Front Hood Shox; Don't Always Hold The Hood Up As Expected, What's Wrong? |
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Front Hood Shox; Don't Always Hold The Hood Up As Expected, What's Wrong? |
Spoke |
Jan 17 2016, 03:52 PM
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#1
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Jerry Group: Members Posts: 7,052 Joined: 29-October 04 From: Allentown, PA Member No.: 3,031 Region Association: None |
I have the popular front hood shox kit on my 914 but I have issues with it. The shox do hold the hood up in the garage quite well. But in the environment with wind, it fails to hold the hood up. The geometry seems off as if the hood is pushed down an inch or 2 it loses all shock resistance and falls very rapidly.
I find it embarrassing to have to put a length of wood to wedge the hood open while I fuel but even more embarrassing to pump with one hand and hold up the hood with the other. These are new shox. Just purchased and installed a few months ago. I think I've installed them correctly. If the hood is pulled down a couple of inches, it flies down with no resistance. The kit seems well designed but the geometry seems off. The shocks on my 911 front hood provide resistance no matter how open the hood is. Question then: What do I have to do to eliminate the "falling hood" syndrom? Add the original spring? Did I do the installation wrong? Help!! My car as it sits. The gas station I stop at always has wind blowing the hood closed. The wooden stand is absolutely necessary with this shox kit. I've gotten hit too many times with a falling hood while refueling. Here's Camp914's installation. Mine is the same as this. Here's how Sir Andy solved the hood shock. The geometry here looks better than mine. Here's another shock (I think it's a shock) solution. |
SirAndy |
Jan 17 2016, 04:04 PM
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#2
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Resident German Group: Admin Posts: 41,815 Joined: 21-January 03 From: Oakland, Kalifornia Member No.: 179 Region Association: Northern California |
I've never had that problem but i also didn't buy a kit, i made mine before anyone was selling kits.
The shocks i used are 911 engine lid shocks and they put out quite a lot of force when fully extended. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) |
dlee6204 |
Jan 17 2016, 05:22 PM
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#3
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Howdy Group: Members Posts: 2,162 Joined: 30-April 06 From: Burnsville, NC Member No.: 5,956 |
Has it always been this way? Possibly you got a bad shock?
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r_towle |
Jan 17 2016, 06:04 PM
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#4
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Custom Member Group: Members Posts: 24,624 Joined: 9-January 03 From: Taxachusetts Member No.: 124 Region Association: North East States |
It looks like you could fabricate a six inch (guess) piece of wood and stick it underneath the passenger side hood bracket right underneath the u shaped section when it's up, so the wood rests on the inner fender.
To make you feel better, I bought new Pistons for the 911, they do not work. I am told I can buy special double Pistons that do work, Makes me wonder why people sell shit they know won't work, in that case pelican parts... |
Spoke |
Jan 17 2016, 06:17 PM
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#5
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Jerry Group: Members Posts: 7,052 Joined: 29-October 04 From: Allentown, PA Member No.: 3,031 Region Association: None |
Has it always been this way? Possibly you got a bad shock? I bought the kit several years ago. About 2 years ago one of the shocks lost it's gas and I've been using the wood stick ever since. Finally this year I got a new set of shocks. The ease of hood dropping was always there. When pushed down about and inch or 2 even before the hood shocks loose all of their ability to hold the hood up. On my 911, the shock is mounted vertically and pushes up on the hood no matter where the hood is in its travel. |
forrestkhaag |
Jan 17 2016, 06:23 PM
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#6
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 935 Joined: 21-April 14 From: Scottsdale, Arizona Member No.: 17,273 Region Association: Southwest Region |
It looks like you could fabricate a six inch (guess) piece of wood and stick it underneath the passenger side hood bracket right underneath the u shaped section when it's up, so the wood rests on the inner fender. To make you feel better, I bought new Pistons for the 911, they do not work. I am told I can buy special double Pistons that do work, Makes me wonder why people sell shit they know won't work, in that case pelican parts... Agreed....... with the issue of ..won't work.. the wood block?....NO. This solution is only as good as my 356SC hood catch system designed by, ............arguably, the finest engineers on earth.. / contrary to every biomechanics dynamic learned from birth - the inverse WTF factor ..., one must lift the lid to lower the lid... hence, a thousand tweaked 356 lids.. hence Stoddard. Can you say Booming Bidnez.. In summary: Shocks are good alternative if not in the resto-concours area - And, having just assisted Larmo63 in a replacement of trunk rollers on his pristine bodied (not him) 914 - shocks are a good alternative to relieve clutter and weight .. all four corners of my trinket work fine every time - with shocks on all 4's - as long as you hold on to the lid being opened. Opening can be aggressive on the opening move if not aware.. |
Mark Henry |
Jan 17 2016, 06:44 PM
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#7
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that's what I do! Group: Members Posts: 20,065 Joined: 27-December 02 From: Port Hope, Ontario Member No.: 26 Region Association: Canada |
Does you 914 sit in the cold and have you opened the hood on a super cold day?
