hood adjusters/adjustments

[mjoekingz28]

On my Cobalt it used to handle really well at interstate highway speeds, but around town I was hearing a lot of rattling which I thought was the hood after I, I think, I closed it one day and felt slack in it where it wasn't held down firmly.

Then I backed off on the isolator adjusters to raise them and the hood would now close and sound good after I would close it after checking oil. But then I went for a drive and it seems the wind really takes hold and the roadholding of the car isn't very favorable anymore. It used to hunker down and do well and now it is like it has front end lift.


The car has had incidents. It hailed heavily here in 2013 and the driver's headlight was broken off its bracket, and I heard the previous owner might have hit something.


So, is there a happy medium here. Do you adjust it so it closes shut with a nice sound and doesn't budge when you try to shake it once latched. Or, is there meant to some slop in it?

2006 Chevrolet Cobalt

 

[mk378]

You want the center latch down as tight as you can get it but still have it able to latch with a reasonable slam. Raise the side supports until the hood is level with the fenders on each side.

If there has been a crash to the front edge of the hood, the front of the hood tends to curl up so it can end up way above the fenders but still loose.

 

[emmett442]

Unbolt the latch so the hood rests on the bumpers only. Adjust the bumpers until the hood is flush with the fenders. THEN bolt the latch back up and adjust it until it closes firmly and there is some resistance when pulling the hood release.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Exactly emmett442. +1 You want the hood resting on the bumpers but not so tight as to make the bumpers ineffective.

 

[mjoekingz28]

Please explain 'unbolt the latch'........

Its not like it is adjustable, I don't think. So what good would it do?

 

[mjoekingz28]

nvm. It seems I was wrong. These engineers are good folk!

I will try and update after a test drive.

Thanks once again Bob!

 

[mjoekingz28]

Ok, I've driven a few miles now and the car seems to be doing a lot better than before.

There does still seem to be a little bit of driver's side 'lift' and turbulence but that could be attributed to the fact I had to replace the headlight and the front clip isn't exactly even on both sides.

I will probably leave it be for a while and maybe figure out if it is just the prevailing winds, that the hood latch needs another adjustment, or if the bump stops needs to be adjusted to each other or WHAT......