Live axle shock absorber top mounts and hood sticks - worth checking

[Clousta]

After changing the rear shock absorbers some time ago I went to tighten up the top nuts.  On one side I noticed that the inner hood stick had been resting on the nut and by the amount of rubbing on the hood stick it has probably been like that since build.  I carefully measured, marked and then removed the inner hood stick.  Five minutes later my trusty pipe cutter had neatly removed 10 mm off each end.  The inner hood stick now sits better  when folded flat under the boot cover (not that it ever gets used know due to the half hood but it might rattle less).

[elie boone]

The hood sticks are not on the inside of the chassis support do they ?

[Clousta]

Elie,

The larger hoodstick is fiited on the outside of the chassis bracket as intended.

I went back to the 1980s Assembly guide and the 1988 Assembly manual.  The subject is rather better covered in the manual.  The builder/original owner had fitted larger hoodstick incorrectly.  It was not fitted far enough back and flush with the slope of the rear panel as described in the manual.  The 1/4" hole for the hinge/bolt was correctly drilled for the larger hoodstick but the second hole for the smaller hood stick was only 31/2" back from the first hole and not 4" as specified in the manual.

In addition, the hole in the smaller hoodstick was 5/8" from its end and not 1/4" as per the larger hoodstick. The end result was that the smaller hoodstick was sitting too far forward and on the large washer that covers the rear shock absorber bush on one side. On the other side the problem was worse and the inner hoodstick ws touching the rear shock absorber bolt as previously reported.

After trimming the ends of the inner hoodstick as previously reported it now sits flush and clear of the rear shock absorber larger washer that covers the rubber bush.

I don't intend changing the hoodstick arrangement anymore as should I want to fit the full hood I know it fits, and the boot cover fits too.