2nd gen to 1st gen hood hinge swap

[aaron81006]

I've search the site and don't find any info. Has anyone swapped the 2nd gen hood hinge with the hydraulic lifts into a first gen? I really want to get rid of the dumb hood hold open rod. The hinges are pretty close to the same but the new ones have four bolts instead of the two. I would think that I could just drill new holes and it should work. Anyone had luck with this?

 

[madbutcher]

No idea. .. But this is an option

http://www.dufftuff.com/Hood_Struts_Bronco_II_83_2011_Ranger_Explorer_p/4952.htm

 

[vq5speed]

I got tired of that hood stand to I strutted my hood a year ago. I went down to Autozone found some struts that had a bracket built on one end and a bolt on the other. I don't know what there made for. I then used a piece of angle steel to mount off the fender. Works great when open the hood about 10" the struts push the hood up by themselfs.

 

[5spdman]

There are a few here who have added struts to the hood of their first gen, so it obviously can be done....don't think anyone ever used the hinges from a second gen though...

 

[aaron81006]

Thanks guys for the input. I like to not use aftermarket stuff when I can so I think I will try the 2nd gen hinges when I get a chance. If that works I will do a post if not I will probably do something like vq's.
Rock on fellow explorers.

 

[mr cribb]

In the junkyard I have tried matching a gen 2 hood hinge on a first, and one or two of the threaded bolt holes don't line up properly.

 

[aaron81006]

so I went to the PNP Saturday and spent about an hour pulling the hoods off of a G1 and a G2. (It's kind of like unsupervised chaos there) I took the hinges from the G2 and put them in the holes. The holes on the firewall do not line up but I came up with an idea of making a plate with bolts for the new holes welded to it and holes for the old bolts. This would let me mount the hinges. I wasn't wholly invested in the amount of work this was going to take. Especially when I came across some cool nerf bars that really liked. I got the nerf bars and abandoned the hinges for now. You can see my new mods in the "what did you do today...." string.

 

[mr cribb]

No idea. .. But this is an option

http://www.dufftuff.com/Hood_Struts_Bronco_II_83_2011_Ranger_Explorer_p/4952.htm

I hadn't looked at this link until now,and I like this idea.

I like it because I don't have to over think the idea, someone else already has.

However, at a hundred dollars, what else is out there for cheaper.