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Just recently i purchased the NRG Hood Dampers for my 6 thru a GB by Donny at RPM, Thanks Donny!
Anyway, once i installed the dampers, i noticed that the hood still felt like it wanted to close, and at times it wouldnt stay up at all, like the dampers werent Strong enough to hold up the hood. At first i figured, damn.....its the extra weight of the mirrors i have under my hood thats causing it, so my thoughts were i was gonna sell them.
Come to find out Dave(DJquik1) said he experienced the same thing with his 6. and went to a CF hood and that fixed it. Well me personally i have never been a fan of CF on my personal cars. so i started thinking.
How can i make this work?
Originally the damper are supposed to be install with the shock end attached to the lower bolt of the hood hinge , and the other end to the 2nd fender bolt. look below:
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Of course that doesnt work for me. So i attempted to create more leverage by bolting the shock side of the damper to the upper bolt on the hood hinge.
That didnt work.......reason being is that the base of the ball was stopping the knuckle(non-shock end) from rotating enough to attach the shock end to the upper bolt. so here's what i did.
1. removed the both dampers from the car and used the stock hood prop to hold the hood.
2. took a black permanent marker and marked the ball on the fenders at the point facing the front of the car.
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see the mark i put below:
![]()
i did this to both ball joints.
3. took my vice grip and marked the upper portion of it to let me know that the mark on the ball joints face toward that mark(so i know which way to bend the ball.
![]()
4. position the the ball joint, ball side out.......thread side in. With the edge of the ball joint bolting surface BETWEEN the teeth of the vice grip with the marked side one tooth ahead of the unmarked side(this increases the grip)
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5. put the marked side of the vice grip on the ground and hold it.
6. using a torch het the ball joint until its red hot.
7. take a hammer and hit downward on the ball joint to bend it
***SEE VID BELOW FOR STEPS 5-7***
8. repeat steps 4-7 on the other ball joint.
9. let ball joints cool down naturally(DO NOT throw water on them because it will make them brittle)
10. once cool, install the ball joints on their respective sides. you should now have a ball joint that looks like this on both sides.
![]()
11. move the dampers shock side brackets one at a time to the upper bolt of the hood hinge and tighten.
12. reinstall both dampers completely
13. put down your stock hood prop and close your hood. Your done.
***LOOK BELOW FOR FINISHED PRODUCT***
****In the event of one or both of the dampers shock side brackets turning inward toward the center of the hood. Purchase to lock washers(the type with the lock notches around the entire washer and put them on as well****
With the added weight of the mirrors on my stock hood, this mod gives the shocks more leverage therefore giving them the strength to lift the hood on their own once its almost half way open.
QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS?
Anyway, once i installed the dampers, i noticed that the hood still felt like it wanted to close, and at times it wouldnt stay up at all, like the dampers werent Strong enough to hold up the hood. At first i figured, damn.....its the extra weight of the mirrors i have under my hood thats causing it, so my thoughts were i was gonna sell them.
Come to find out Dave(DJquik1) said he experienced the same thing with his 6. and went to a CF hood and that fixed it. Well me personally i have never been a fan of CF on my personal cars. so i started thinking.
How can i make this work?
Originally the damper are supposed to be install with the shock end attached to the lower bolt of the hood hinge , and the other end to the 2nd fender bolt. look below:
Of course that doesnt work for me. So i attempted to create more leverage by bolting the shock side of the damper to the upper bolt on the hood hinge.
That didnt work.......reason being is that the base of the ball was stopping the knuckle(non-shock end) from rotating enough to attach the shock end to the upper bolt. so here's what i did.
1. removed the both dampers from the car and used the stock hood prop to hold the hood.
2. took a black permanent marker and marked the ball on the fenders at the point facing the front of the car.
see the mark i put below:
i did this to both ball joints.
3. took my vice grip and marked the upper portion of it to let me know that the mark on the ball joints face toward that mark(so i know which way to bend the ball.
4. position the the ball joint, ball side out.......thread side in. With the edge of the ball joint bolting surface BETWEEN the teeth of the vice grip with the marked side one tooth ahead of the unmarked side(this increases the grip)
5. put the marked side of the vice grip on the ground and hold it.
6. using a torch het the ball joint until its red hot.
7. take a hammer and hit downward on the ball joint to bend it
***SEE VID BELOW FOR STEPS 5-7***
8. repeat steps 4-7 on the other ball joint.
9. let ball joints cool down naturally(DO NOT throw water on them because it will make them brittle)
10. once cool, install the ball joints on their respective sides. you should now have a ball joint that looks like this on both sides.
11. move the dampers shock side brackets one at a time to the upper bolt of the hood hinge and tighten.
12. reinstall both dampers completely
13. put down your stock hood prop and close your hood. Your done.
***LOOK BELOW FOR FINISHED PRODUCT***
****In the event of one or both of the dampers shock side brackets turning inward toward the center of the hood. Purchase to lock washers(the type with the lock notches around the entire washer and put them on as well****
With the added weight of the mirrors on my stock hood, this mod gives the shocks more leverage therefore giving them the strength to lift the hood on their own once its almost half way open.
QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS?