I've had a few hood shocks fail due to cold weather. A bit of moisture on the seal freezes to the rod, tearing it when opened and then the whole shock fails. Often the failure is the exact weak shock condition you are describing. |
mepstein |
Jan 17 2016, 07:10 PM
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#8
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914-6 GT in waiting Group: Members Posts: 19,518 Joined: 19-September 09 From: Landenberg, PA/Wilmington, DE Member No.: 10,825 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region |
Does you 914 sit in the cold and have you opened the hood on a super cold day? I've had a few hood shocks fail due to cold weather. A bit of moisture on the seal freezes to the rod, tearing it when opened and then the whole shock fails. Often the failure is the exact weak shock condition you are describing. Its been warm on the east coast until this week. It was 65 degrees just last Sunday. We open up our 911 hoods all year round and don't see failures. |
Spoke |
Jan 17 2016, 07:26 PM
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#9
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Jerry Group: Members Posts: 7,052 Joined: 29-October 04 From: Allentown, PA Member No.: 3,031 Region Association: None |
Does you 914 sit in the cold and have you opened the hood on a super cold day? I've had a few hood shocks fail due to cold weather. A bit of moisture on the seal freezes to the rod, tearing it when opened and then the whole shock fails. Often the failure is the exact weak shock condition you are describing. Its been warm on the east coast until this week. It was 65 degrees just last Sunday. We open up our 911 hoods all year round and don't see failures. From day one years ago when I installed this I noticed I had to physically lift the hood up to about 2 inches from full travel before the shocks took over. I guess I've been hit on the head enough times and had the hood fall on my open tool box and get dented enough times to want to improve this system. The 914 is in the garage all the time with my 911. The 911 front hood shocks are designed correctly such that pulling the hood release results in the hood popping up till the safety latch catches. The 911 hood is assisted in opening by the shocks in its full travel. Closing the 911 hood requires pushing down on the hood the whole way. For the 914, I have to hold up the hood when closing it. I'm thinking of a way to reinstall the original springs to assist the shocks. The original springs were stretched and at full open would allow the hood to droop but not fall all the way closed. |
JmuRiz |
Jan 17 2016, 10:17 PM
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#10
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914 Guru Group: Members Posts: 5,489 Joined: 30-December 02 From: NoVA Member No.: 50 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region |
Mine stopped working too, going back to stock springs when the car is put back together.
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jasons |
Jan 17 2016, 10:27 PM
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#11
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Jackstand Extraordinaire Group: Members Posts: 2,002 Joined: 19-August 04 From: Scottsdale, AZ Member No.: 2,573 Region Association: None |
My just failed. My car is a garaged project. I installed them maybe 2 years ago? Lifted the hood yesterday, no bueno. Mine are the fiberglass hood version. The rears seem to be fine.
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Steve |
Jan 17 2016, 11:10 PM
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#12
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914 Guru Group: Members Posts: 5,687 Joined: 14-June 03 From: Orange County, CA Member No.: 822 Region Association: Southern California |
I have rear trunk shocks because of the 3.2. I am on my second set of shocks. PIA.. I will leave the stock springs in the front.
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Larmo63 |
Jan 18 2016, 12:06 AM
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#13
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 4,267 Joined: 3-March 14 From: San Clemente, Ca Member No.: 17,068 Region Association: Southern California |
I agree (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)
I think the springs that Porsche sent with both of my cars work fine. |
Eric_Shea |
Jan 18 2016, 02:11 PM
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#14
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PMB Performance Group: Admin Posts: 19,289 Joined: 3-September 03 From: Salt Lake City, UT Member No.: 1,110 Region Association: Rocky Mountains |
I don't like any of the hood shocks.
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r_towle |
Jan 18 2016, 02:13 PM
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#15
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Custom Member Group: Members Posts: 24,624 Joined: 9-January 03 From: Taxachusetts Member No.: 124 Region Association: North East States |
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MJHanna |
Jan 18 2016, 02:52 PM
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#16
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Does this 911 make my butt look big? Group: Members Posts: 805 Joined: 23-January 03 From: Lowry Crossing, Texas Member No.: 185 |
I use one of these on the front of one of my 911s. I have no issues with it . http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911...oot-struts.html
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif) |
larryM |
Jan 18 2016, 03:41 PM
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#17
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emoze Group: Members Posts: 891 Joined: 1-January 03 From: mid- California Member No.: 65 Region Association: Northern California |
i had same experience as O.P. - would hold hood up, but not control it slamming down as soon as the shox came off full-up position
our supplier said there were 2 versions - one for light hoods, and sent me a replacement set for steel hoods (no markings on either set that would indicate purpose or difference) - no joy - same problem with "stronger" replacement set THEN - I McGivered my problem by reinstalling old tired springs along with the shox - works great this way - (tho it offends the Concours crowd - my answer "it's just an old race car, for goodness sake) p.s. - 911's have them from factory ( Part #: 911-511-331-00) so they should work as designed for 911's - |
boxstr |
Jan 18 2016, 04:01 PM
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#18
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MEMBER:PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGION Group: Members Posts: 7,522 Joined: 25-December 02 From: OREGON Member No.: 12 Region Association: Pacific Northwest |
Some of the trunk shox have failed, and if I am contacted I have replaced them as needed. If someone has purchased the front or rear trunk shox from CAMP 914 and they are having an issue with them, let me know and I will do what I can to take care of the problem.
Craig at CAMP |
mgp4591 |
Jan 18 2016, 04:09 PM
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#19
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914 Guru Group: Members Posts: 5,457 Joined: 1-August 12 From: Salt Lake City Ut Member No.: 14,748 Region Association: Intermountain Region |
I like Eric's solution front and rear - prop rods generally don't fail, they're lightweight and cheap. Take some measurements, head to your local wrecking yard with yer tools and do some looking... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)
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r_towle |
Jan 18 2016, 04:52 PM
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#20
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Custom Member Group: Members Posts: 24,624 Joined: 9-January 03 From: Taxachusetts Member No.: 124 Region Association: North East States |
I use one of these on the front of one of my 911s. I have no issues with it . http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911...oot-struts.html (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif) Sweet solution, I hope he is still making them |
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