Kit
INSTALLING THE 60 SERIES HOOD STRUT KIT
First things first, we need to get the hood on the prop rod and remove the
factory assist springs on either side of the hood. We will not be reusing any
of these parts. Since we will be taking out the hood hinge bolts, we want to
make sure we know where the hood hinge is in relation to the hood…saves a lot
of time trying to realign things. I like to use masking tape to mark the outer
edge as well as the bottom edge of the hinge(when you install the strut
support, you will not be able to see the top of the hinge….or remove the
tape). I would think you could tape out the inside of the hinge too if you
felt the need. The hinges will move(lots of adjustment) around so getting them
back where they were is somewhat critical. Mark them however you feel most
comfortable to ensure they are right where they were. Before starting this,
it’s not a bad idea to check your hood gaps on the sides of the hood as well
as the rear so you can determine how aligned it is….if it’s time to adjust it,
do it now.
Grab the proper side long metal strut support piece…..marked with an R
sticker. The non-marked one is for the left side obviously. They are RIGHT-
HAND SIDE and LEFT-HAND SIDE as you sit in the truck and look out. They have a
slight angle to them that should be pointing towards the center of the hood.
The ball stud points down, the rubber cushion/pad goes against the underside
of the hood.
Get your new hardware ready with lock and flat washers…..this is the M8 gold
hardware.
At this point, you have the hood open and on the prop rod. I like to put
something under the corner of the hood that I am working on. You will do the
hinges/strut supports one at a time. The hood is heavy and it will fall so
it’s imperative something is under the corner when you pull those 2 bolts.
Some dense foam, wood with a rag, whatever you have to keep that hood from
falling onto the cowl is necessary. If you’re quick and have an extra set of
helper’s hands, that works well to keep the hood up….but always try to at
least have a rag or something in there just in case. Remove the 2 OEM hinge
bolts….install the long metal strut support and loosely bolt it in place with
provided hardware(flat and lock washer too). Get the hinge where you want it
and tighten them down.
The Hood is up on the prop rod now, both strut supports are installed, and
tape is removed from the hinge area. If you are going to check gaps, now is
the time to do it.
, REMEMBER that the hood is very heavy without those helper springs
This is what it should look like if the support is in the right spot:
Next, we need to get the cowl brackets on. Remove the existing 2 inside 10mm
headed bolts from the hood hinge flange and put them aside(not needed). You
will mount the cowl bracket using these 2 holes and the supplied stainless
10mm JIS hardware. Prior to doing this job, it may be a good idea to spray
some penetrant on these bolts….you do not want to snap a bolt(the passenger
side lower bolt can be a little tricky as dirt and crud builds up behind it).
The RIGHT side cowl bracket is marked with an R sticker…..again, like the
upper hood strut mount, right side of the vehicle, not driver position. These
are a tight fit so a little patience may be required getting the new hardware
in. 62s have a different style of seam sealer on them…with a little more
excess buildup vs. the 60s….most likely the cowl bracket will smash this flat
but you could certainly shave it down a little if you wanted.
This is what the cowl bracket should look like installed(hardware provided in
kits is stainless now)…..make sure the ball stud is pointing to the OUTSIDE of
the truck(in case the sticker is not on the bracket):
Once those cowl brackets are on and tightened down, simply snap the struts in
place and you’re done….keep in mind that it may take a helper to lower the
hood(of the prop rod) slightly to get the upper and lower strut ball sockets
aligned and snapped in. The gas cylinder should be mounted down with the rod
up as shown in the pictures.
You can keep the prop rod in its spot….it isn’t hurting anyone there and just
in case there was a failure with a strut or something, it’s nice to have a
backup.
There are multiple holes on the brackets as some of them are used in different
applications, do not adjust or move anything….we preset these in the correct
spots.
Please don’t hesitate to call or email with any questions and thanks for your
purchase.
C2 DESIGN
cchapas@earthlink.net
813-223-3744
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