Gummie

I received my ram air hood this week and want to put it on Sunday. I looked around for fiberglass hood shocks, but I couldn't find them. The guy at AutoZone couldn't find anything other than the ones for the steel hood (I watched him try 82-85) and the GM parts guy only found an aluminum hood for 82 and steel every other year.

I did get two part numbers from the GM guy:
14019157 is for the steel hood shocks
10020794 is the number for the aluminum hood shocks

I went back to AutoZone and had them cross the number and they still couldn't find anything. I also haven't been able to find anything online.

I'm thinking about using my somewhat worn steel hood shocks because they're not at 100% strength anymore (I installed them about 6-8 months ago). Would that be safe? If not, where can I find shocks for the aluminum/fiberglass hood?

JDubya18

Yeah, I think its ok to use worn struts from the steel hoods. Well at least I remember reading that its ok a couple of times on here.

Blackroc86

I swapped my good hood struts with a buddy for his worn out one and they work fine on my fiberglass hood.

CrazyHawaiian

I'm using blown ones with good success.

Gummie

My current shocks are not completely blown (one would hope not since they're only 8 or so months old), but they're defiantly not as strong as they were new. They still hold the steel hood up without problems, but they won’t open the hood by themselves after I unlatch the hood anymore.

I'm just worried that they're still too strong for a fiberglass hood. Anyone have any thoughts on that?

Also: Anyone in central Jersey want to trade struts?

Lo-tec

82-83 cross-fire camaros with the factory glass hood used part # 14045326, which is still available. If your shocks can hold up your steel hood, they are too stiff and will break the new glass one.

Gummie

Thanks for the number Lo-tec I will head over to napa to pick up their equivalant (Balkamp Hood Lift Support - # BK 8195280).

Sickness91Z28

iTrader: (1)

I bought a set of the 82-83 fiberglass hood shocks at the dealership I work at...they were about $80 bucks....but well worth the money.

Gummie

Gmpartsdirect.com wants $33.45 (each?) and they list the dealer at $57 The NAPA brand is something like $15. I figure that if they don't work I can always go out and buy the real thing without loosing much money.

CrazyHawaiian

Or you could just goto the junkyard and buy a set of blown ones for $5.

Gummie

. double post

Gummie

I just got home and decided to cross the original strut number on the NAPA website. Guess what? Crossed to the same strut as the fiberglass one

Looks like I will be returning these and making a trip to the dealer today.

EDIT:

I'm tempted to but there are not that many junk yards in central Jersey (at least not that I'm aware of). The yard I got my fender from is about 40 miles from here and it's in PA.

SpeedCat86

Don't know whose hood you're using, but there's a number of us who have been using ASCD hoods with stock struts with no problem. My hood is 6 years old, the struts were almost new when I installed it. No problems yet.

On a lot of cars that have struts or springs to hold up the hood, the hinge over-centers so that the springs are 'pulling' the hood down when i'ts closed. ThirdGens are among these cars. As you bring the hood down, you can feel it start to pull itself closed when it gets about 8" from fully shut.

This is why you have that little spring next to the hood latch, to push the hood latch open when you pull the handle.
On a car like mine, which doesn't have that spring, the hood will not 'pop' when you pull the release, because the hood hinge springs are actually holding it down.

Lo-tec

I hated that part. PITA to open the hood by myself. I ended up cutting a small plate to bolt under the hood striker and tack welding the spring onto it.

BT283

iTrader: (3)

Go get a hood prop out of a junk car and put it on yours...that is what i did, my struts wouldnt even lift my glass hood...hahahaha!

looker69

Long time reader,first time poster. Have been looking for replacement lift struts for the glass hood on my 82 TA. Read all the posts, not good. Found a co. today after doing a search on Google. Called them and talked to Stephen. Very interested, had me check somethings and send him my struts. If he can recharge them he will & send them back, if not he can make new ones. Don't know price but will let you know. I don't want to use a prop rod or used steel struts.

Lo-tec

Earlier in post:

"82-83 cross-fire camaros with the factory glass hood used part # 14045326"

What's not good about a part you can buy at the dealer that's guaranteed to work??

looker69

GM discontinued the glass & alum struts.

bingo

iTrader: (2)

As of three weeks ago the shocks for the factory "plastic" hood were still availible. I used the same part number listed in the post. I think I paid about $40 each.

WheelsUp84z

iTrader: (2)

i had the ram air hood for my old camaro and when i used the steel hood shocks it would flex the hood and eventually put hairline cracks in the paint around where the hinges were mounted from stress, so what i did was just unhooked the clips that hold the shocks to the hood part of the hinges and just popped the shocks off when i closed the hood and put them back on when i needed to keep the hood open never had any more problems out of it, hope this helps some!

looker69

I know some of you guys say that the lightweight struts are still available but I can't find them here or on the web. I went to three GM dealers and they said they were discontinued. NAPA only had steel ones. I sent mine to Lift Support Technolgies http://www.lstechnologies.ca/. Steve Fenner is the guys name. He took the time to find out the pressures and sent me a pair that work and fit perfect. He is going to try to rebuild mine that way I have the stock ones on the car. Steve impressed me with his knowledge and the fact that he was willing to try to help me out. This guy cares and only wants to turn out a good product. If you can find them great, if not give him a try. Man it's nice to have the hood stay up without a broom handle.

cc 82Z-28

iTrader: (7)

NAPA Parts #8195280 for the glass hood. Still available they said, order them.

bingo

iTrader: (2)

#8195280 is the wrong number. A few years ago the part number for the steel ones superseded the ones for the plastic ones. How do I know? I used to work at Napa. If you do a search the same number will come up for the steel hood.

Lo-tec

And as of tonite, GM still has stock of the correct part.

cc 82Z-28

iTrader: (7)

Strange, when I contacted NAPA about this, this was the number they said was for the plastic hood struts. Sorry about that, but I have a pair of those with that number that I got from NAPA last year. Things change I guess, but I just emailed them about the number before posting on this issue and that is what they gave me.

1992rs/ss

I have been using the stock ones that were on the car when I bought. ss hood has been on for 4 and a half years with no problem