Lude Generation

In continuing my cable tuck this evening I slightly shifted my skuttle panel up the windscreen, and in doing so I noticed the bonnet shifted a tad with it. My bonnet is being propped up with a broom at the moment since I've removed my bonnet dampers/struts to refurbish them, but I'm wondering whether the dampers are responsible for putting too much stress on the hinges ??? I've not taken any pictures, but the pin has literally sheared, BUT it's sheared smooth and flush with the two faces that pivot against each other

I'm just glad it didn't shear whilst the dampers were still fitted

well I see them sold new a lot on the bay the hinges I mean maybe its a weak spot?

Maybe, just never heard of it in all my years.

thats crazy - how can bonnet dampers shear the pins clean - more likely your lude has been in a front end prang at some time and the bonnet hinges not changed but more than likely the bonnet changed and its gone unnoticed until now. I can tell you that from personal experience.
Just as well your can hasnt gone anywhere in the last few years

when do you ever oil that particular part yet it sits right where the rain or any water/debris collects

vanzep wrote:thats crazy - how can bonnet dampers shear the pins clean - more likely your lude has been in a front end prang at some time and the bonnet hinges not changed but more than likely the bonnet changed and its gone unnoticed until now. I can tell you that from personal experience.

Definitely not that.

My thinking was more that, quite often when I do work on my car and the bonnet's up there's quite a strong wind that's channelled down my drive that flaps the bonnet a tad.

its was only a guess but just thinking my lude in front end smash bonnet completely bent in half - new bonnet put on with old hinges - still ok - cf bonnet flys up - pins still ok - other parts of the hinge either side of the pin slighltly deformed/elongated - issue spotted new hinges put in. so would have to be a massive force to shear the pins thats all im really saying - so its doubtful that bonnet dampers could do this on their own.

The ones I have actually lift the bonnet further than it would be if it was held with whatever that stick thing is called. Could be something to do with something I can't put into words but does that make sense?

Mine do to, but I don't think that's it.

How does this sound?...

The reason I suspected the bonnet dampers is that with a standard setup with bonnet prop the weight is quite evenly distributed and simply sat on three points.

But with the dampers, the load is all on one end. The dampers are only about 100mm from the hinge pins and act as a pivot for practically the entire weight of a heavy OEM bonnet to lever up on the hinge pins. The dampers alone are obviously strong enough themselves to support the weight so act as a solid pivot point. Now imagine the wind bumping the bonnet up and down... Can't be good for those pins.