To hold the new tilt front end open you may want to choose from the following suggestions.....Hydraulic strut rods (found at the local auto parts store)....A pump powered hydraulic cylinder.......or a simple chain. We have even seen customers use a single air shock, which worked very well. To latch the front end down - you can use CJ hood tie downs, electric trunk latches, hood pins, dzus fasteners or what ever you might decide upon. rubber snubbers are also a good idea at the back of the hood to give the unit something to rest on at the cowling area. Once everything is complete and operating properly block sand the unit - prime & paint.
We have tried to cover most areas involved in a simple installation. The installation you do, may be easier or more difficult, depending on your make / model and ability.
To make the installation easier - we have done most of the work for you - when you buy a Pre-Split Tilt. Each Pre-Split tilt comes with a tongue and groove joint on both the fender panel and front end. When closed these tilts self align in their own pocket. They can be easily installed with basic hand tools. Shown below are the lower fender section for the pre-split model to give you a good idea where the fender section will separate.
One Piece Front ends can be installed in various ways. Listed below are a few basic ideas.....
The easiest is to Pin or Dzus fasten the front end to your vehicle - attaching it at the core support, firewall and lower fender sections.
A good idea the customer below came up with - was to use fish mouth tubing - a large piece mounted to the frame rail and a somewhat smaller one glassed to the front end itself. When sliding the front end on it not only self aligns it secure the front end and fasteners are only needed in the rear.
Most of the work to tilt a full fendered front end can be accomplished at the drawing table. First you will need a photo of the side of the vehicle..then draw an outline of its' front end on tracing paper. Cut the outline drawing and lay it over the photo. With the use of a pin, determine where the hinge placement should be (The pin acting as the hinging point.) be sure that your paper model when tilting, does not have the fender hitting the tire or the grill hitting the ground.
To get more lift and clearance while tilting, a double hinge can be fabricated and used. For either double or single hinges, you must start by fiberglassing a 1 x 1 steel bar into the front end, just above and in front of the hinge point location. Make sure, before glassing the bar in that a pad is welded on the end to make it more stable, and the fiberglass will hold it in place. Weld an oval plate in the direction of the hinge point - drill a 1/2" hole in the plate at the hinge point.
For single hinge mechanism - weld or bolt an other plate coming off of the frame rail and drill the 1/2" hole in the same location. With the use of a 1/2" bolt & fiber lock nut ,as your hinge, the front end should pivot properly. Whatever you do TAKE YOUR TIME!
For a double hinge mechanism, weld a plate off of the bar in the front end (previously installed) angled down and behind the hinge point. Cut an oval plate to bolt to the frame rail, going towards and covering the hinge point. Doing your best to look like the drawing below. It is best to use stainless steel bolts and cotter pin type lock nuts, for a secure installation...and again whatever you do TAKE YOUR TIME!
